A picture taken from Vodno mountain shows a cloud of pollution over the city of Skopje, North Macedonia on February 28, 2020. Skopje, located in the center of the Balkan peninsula, is nestled in a valley between mountain ranges that hem the city. The pollution problem is complicated by the inversion of temperature, a natural phenomenon that causes warm air to remain above cold air. This phenomenon creates a blanket of smog that settles heavily over the valley, trapping polluted air on city streets and in the lungs of residents. Sometimes during the winter season the airport is closed due to the presence of toxic fog.
Selma, 18 years old burns wood while holding up her daughter inside her house in the area of Shutka in Skopje, North Macedonia on February 29, 2020. During the winter Selma, like many others households, burns coal, scrap wood, textiles or trash in order to keep warm. This obsolete heating system is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the country. Although the electricity tariffs in Macedonia are among the lowest in Europe, energy can cost a third or even half of a citizen’s average monthly salary. This is the reason why many residents burn wood to heat their home, often buying it on the black market where it costs less, but is more toxic for the environment.
Selma, 18 years old and her family are seen inside their house in the area of Shutka in Skopje, North Macedonia on February 29, 2020. During the winter Selma, like many others households, burns coal, scrap wood, textiles or trash in order to keep warm. This obsolete heating system is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the country. Although the electricity tariffs in Macedonia are among the lowest in Europe, energy can cost a third or even half of a citizen’s average monthly salary. This is the reason why many residents burn wood to heat their home, often buying it on the black market where it costs less, but is more toxic to the environment.
Selma, 18 years old and her daughter are seen outside their house in the area of Shutka in Skopje, North Macedonia on February 29, 2020. During the winter Selma, like many others households, burns coal, scrap wood, textiles or trash in order to keep warm. This obsolete heating system is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the country. Although the electricity tariffs in Macedonia are among the lowest in Europe, energy can cost a third or even half of a citizen’s average monthly salary. This is the reason why many residents burn wood to heat their home, often buying it on the black market where it costs less, but is more toxic to the environment.
People wait at the traffic lights to be able to cross the street in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2,574 people die prematurely every year in Macedonia as a result of air pollution. Poor air quality in the Republic of Macedonia is mainly due to the tiny combustion particles called PM10 (10 micrometers or less in diameter) and PM2.5 (2.5 micrometers or less in diameter). These can easily penetrate deeply into the body, causing dangerous health problems and then death.
An illegal tires dump in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 4, 2020. According to green activists several factories use waste or tires as fuel during the production cycle thus contributing to air pollution in the country.
Two men work on the construction of a building nearby “Usje” cement factory in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. According to green activists “Usje” cement factory uses waste as fuel during its production cycle. One of the main causes of air pollution in Skopje are the industries, in general older than in the rest of Europe. As reported on the website republika.mk the company confirmed that it is using petroleum coke and former employees have recently claimed that it was also burning old car tires brought in from Greece. The area around “Usje” cement factory has some of the worst levels of air pollution in Skopje.
Wood is seen inside a shop in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. During the winter a large part of Macedonian citizens burns wood to keep warm. This obsolete heating system is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the country. Although the electricity tariffs in Macedonia are among the lowest in Europe, energy can cost a third or even half of a citizen’s average monthly salary. This is the reason why many residents burn wood to heat their home, often buying it on the black market where it costs less, but is more toxic to the environment.
A man at work inside a shop that sells wood in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. During the winter a large part of Macedonian citizens burns wood to keep warm. This obsolete heating system is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the country. Although the electricity tariffs in Macedonia are among the lowest in Europe, energy can cost a third or even half of a citizen’s average monthly salary. This is the reason why many residents burn wood to heat their home, often buying it on the black market where it costs less, but is more toxic to the environment.
Zoran, 66 years old is portrayed inside the house where he lives near “Usje” cement factory in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. According to green activists “Usje” cement factory uses waste as fuel during its production cycle. One of the main causes of air pollution in Skopje are the industries, in general older than in the rest of Europe. As reported on the website republika.mk the company confirmed that it is using petroleum coke and former employees have recently claimed that it was also burning old car tires brought in from Greece. The area around “Usje” cement factory has some of the worst levels of air pollution in Skopje.
