Skopje is a very similar capital, but also very different from other Balkan capitals. Different architectural styles can be found in it, as well as remnants of the Ottoman influence, and all this gives the city a special charm that is attractive to tourists. But, locals don’t see their city this way, because of all its negative sides and problems. Ironically enough, locals can’t see their city in the winter, very literally, because in the colder months, the levels of air pollution in Skopje drastically increase, making it one of the most polluted cities in Europe.

A few months ago, while I was on a youth exchange in Lithuania after the Macedonian intercultural night a friend of mine asked me “Hey Dela, why is Skopje one of the most polluted cities in Europe, and even in the world?”. It was a very unexpected question and I had a hard time narrowing down all the bad things that contributed to my hometown having this disgusting title. It really got me thinking “Where did we go wrong, why did we fail our city?”.

When it comes to the causes of air pollution, there are factors that we can and factors that we can not change. One of the main reasons why we can’t handle this problem effectively is because Skopje is surrounded by mountains that trap the toxic gases and smog in the valley. But, the main problem arises as a result of the population’s irresponsibility and disinterest. 

There are still a large number of households that use burning wood and biomass pellet fuels as a means of home heating during cold months, as well as a huge number of people that drive old cars that exhaust more toxic gases into the atmosphere. These two causes are related to the socioeconomic status of the population but are also big factors in the rise of PM10 and PM2.5 articles during the heating season. The PM10 and PM2.5 are pollutant articles which can be caused by combustion of gasoline, oil, diesel fuel or wood produce, dust from construction sites, wildfires and waste burning, industrial sources etc. Especially in a capital like Skopje, we’re facing a dense population, and there is a constant need for building more residential buildings, that – you guessed it – exhaust dust and contribute to the formation of smog and PM10 particles.

Industrial production processes are also a big problem. Our industrial processes are old-fashioned and don’t meet the EU standards. Not only that but most of the electricity that is produced in Skopje is produced using solid fuels (brown coal) or liquid fuels (nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide).

And when we sum up all of the outcomes of these thoughtless acts, we get – Skopje’s air in winter, which many people say tastes like burnt plastic. Imagine having to go through your day, every day for a few months each year, well no wonder many people develop health problems due to this. The most vulnerable population consists of small children, elderly citizens, people with chronic illnesses, and those who work outside for long hours of the day. They are the most susceptible to lung and cardiovascular problems, such as asthma, bronchitis, cardiac arrest, and other diseases that can lead to premature death.

There are multiple ways we can address this problem, but we have to know that it’s not an individual task – it actually requires a collaborative approach involving the government, businesses, communities, and individuals. Firstly, we need to educate the public about the causes and effects of air pollution. I was surprised that even some of the locals in Skopje aren’t exactly familiar with the endless list of reasons that contribute to air pollution in our city and most of them don’t even bother to read the facts featured in scientific papers and articles such as this one. By educating the public, we can achieve the final goal easier. But, as I said, it’s not just the public – there are also some steps that the government needs to take. They can start by improving and investing in public transportation and encouraging the use of clean vehicles, biking, and walking. There also need to be control over industrial emissions and enforcing strict pollution laws. And last but not least, Skopje needs more greenery – more trees and more parks. But the one thing Skopje needs the most is action. We need people who are aware of this problem and its consequences, people who try to make a change and save the locals by standing up for our city, because if we don’t treat it right, we will receive the same treatment. Only by taking action we can change something, and as Macedonians say: „Градот убав пак ќе никне“ (in translation: The beautiful city will rise again).

Dela Dodevska