On 5 June, the Austrian Embassy in Sarajevo, in cooperation with UNEP Sarajevo and the SOS Children’s Villages of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), hosted a World Environment Day lunchtime reception at the Ambassador’s residence. However, as this year’s celebration of the environment was overshadowed by the effects of the flooding in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which affected 950,000 people and left 40,000 displaced, the celebration was dedicated to raising funds and awareness.

SOS Children’s Villages BIH, who are actively involved in the emergency response regarding children’s well-being in the affected areas, will use the donations for reconstructing a kindergarten in Maglaj, one of the communities heavily affected by the floods.

Attending the reception were two special guests: Maria Patek, president of the Alpine Convention’s Platform on Natural Hazards (the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management), and Matteo Dall’Amico (University of Trento) of the Alpine Convention’s Water Platform. Both guests gave short presentations on the Alpine region’s experiences with disaster prevention and water management, and offered insight into the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A sales exhibition of prominent national photographers also took place during the reception, and the profit from the sales will also go towards the reconstruction of the kindergarten.