From territorial diagnosis to strategic intent. Knowledge brokerage and co-construction. Fieldwork Insights from Karst Landscapes – the poljes of Canton 10 (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Orianne Crouteix and François Lerin (from the AIDA association) and Jérémy Vendé (from AgroParisTech) have published an article in VertigO journal summarizing the territorial and environmental diagnosis work carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Livno region.

The poljes of Canton 10 in Bosnia and Herzegovina are little known whereas they are remarkable landscapes. In this article, we present an environmental diagnosis of this territory for local stakeholders. By placing fieldwork and data collection at the heart of our work, our goal is to break out of the environmental “silos” (biodiversity, wetlands, energy, waste, etc.) that often limit development or protection projects. Our ambition is to develop a truly cross-cutting approach. Therefore, we combine strategic analysis of environmental management, landscape analysis, and agricultural assessment in an innovative approach. This inductive and comprehensive work enables us to propose a territorial diagnosis illustrated by several original maps. We observe the importance, rarity, and complexity of the hydro-geographical system of this karstic area. We also highlight three contemporary dynamics that impact the environment and landscapes: (1) the development of “green” energies, (2) the evolution of livestock farming systems with the emergence of pastoral beef farming, (3) the transformation of housing and villages according to demographic and “ethnic” dynamics.

We would like to thank the entire class of the Specialized Master Forest Nature Society – International Management for 2022-2023, as well as Emmanuel Artus and Anouk Fraisse (Agronomic engineer from French Institute Agro of Montpellier) for their fieldwork and the many discussions they had with the authors. We would also like to thank the translators from the University of Sarajevo who accompanied us during all the interviews: Nina Brnić, Anela Dervic, Selma Genjac, Amra Huntic and Amila Slijepčević.

Photo (banner) : Poljés (Bosnia & Herzégovina), 2025 / François Lerin.