In 2021, the Polog region recorded the highest rate of premature deaths due to air pollution in Europe – 255 per 100,000 inhabitants, more than double the EU average.
The main killers are fine dust (PM2.5, PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), which attack the heart, brain, and lungs. It is suspected that in the Pollog municipalities, 26-30% of lung cancer deaths are directly linked to air pollution.
But polluted water is equally dangerous. Especially in the rural areas of Pollog, it contains toxins that can cause kidney and liver cancer.
Young people are the most vulnerable. Their immune systems are still developing and cannot fight these invisible poisons. They face risks of chronic diseases, reduced learning capacity, and impaired development – the future of the entire region is at stake.
Every breath in Tetovo, Brvenica, Tearce, Bogovinje, or Zhelino could be carcinogenic. Every sip of water could be toxic.
It’s time for action.
We must fulfill the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being – polluted air and unsafe water destroy the health of all generations.
- Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation – everyone has the right to safe drinking water, yet in Pollog, this right is at risk.
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – without a healthy environment, urban and rural development remain empty words.
- Goal 13: Climate Action – rising temperatures and pollution demand urgent local solutions.
The Pollog region deserves air and water that heal, not kill. Every day of delay is a lost life.
The EcoYouth Project: Initiative for a sustainable Community, implemented by the Institute for Sustainable Development, funded by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, aiming to promote and ensure a clean and safe environment for the youth in the Pollog region.