The Bosnian capital Sarajevo has been suffering from thick smog for weeks. According to measurements by technology company IQAir, air quality was temporarily the second worst in the world on Wednesday.
Authorities and the public health department called on the city’s citizens to wear masks with filters to protect their health. Industrial processes with high emissions had to be shut down and car traffic was restricted.
The main causes of smog are numerous coal and wood stoves and old diesel vehicles. Due to the city’s location in a valley, exhaust fumes can hardly escape during inverse weather conditions in winter. The smog mainly endangers heart and respiratory patients.
The boiler location promotes the formation of smog
Smog is a recurring problem every winter that makes life difficult for the residents of Sarajevo. The polluted air from heaters and cars mixes with the fog created by the location of the city’s catchment area.
Other major cities in the Balkans also suffer from air pollution in winter – such as the Serbian capital Belgrade and Skopje in North Macedonia.
3,300 Bosnians die every year due to air pollution
According to the World Bank, an estimated 3,300 people in Bosnia die prematurely each year due to air pollution, accounting for nine percent of the country’s total annual mortality rate. Sarajevo and the northwestern city of Banja Luka are responsible for approximately 16 percent of this health burden.
Source: Krone
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