Zoran, 66 years old is portrayed inside the house where he lives near “Usje” cement factory in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. According to green activists “Usje” cement factory uses waste as fuel during its production cycle. One of the main causes of air pollution in Skopje are the industries, in general older than in the rest of Europe. As reported on the website republika.mk the company confirmed that it is using petroleum coke and former employees have recently claimed that it was also burning old car tires brought in from Greece. The area around “Usje” cement factory has some of the worst levels of air pollution in Skopje.
An illegal landfill in the center of Skopje, North Macedonia on February 29, 2020.
Fadil, 45 years old is portrayed inside his house in the area of Shutka in Skopje, North Macedonia on February 29, 2020. During the winter Fadil, like many others households, burns coal, scrap wood, textiles or trash in order to keep warm. This obsolete heating system is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the country. Although the electricity tariffs in Macedonia are among the lowest in Europe, energy can cost a third or even half of a citizen’s average monthly salary. This is the reason why many residents burn wood to heat their home, often buying it on the black market where it costs less, but is more toxic to the environment.
Goran, 38 years old and Sibella, 10 years old are portrayed inside their house in the area of Shutka in Skopje, North Macedonia on February 29, 2020. During the winter Goran, like many others households, burns coal, scrap wood, textiles or trash in order to keep warm. This obsolete heating system is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the country. Although the electricity tariffs in Macedonia are among the lowest in Europe, energy can cost a third or even half of a citizen’s average monthly salary. This is the reason why many residents burn wood to heat their home, often buying it on the black market where it costs less, but is more toxic to the environment.
A dog in seen among the waste of the “Meglentsi” landfill near the cooling towers of the “Rek-Bitola” coal power plant in Bitola, North Macedonia on March 1, 2020.
A dog in seen among the waste of the “Meglentsi” landfill near the cooling towers of the “Rek-Bitola” coal power plant in Bitola, North Macedonia on March 1, 2020.
Bosko, 74 years old is portrayed in front of the “Usje” cement factory where his home is located in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 2, 2020. According to green activists “Usje” cement factory uses waste as fuel during its production cycle. One of the main causes of air pollution in Skopje are the industries, in general older than in the rest of Europe. As reported on the website republika.mk the company confirmed that it is using petroleum coke and former employees have recently claimed that it was also burning old car tires brought in from Greece. The area around “Usje” cement factory has some of the worst levels of air pollution in Skopje.
A fire, probably generated by the burning of outdoor waste is seen in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 2, 2020.
The priest and environmental activist Dusco Gruevski is portrayed inside the Saint Mary Orthodox church in Novatsi, North Macedonia on March 1, 2020. Dusco, 50 years old, was born in Bitola and has been taking medicine for ten years to control respiratory problems of which he suffers and which have caused him two pulmonary infarcts. Dusco believes that his health problems are related to environmental pollution.
The priest and environmental activist Dusco Gruevski is portrayed inside the Saint Atanasij Orthodox church in Novatsi, North Macedonia on March 1, 2020. Dusco, 50 years old, was born in Bitola and has been taking medicine for ten years to control respiratory problems of which he suffers and which have caused him two pulmonary infarcts. Dusco believes that his health problems are related to environmental pollution.
Graves are seen inside Butel cemetery in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2,574 people die prematurely every year in Macedonia as a result of air pollution. Poor air quality in the Republic of Macedonia is mainly due to the tiny combustion particles called PM10 (10 micrometers or less in diameter) and PM2.5 (2.5 micrometers or less in diameter). These can easily penetrate deeply into the body, causing dangerous health problems and then death.
One of the cooling towers of the “Rek-Bitola” coal power plant in Bitola, North Macedonia on March 1, 2020. “Rek-Bitola” is one of the factories where sources of radioactive or carcinogenic materials have been identified by experts. The “Rek-Bitola” factory, as well as other highly polluting sites, do not comply with current regulations and continue to throw processing waste in the nature, while continuing to ensure that they will comply with the regulations as soon as possible.
Slavco, 52 years old and former OHIS employee is portrayed in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 4, 2020. The OHIS plant is included in the list of North Macedonia’s 16 most critical environmental hotspots, as compiled by Trajce Stafilov from the Institute of Chemistry in Skopje. At one time, OHIS, which was owned by the state, managed five large factories, manufacturing inseticides, pesticides, cleaning products and cosmetics that were sold all over the Balkans. A few years ago, the company went bankrupt. Its plants are now abandoned, but the surplus chemicals and untreated waste left behind present significant problems for the local authorities. For example, there are two landfill sites that contain thousands of tonnes of soil contaminated with large amounts of the insecticide lindane.
