Idbar Valley: Life in the Historical Continuity

Idbar is a village in the municipality of Konjic located in the valley of the Baš?ica river. It is about 8 km from Konjic, about 40 km from Mostar, and about 50 km from Sarajevo (Geographical coordinates: 43º38'47.36''N, 17º52'54.11''E, elevation: 389). The village developed in the fertile valley of the river Baš?ica, which rises at the foot of the mountain Prenj, one of the largest and most important mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The significance of this mountain is that it is a 'catcher' of rain and snow (which stays there for about half a year) that generate many sources of streams and rivers that throughout history have attracted people for their livelihood. In addition, the wide expanses of pasture on the Prenj mountain, during the summer season, are the basis for mass animal husbandry (mainly sheep breeding), where raw materials for the life of people in villages and towns, in Bosnia and Herzegovina and beyond (meat, wool, milk and dairy products...).

The aim of this paper is a 'study on sustainability' on the concrete example of a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina.