Bosnia’s wood barons

Mapping illegal deforestation and who profits from it

Money and politics are strongly intertwined in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the greed of those in power destroys important nature, environmentalists say. The destruction of forests has had devastating effects on the environment in the Balkan country: it has caused significant erosion, habitat, and biodiversity loss, and has increased flooding risks, research shows.

This investigation into the forestry sector in Bosnia documents several instances of illegal deforestation involving both public forestry companies and private companies, which are frequently associated with the ruling elite. This environmental crime is enriching a small group of people, whilst citizens are losing critical resources that could benefit everyone. 

Implicated, and deeply divided along political and administrative lines, the central government in the capital city of Sarajevo neither has the strength nor the will to deal with the destruction caused by illegal logging, insiders say. In addition, the fact that some regions have not developed clear laws on forestry management enables endemic corruption in the sector, with those responsible going unpunished, say researchers and environmentalists. 

Some of the illegally cut wood ends up in the local market, where it is used as firewood or pallets. Other wood ends up being exported as furniture, planks or other material for the building sector. The Netherlands and France are amongst the main importers of wood from Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is being sold as sustainability (FSC) sourced in our furniture and hardware stores. We trace the wood from Bosnia to the European Union. 
 

Above: Drone shot of a forest near Zavidovići where almost 10,000 m3 of wood was cut. The wood was worth 800,000 km, which benefited a company called Bučje d.o.o. The company paid little more than 70.000 KM in exchange for demining services in an area, which as it turns out, was never demined.

AWARD:

This investigation was awarded for a Bosnian anti-corruption award by CRMA in July 2024.

IMPACT: 

After the publication, the BiH Federal Forestry Inspection (at the Federal level) investigated and exposed the fraud in several forestry departments in Zavidovići. The case was forwarded to the competent cantonal prosecutor's office, as several "irregularities" were found. However, even though the report filed by the Federal Inspectorate detailed all the evidence, the cantonal prosecutor's office (in Republisk Srpska) first pursued the case but then did not act on the report.