A building under construction in the center of Skopje, North Macedonia on March 2, 2020. It very often happens that during the buildings construction or renovation works there are not adequate coverings to prevent the fine powders of the building materials from being dispersed into the environment, contributing, even if only minimally, to air pollution.
An old car is seen in a street of Skopje, North Macedonia, on March 2, 2020. The VMRO-DPMNE government, in a populist frenzy, had allowed the import of old cars with obsolete ecological standards from the EU. As a result, in less than five years, the number of registered vehicles has gone from 350 thousand to 475 thousand of which most diesel powered, therefore with a higher emission of particles than petrol.
Arianit Xhaferi, founder of “Eco Guerilla” is portrayed inside his office in Tetovo, North Macedonia on March 2, 2020. “Eco Guerilla” is an environmental movement born in November 2013 that mainly deals with air pollution.
A picture by Fisnik Islami showing an environmental protest in Macedonia is seen inside “Eco Guerilla” headquarter in Tetovo, North Macedonia on March 2, 2020. “Eco Guerilla” is an environmental movement born in November 2013 that mainly deals with air pollution.
A painting by Merve Sulejmani showing a woman with mask is seen inside “Eco Guerilla” headquarter in Tetovo, North Macedonia on March 2, 2020. “Eco Guerilla” is an environmental movement born in November 2013 that mainly deals with air pollution.
People wait at the traffic lights to be able to cross the street in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 2,574 people die prematurely every year in Macedonia as a result of air pollution. Poor air quality in the Republic of Macedonia is mainly due to the tiny combustion particles called PM10 (10 micrometers or less in diameter) and PM2.5 (2.5 micrometers or less in diameter). These can easily penetrate deeply into the body, causing dangerous health problems and then death.
A general view of the “Usje” cement factory in Skopje, North Macedonia on February 29, 2020. According to green activists “Usje” cement factory uses waste as fuel during its production cycle. One of the main causes of air pollution in Skopje are the industries, in general older than in the rest of Europe. As reported on the website republika.mk the company confirmed that it is using petroleum coke and former employees have recently claimed that it was also burning old car tires brought in from Greece. The area around “Usje” cement factory has some of the worst levels of air pollution in Skopje.
A farmer is portrayed aboard his tractor near “Usje” cement factory in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. According to green activists “Usje” cement factory uses waste as fuel during its production cycle. One of the main causes of air pollution in Skopje are the industries, in general older than in the rest of Europe. As reported on the website republika.mk the company confirmed that it is using petroleum coke and former employees have recently claimed that it was also burning old car tires brought in from Greece. The area around “Usje” cement factory has some of the worst levels of air pollution in Skopje.
An illegal asbestos dump in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 4, 2020. The presence of asbestos fibers in the environment inevitably involves damage to health, even in the presence of a few fibrous elements. Particularly harmful to health is fiber cement (better known as “eternit”), a mixture of asbestos and particularly friable cement and therefore subject to damage or crushing. The greatest risks are related to the presence of fibers in the air. Once inhaled, the fibers can be deposited inside the airways and on lung cells. The fibers that have settled in the deepest parts of the lung can remain in the lungs for several years, even for a lifetime. The presence of these foreign fibers inside the lungs can lead to the onset of diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer.
A general view of the city seen through polluted air in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 4, 2020. Skopje, located in the center of the Balkan peninsula, is nestled in a valley between mountain ranges that hem the city. The pollution problem is complicated by the inversion of temperature, a natural phenomenon that causes warm air to remain above cold air. This phenomenon creates a blanket of smog that settles heavily over the valley, trapping polluted air on city streets and in the lungs of residents. During the winter season the airport is sometimes closed due to the presence of toxic fog.
Vladimir Kunovski, activist of “Fridays for future” is portrayed in the center of Skopje, Macedonia on March 5, 2020. “Fridays for future” is a movement that began in August 2018, after 15-year-old Greta Thunberg and other young activists sat in front of the Swedish parliament every schoolday for three weeks, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. She posted what she was doing on Instagram and Twitter and it soon went viral.
