Definition

The word 'smog' was coined in the early 20th century and is a mix of the words smoke and fog. It represents a form of intense air pollution. This report is about the smog situation in Europe, specifically in the city of Skopje, North Macedonia.

Smog in Skopje

Skopje has been on the list of the most polluted cities in not only Europe but also the world. A test in 2018 found that levels of PM10 (pollutant particles 10 micrometers in size that are harmful for humans) exceeded the limit that the EU set for 202 days. Even though North Macedonia is not part of the EU, accession negotiations have been made to ensure that they meet EU air quality standards soon. The WHO has estimated that up to 4000 premature deaths a year in North Macedonia are because of air pollution. Economically, the cost is thought to be between 570 and 1470 million Euros.

Residents of the city often complain about the smell of car fumes and wood smoke in the air. Many residents have mentioned irritation in their throats and other problems that affect their quality of life. For up to 3 months every year people can't even go outside or open their windows.

Poverty

While there are a number of issues that contribute to the smog, the main problem is poverty. The average monthly wage is 250 Euros. This means many people cannot even afford to heat their homes using a clean energy source and are forced to burn wood, biomass fuel pellets or even plastic. The importing and cheap sale of old cars that do not meet EU emission standards is another related affair. The city is surrounded by tall mountains and this often creates a canopy that traps the smog and fumes inside.

Awareness

Like most other problems, the first step towards tackling the smog is awareness. A new app called AirCare has been released that indicates the pollution levels. The people used the app as a form of protest to demand change and most people have integrated it into their daily lives. The information is all open source and even gives tips on how to live in a cleaner way. Other partner apps like PulseEco give people guidelines on how to construct and buy pollution sensors on their own and even how other cities can join the network. I think this network of awareness is an amazing start to solving the smog problem and other cities and countries facing the same problem can benefit with similar technology.

Sources and references

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200701-skopje-north-macedonia-the-most-polluted-city-in-europe