Water shapes the porous Dinaric karst, making joint management of transboundary resources like the Trebišnjica River inevitable across borders.
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The Western Balkans, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro, are linked by shared natural resources, especially water, which is shaped by porous karst geology that encourages cross-border cooperation. The Trebišnjica River exemplifies this, as its underground flow makes borders permeable. Historically, large socialist Yugoslav infrastructure projects utilized this water for electricity generation, creating an integrated system. During the 1990s wars, water became a critical strategic resource; for instance, during the siege of Dubrovnik, controlling and maintaining water supplies was vital for survival. The conflict led to the fragmentation of these mega-infrastructures, yet mutual dependence on shared resources sometimes compelled warring factions toward negotiation and cooperation regarding essential services like water supply.
