SARAJEVO, Bosnia – Dozens of people gathered on Monday to protest in Sarajevo over dangerously high levels of air pollution over the past few weeks in the Bosnian capital.
Some participants wore face masks at Monday’s rally held outside the Sarajevo government archives building.
Organizers say they want to encourage people to take action and draw public attention to a decades-old problem typical of the city set in a deep valley between the mountains.
Air pollution measurements over the past weeks show that harmful levels of airborne particles have exceeded European Union safety standards several times over.
Local authorities have put in place emergency measures for several days last week, urging residents not to use coal and wood for heating and banning diesel cars.
Local government head Edin Forto told protesters that the situation could not change for a few months, but it would take much longer. He said that citizens should also do their part.
“A lot of people refuse to change their habits,” he said. “They don’t want us to stop traffic or cancel classes (because of the pollution), so we need to work to raise awareness.”
Late on Monday, a group of foreign ambassadors and international officials held a meeting with Sarajevo authorities focused on the issue of pollution, the Klix news portal reported. Photos posted on Twitter by British Ambassador Matthew Field show officials wearing masks.
“Good steps are being taken, but more decisive action is needed at all levels,” Field tweeted.
Experts say air pollution in the Balkans is heavy due to the use of coal-fired power plants, old cars and many other factors. Over the past week, heavy fog has added to the problem.
A report last year by the United Nations Environment Program said people living in the Western Balkans lose up to 1.3 years of their life expectancy due to air pollution.
Experts have warned that these and other environmental obstacles could hinder Bosnia and other Balkan countries’ attempts to join the EU.
Eldar Emric, Associated Press
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