SURGE Umbrella Program

At a Glance:

Grant amount: US$200,000 

Final distrubution at project closure: US$199,070

Implementation: 03/21/2023-06/30/2025

Bank lending operation: Solid Waste Management and Environmental Excellence Project

Loan amount: US$67 million

Grant objective

The grant closed on June 30, 2025, having successfully achieved the objective of contributing to the design and sustainability of Solid Waste Management (SWM) investments to be funded under the Solid Waste Management and Environmental Excellence Project (SWEEP) [under implementation]. A comprehensive behavioral change analysis for improved SWM solutions was completed. A dedicated component to support behavioral change initiatives was included into SWEEP. 

Unused allocated funds (US$930) were returned to the trust fund for future allocation to different country programs. For further details on the Building a Low-carbon, Resilient Solid Waste Management System grant, please reach out to the grant’s lead contacts Noriko Oe (noe@worldbank.org) or Marcus Lee (mlee@worldbank.org).

At a Glance

Grant amount: US$200,000

Grant implementation period: April 15, 2024 – August 31, 2026

Disbursement: US$28,414 (as of December 31, 2025)

Bank lending operation: Geospatial Infrastructure and Valuation Enhancement Project (P180409)

Loan amount: US$24.9 million

Board approval: May 15, 2024

Grant objective

The grant’s objective is to support urban development and climate change initiatives with geospatial data for building formalization efforts carried out under the Geospatial Infrastructure and Valuation Enhancement Project (GIVE).

Component 1 facilitates the execution of a comprehensive legal and regulatory review of existing procedures for building formalization in all ten cantons of Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly focusing on effective urban management in the context of persistent informality challenges. Additionally, the study will reference recent initiatives on addressing informality in Kosovo and Croatia.

Component 2 focuses on stakeholder engagement activities to discuss the review’s findings and obtain practitioners’ feedback. Based on the review and these insights, Component 3 then provides technical support to the Federal Administration for Geodetic and Real Property Affairs (FGA) to improve its existing and future services.

Implementation progress

Overall grant implementation progress is satisfactory. While activities under Component 1 have been completed, Component 2 and 3 activities were delayed due to the government’s prolonged effectiveness declaration process for the GIVE project. Under Component 1, the review of the existing legal and regulatory framework for building informality in all ten cantons was completed (final report: Legalizing Informal Construction in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina). GIVE’s implementing agency, FGA, has hired its PIU staff and has now drafted the technical specifications for the building register, which is expected to benefit from the review’s findings. Locations for the pilots were identified, which may be conducted in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Additionally, the Bank team presented the review results at the Build Back Better Self-Made Cities Conference in Athens in June 2025. The objective of the conference was to identify actions for formalizing informal constructions and improving geospatial ecosystems, land tools, and land policies, all of which directly align with the grant objectives.

Next steps

Although a mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of Component 2 activities was planned for September 2025, it was later postponed until Spring 2026. The additional time prior to the planned workshop is being used by the task team and the hired legal expert who conducted the legal and institutional review to develop a proposed methodology for formalization of informal buildings in FBiH. This methodology will help provide tangible options for FBiH government stakeholders to consider for addressing informality. The methodology and subsequent stakeholder workshop will directly feed into Component 3 activities, which provide support to FGA. Members of UNECE and the International Association of Surveyors (FIG) continue to express their interest in joining the event discussing the review’s findings. To complete all grant activities successfully and accommodate the delay in GIVE’s effectiveness declaration, a nine-month extension of the grant closing date to August 31, 2026 was approved.