Environmental issues in North Macedonia

Environmental issues in North Macedonia include air and water pollution, deforestation, threats to endemic species and climate change.

[1] The country's tradition of measuring air quality started in 1965, after which urban environments could be monitored for the level of pollution present.

Some of the main causes for the increased air pollution in the country include the use of firewood and carbon during the winter period and heavy traffic dominated by the use of old cars.

[2] Airborne particles in Skopje have been estimated to exceed safety levels recommended by the World Health Organization by 20 times.

The PM10 levels in 2018 were above EU limits for 202 days; during that year they reached 2.5 PM, a measure that indicates the most dangerous air pollutants for health.

Additionally, due to the country's location in a predominantly mountainous region and its Mediterranean climate, it is harder to tackle the problem.

[4] Air pollution can have an effect on neural development and cognition that can lead to a decrease in performance and lower quality of life.

[2] Some of the proposed solutions to tackle air pollution problems include better public transport, using solar heating and pedestrianizing the city center.

An AirCare application has been developed by an engineering student to monitor pollution levels and it gained widespread use by the wider public.

[4] Thousands of high school students protested on 20 December 2019 in front of the government building as part of global climate movements.