Radoslav Dekić

Limits to Adaptation on Climate Change in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Insights and Experiences

Climate change and increased frequency and intensity of extreme climate events are largely caused by increased pressures on Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) environment, especially in the sectors of agriculture, water management, health, forestry and tourism. Increases in temperature and changes in pluviometric regime in B&H caused dominant, but not limited to, adverse impacts. The increasing variability of weather conditions were recorded in all seasons, with rapid changes that occur over short periods of time (5–10 days) of extremely cold and hot weather, or from the period of extremely high rainfall in dry periods. Since 2000, B&H has faced several significant extreme climate and weather episodes that have caused considerable material and financial losses as well as losses of human lives. The two most remarkable events were drought in 2012 and flood in 2014. The drought of 2012 was particularly severe, and contributed to the decrease of the yields of some crops by 50%. Estimates show that more than 3 billion Euro-worth damage was caused by the drought of 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2012 and over 2 billion Euro by the one in 2014. This paper will present the chances, limitations and experience of B&H to adapt to climate change. The purpose of this paper is to, on the basis of observed and projected climate change, emphasize the necessity of adaptation with a special focus on limitations and barriers. The experience has shown that current adaptation was largely spontaneous and was not thoroughly planned or designed. The constraints of adaptation to climate change in B&H are numerous and are conditioned by correct planning policy, strategy, finance, and knowledge and technology transfer. The paper determined the key constraints and it also points out at the possibility of overcoming barriers and offered possible solutions. An increase in the intensity and frequency of climate extremes suggests that the adaptation in the future must be clearly planned, implemented and controlled.

Morphometric and Physiological Characteristics of Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) from the Ponor River

This paper presents the data related to morphometric and physiological (hematological) characteristics of brown trout (Salmo trutta) from the Ponor River. This river rises near the village Podrasnica (municipality of Mrkonjic Grad), sinks above the ground and after a while, near the settlement of Krupa na Vrbasu, appears as a source of the Krupa River (tributary of the Vrbas River). Fish sampling was performed during the summer of 2015 and during this period 22 Salmo trutta units were caught (11 females and 11 males). On that occasion, several morphometric (total and standard body length) and hematological traits (Hct-hematocrit, Hb-hemoglobin and MCHC - mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration), body mass and Fulton’s condition factor were analyzed. The average value for total body length was 18.85 cm and for standard body length it was 16.85 cm; the mean value for body mass was 80.38 g, and for Fulton’s condition factor 1.41. In case of hematological parameters, the average value for Hct was 0.39 l/l, Hb 70.62 g/l and MCHC 180.64 g/l erythrocytes. The estimated parameters can serve as indicators for the condition of these aquatic organisms, and indirectly, the state of their environment.

Morfometrijske karakteristike Telestes metohiensis iz različitih vodotoka Dabarskog polja

Endemicna vrsta Telestes metohiensis (gatacka gaovica) naseljava veci broj vodotoka Istocne Hercegovine i sve tekucice u Dabarskom polju. U poslednjim decenijama u znacajnoj mjeri su promjenjeni uslovi u vecini stanista ove vrste. Vodotoci Dabarskog polja se međusobno razlikuju po kvalitetu životnih uslova, kako sa fizicko-hemijskog tako i sa mikrobioloskog aspekta. Neki vodotoci su aktivni citave godine, sa manjim ili vecim proticajima, dok su neki privremenog karaktera. U radu su predstavljene vrijednosti osnovnih morfometrijskih karakteristika: totalne i standardne dužine, kao i masa i Fultonov koeficijent uhranjenosti kod gaovica iz tri vodotoka Dabarskog polja (Vrijeka, Opacica, Pribitul). Relevantnim statistickim metodama izvrsena je obrada dobijenih podataka i komparacija pracenih karakteristika kod jedinki iz razlicitih vodotoka. Rezultati statisticke obrade podataka pokazuju postojanje znacajnih razlika u vrijednostima pojedinih parametra. Najvece vrijednosti su konstatovane kod jedinki iz rijeke Opacice, dok su najmanje, izuzev Fultonog koeficijenta uhranjenosti, utvrđene kod gaovica iz vodotoka Pribitul.