Vladimir Kunovski, activist of “Fridays for future” is portrayed in the center of Skopje, North Macedonia on February 28, 2020. “Fridays for future” is a movement that began in August 2018, after 15-year-old Greta Thunberg and other young activists sat in front of the Swedish parliament every schoolday for three weeks, to protest against the lack of action on the climate crisis. She posted what she was doing on Instagram and Twitter and it soon went viral.
A general view of FENI industries in Kavadarci, North Macedonia on March 1, 2020. FENI Industries is the largest Macedonian ferro-nickel producer. The smelter was built in 1985 and functioned intermittantly up to 2001. The publication “Environmental heavy metal pollution and effects on child mental development” edited by Lubomir I. Simeonov, Mihail V. Kochubovski, Biana G. Simeoniva and supported by “The NATO science for peace and security programme” includes FENI industries in the list of hotspots of doil contamination related to mining in Macedonia.
A detail of the Black river shows water pollution probably caused by proximity to FENI industries in Kavadarci, North Macedonia on March 1, 2020. FENI Industries is the largest Macedonian ferro-nickel producer. The smelter was built in 1985 and functioned intermittantly up to 2001. The publication “Environmental heavy metal pollution and effects on child mental development” edited by Lubomir I. Simeonov, Mihail V. Kochubovski, Biana G. Simeoniva and supported by “The NATO science for peace and security programme” includes FENI industries in the list of hotspots of doil contamination related to mining in Macedonia.
Trajan, 26 years old and former OHIS employee is portrayed in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 4, 2020. The OHIS plant is included in the list of North Macedonia’s 16 most critical environmental hotspots, as compiled by Trajce Stafilov from the Institute of Chemistry in Skopje. At one time, OHIS, which was owned by the state, managed five large factories, manufacturing inseticides, pesticides, cleaning products and cosmetics that were sold all over the Balkans. A few years ago, the company went bankrupt. Its plants are now abandoned, but the surplus chemicals and untreated waste left behind present significant problems for the local authorities. For example, there are two landfill sites that contain thousands of tonnes of soil contaminated with large amounts of the insecticide lindane.
A general view of the iron smelting factory Makstil AD (Maksteel) situated very close to the center of Skopje, North Macedonia on February 29, 2020. Since 2008, the citizens of Skopje and neighboring settlements have been protesting against the air pollution, and particularly against Makstil AD identified as the main air polluter, calling it “Skopje’s Chernobyl”. Moreover, as a result of the citizens’ protests, the Ministry has been establishing some mobile measuring units to monitor the air pollution from the factory. However, it is very difficult to know for sure which part of the pollution results from the “Makstil” factory and which from the other sources. According to the company representatives, the iron factory now works respecting the environmental standards in accordance with the EU regulations.
A glove is seen inside tbe Pena river in Tetovo, North Macedonia on March 2, 2020.
Andrej, 43 years old is portrayed insde the laboratory where he has been working as a sculptor for 6 months in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 4, 2020. Andrej is very concerned about his health and the environmental situation in Macedonia. Its neighbors, like many others households, burns coal, scrap wood, textiles or trash in order to keep warm. This obsolete heating system is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the country. Although the electricity tariffs in Macedonia are among the lowest in Europe, energy can cost a third or even half of a citizen’s average monthly salary. This is the reason why many residents burn wood to heat their home, often buying it on the black market where it costs less, but is more toxic to the environment.
A picture taken from Vodno mountain shows a cloud of pollution over the city of Skopje, North Macedonia on February 28, 2020. Skopje, located in the center of the Balkan peninsula, is nestled in a valley between mountain ranges that hem the city. The pollution problem is complicated by the inversion of temperature, a natural phenomenon that causes warm air to remain above cold air. This phenomenon creates a blanket of smog that settles heavily over the valley, trapping polluted air on city streets and in the lungs of residents. During the winter season the airport is sometimes closed due to the presence of toxic fog.
A man asks for alms among the cars stuck in traffic in Skopje, North Macedonia on March 3, 2020. Traffic also contributes to air pollution, but the lack of an official census since 2002, however, makes hard to quantify the problem.
The Millennium Cross shrouded in a cloud of pollution in Skopje, Macedonia on March 4, 2020. The Millennium Cross is a 66 meters tall cross situated on the top of Vodno Mountain. It is one of the tallest crosses in the world. It was constructed to serve as a memorial for 2,000 years of Christianity in Macedonia and to honor biblical passages citing the evangelization activities of St. Paul within the region.