Application for anonymous reporting of illegal activities in forestry with the help of citizens - Phase II

Summary of the project:

This project directly addresses the issue of illegal activities in the forestry sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The problem is widespread and has garnered significant interest from the broader society due to increasing pressure from the public and the non-governmental sector, primarily seen through the implementation of the first phase of the project "Application for anonymous reporting of illegal forestry activities with the help of citizens." Relevant data shows that BiH has regressed in terms of corruption compared to previous years, making it the lowest-ranked country in Europe in this regard.

The new phase of this project provides an additional opportunity for the KS and the ZDK to demonstrate genuine progress in reducing the scope of illegal activities. It would also offer a completely new opportunity for the USK, HNK, SBK and TK to collect information about illegal logging and other forms of unlawful activities in forests more quickly and efficiently through an existing tool that has gained the support of key institutions and the broader public.

Project goals

General goal: The general objective of this project is to contribute to the reduction of illegal activities in forestry through the digitalization of traditional natural resource management models in the areas of KS, ZDK, USK, HNK, SBK, and TK, as well as through joint action of the government, non-governmental sector, and the wider public.

Specific goals:

• Contribute to strengthening public pressure on relevant institutions to act on the received reports through the mobile application in the cantons of KS, ZDK, USK, HNK, SBK, and TK.

• Enable the flow of information about illegal activities in forestry in real time by creating an automatic dashboard notification system for reporting.

• Encourage collaboration among application users (citizens), relevant authorities, and the non-governmental sector, as well as all other stakeholders involved in combating illegal forestry activities, to create a more coordinated and effective response to the problem.

Main activities:

• Individual and kick-off meetings with relevant institutions in all project-covered cantons.

• Upgrading/improving the mobile application "Čuvajmo šume" by creating automatic reminders to relevant authorities for received reports via email notifications, along with dashboard analytics to facilitate easier reporting and timely information.

• Organizing and recording podcast episodes.

• Public promotion of the mobile application and project activities.

• Organizing workshops with public enterprises and cantonal administrations regarding the handling of reports, public reporting, and methods to improve the efficiency of forest protection.

• Creating a digital map displaying specific areas where illegal activities have occurred in the project-covered cantons.

• Collaboration and coordination with organizations/informal groups/activists in the field of combating corruption in forestry.