"With air like this – we’re all smokers" is the name of the campaign for preventive lung screening that can be seen on the billboards in Skopje. According to statistics, Macedonia ranks tenth in the world in deaths from lung cancer and, according to a latest publication of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Commission, Macedonia is a country with highest mortality caused by pollution in Europe
The cities in the country are regularly among the most polluted in the world and they are facing air pollution crisis the consequences of which are reaching pandemic proportions. This problem does not only encompass environmental dimension, but it is also becoming a health disaster. Not only the citizens, but it seems that calls for action are also being stifled in the air, returning like an echo every year.
Similar to the fires, which we stopped hearing about during the winter, the problem of pollution also requires a long-term strategy and a comprehensive plan – contrary to the demagogy and short-term measures in the winter where, as soon as we see the first rays of spring, we completely forget about what, actually, awaits us. The pattern is the same, the only difference is that fires are our burning problem every summer, and the air pollution is a problem every winter.
Devastating statistics
"We are all smokers with air like this" is the name of the campaign for preventive lung screening, which appeared some time ago on the billboards in Skopje. It does sound devastating, especially due to the fact that polluted air is one of the main causes of respiratory diseases, including the development of lung cancer. According to statistics, Macedonia is ranked 10th in the world in terms of deaths caused by lung cancer.
The shocking statistics are, unfortunately, endless, because, according to the latest publication of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Commission, Macedonia is ranked first in Europe - with highest mortality rate caused by pollution.
The most polluted country in Europe and 7th in the world in terms of percentage of mountain coverage of its territory - 85.5%, including many forests and natural resources. The same country, which also has over 300 sunny days a year, perfectly fertile soil and enormous potential for green and sustainable development, faces some of the highest levels of pollution in comparison to the world.
According to the latest census, Macedonia has less than two million inhabitants, living on a territory of 25,713 km², which ranks the country 29th in terms of population density in Europe. Although the number of inhabitants and population density often affect air quality, we still come out on top.
The gravity of the situation has pandemic proportions.
I believe that almost everyone has at least some perception of how serious the air pollution problem is, but in order to understand it from a different angle, we can make a comparison with the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to data from the Institute of Public Health, about 4,000 people die in Macedonia every year as a result of polluted air. If we compare this with the recent pandemic of Covid-19, about 3,000 people died in the first year. In other words, it would take the first 14 months of the pandemic to reach the average number of deaths in a year caused by pollution.
The difference is that various emergency measures were taken during the pandemic, including introduction of restrictions and protective protocols, while the air pollution, which, unfortunately, kills thousands of people every year continues to be ignored.
The metaphor is that we can show the pollution as a virus to which we are all constantly exposed, and the problem is that in this way we are entering an incubation period that lasts many years – in the end it will be too late to react.
Breathing clean air costs money
There is another metaphor that is greatly relevant to the topic and is often used when we want to describe that life is very expensive and there are many duties, usually when describing some more expensive countries. We say - only the air (and water) are free, starting from the fact that breathing is always free.
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In truth, however, as paradoxical as it may sound, clean air in Macedonia can really cost money. If you want to breathe clean air at home you will probably need a filter that costs money, especially if you want the filter to be of high quality. Due to the fact that the air is polluted even in indoor spaces, some kindergartens and schools, and even municipalities, have already started purchasing air purifiers. They are also used in many households.
Without intending any irony, if no one has serious intentions about changing this situation, subsidies for indoor air purifiers would not be such a bad idea. With that, we can at least be sure that we are actually breathing clean air somewhere.
The air is a human right
In 2022, the United Nations General Assembly adopted previously enacted resolution for declaring a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as universal human right. This resolution also identifies the thing that is most important to us - clean air – which is a fundamental right that should be protected and guaranteed for all.
The current situation, with a pollution large enough as it is our country, means a gross violation of the basic human rights of every individual. It is high time that the problem was treated the same way as any other violation of basic human rights would be treated.
The Supreme Court also recently established that the government is required to ensure a healthy environment, thus the right to clean air has become a constitutionally guaranteed right in Macedonia. However, according to the latest information from the Administrative Court, no one has filed sent such a lawsuit so far.
In addition to the above declarations, it is necessary to do much more in order to address the air pollution in Macedonia. At the same time, it is necessary to introduce both long-term and short-term strategies that include a set of action policies.
Emigrating for clean air
The main reasons for emigration in the past were economic. The young people, but also the citizens in general, are increasingly emigrating today for other reasons, including pollution.
Polluted air is directly linked to respiratory diseases and to the general health, but in addition to the physical health harm, living in a polluted environment also creates psychological pressure and anxiety among citizens, who feel that their quality of life is permanently disrupted.
The health is priceless, so when such a problem is persistently present for years and in the absence of appropriate action by the authorities, it is completely understandable that the citizens are seeking for salvation elsewhere.
The young people of today are increasingly environmentally conscious and want to live in places that have environmental standards and invest in a healthy and sustainable environment. The topic of pollution is also related to the issue of youth emigration.
A large part of the pollution problem is intrinsic, having arisen over many years, and paradoxically, a number of problems are actually related among themselves, so solving them would also solve a number of other problems.
Aside from the fact that the centralization in the capital is a big issue in itself, when the situation is already as such, the dysfunctional intercity railway transport contributing to such situation also contributes to the issue of pollution. If the railway were to work, it would greatly relieve traffic and pollution throughout the year. Let alone the topic of urban transport in the capital city.
Long-term solutions include investments in public transport, more green spaces and parks as well as initiatives to reduce waste and promote sustainability. They are part of a wider range of issues that have also accumulated over the decades, and point to environmental neglect and poor urban planning in the cities.
A long-term strategy combined with emergency measures is needed
It is true that a national emergency strategy is needed, with short-term and long-term measures of highest priority, but perhaps the most important thing will be to continue working throughout the year, not just during the winter.
Finding most effective and immediate solutions in the current strategy would require involvement of not only the government, but also experts, non-governmental organizations and eco-activists who are continuously raising the issue and have long been the only ones who convey the voice of the citizens.
The process must be as long and rigorous as necessary, complemented by additional short-term measures that would be in force for the entire period when pollution exceeds the permitted limits. Similar to the pandemic time, in a current situation of extreme pollution we are in a state of emergency, and we should behave as such.
There are probably many concrete solutions and there are also examples of cities that have solved this issue, such as London, which introduced ultra-low emission zones, subsidies for electric vehicles and clean public transport, as well as strict regulation of the industrial pollution sources. It is necessary to learn from the existing good practices of other cities and introduce innovative solutions such as fog clearing using the CE-O2 method.
Priority should be also given to improving the manner in which the households are heated in winter, with the use of cleaner energy sources and better access to those sources for all, including expansion of the gas pipeline network in urban areas and of the central heating.
In the meantime, we're left to wait for the next wind, rain, or snow to reduce the pollution...
