NEW DAY BETTER AIR

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the World Health Organisation, BiH is among the top three countries in the world with the highest mortality rate from air pollution. An estimated 558 people per 100,000 die every year in BiH as a direct result of contaminates in the air while Sarajevo is often ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world. Combating air pollution is crucial and calls for an immediate action.

Having recognised the urgency of the issue, Sarajevo Canton Government and the European Union have launched a campaign “Novi dan, bolji zrak” to promote joint actions and projects implemented to improve the air quality in the Sarajevo Canton. The campaign aims also to raise awareness of the role that the citizens of Sarajevo Canton can play in ensuring cleaner air.

The European Union, together with its international partners, and the Sarajevo Canton Government are supporting several projects to help reduce air pollution in the Sarajevo Canton, which includes the projects on thermal insulation of buildings; refurbishing furnaces to use more environmentally friendly energy sources; modernisation and renovation of the transportation system in Sarajevo.

Depollution is one of the pillars of the Green Deal which sets out a vision for 2050 − a vision of a world where pollution is reduced to levels that are no longer harmful to human health. This vision is also guiding the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. The EU-Western Balkan summit, held on 6 October in Slovenia, resulted the Action Plan for the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, leading to concrete measures to implement the Green Agenda, including depollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition, the EU has put EUR 9 billion in grants for the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans which aims to incite the long-term economic recovery of the region, support a green and digital transition, foster regional integration and convergence with the European Union.