Bosnia demines Sava River banks as US AI data centers expand

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, contracts have been signed to begin demining over five million square meters of land across 73 locations along the right bank of the Sava River. This project aims to secure land that has been hazardous for over three decades, enabling infrastructure development, improved connectivity, and new economic opportunities.

Minister of Communications and Transport Edin Forto stated that the project will facilitate road construction and transport development. Additionally, demining is expected to increase navigable days for the Port of Brčko by up to 30%. The initiative is part of the Integrated Development Program of the Sava and Drina Corridors, funded by 16.5 million KM from the European Union through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) and supported by World Bank credits.

Separately, in the United States, the rapid expansion of data centers driven by artificial intelligence is significantly altering the landscape. Analysis shows that while 40 percent of these centers are built on already developed land, 33 percent occupy agricultural land, 12 percent are in forested areas, and 11 percent are in shrublands.

As AI-driven centers require significantly more electricity, they are increasingly moving to rural areas where land is cheaper. A notable example is Elon Musk’s xAI 'Colossus 2' facility near Memphis, which replaced forest land with one of the largest data centers in the country.