North Macedonia agrees to emergency pollution measures

• To protect the public from high levels of air pollution, the government of North Macedonia announced emergency measures in the capital, Skopje, and three other cities
• After days of lobbying by environmental groups urging the government to take action, the measures were finally announced this week
• On any day with high air pollution levels, sports events and other outdoor activities will be not be held, and beginning this week, construction work will be limited from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

SKOPJE, North Macedonia: To protect the public from high levels of air pollution, the government of North Macedonia announced the implementation of emergency measures in the capital, Skopje, and three other cities.

After days of lobbying by environmental groups urging the government to take action, the measures were finally announced this week.

On any day with high air pollution levels, sports events and other outdoor activities will be not be held, and beginning this week, construction work will be limited from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Companies are also being urged by the government to excuse pregnant women and people over 60 from going to work.

The government will further instruct the health and welfare ministries to provide shelters for homeless people, as well as emergency services and home visits to those with chronic illnesses, pledging to reduce the use of its official vehicles by half.

Meanwhile, Swiss air quality technology company IQAir ranked North Macedonia’s capital as the third-most polluted city in the world, behind Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek. and Lahore in Pakistan.

North Macedonia is one of Europe’s most polluted countries, with local health authorities estimating that more than 3,000 people out of a population of over 2 million, die each year due to air pollution.

Compounding its problems, North Macedonia’s recent surge in energy prices has boosted the use of highly-polluting wood-burning stoves.