Air and Climate
Air pollution
According to estimates, approximately one in three citizens of Western Balkans countries are exposed to excessive air pollution, i.e. living in areas where the air is overly polluted and contains at least one pollutant that can be considered a health hazard.
Although air quality in Europe was significantly improved over the previous decades, the situation still remains devastating in Western Balkans countries, in spite of standards introduced by the EU.
Sixteen Western Balkans thermal power plants pollute the region and Europe more than all other 250 European coal-fired power plants.
There are more than 3000 early deaths caused by air pollution in Western Balkans countries.
Climate change mitigation
The Western Balkans is a focal point of climate change with increasingly frequent extreme temperatures resulting in an increased flooding and drought hazard.
Agriculture predominantly depends on rain in Western Balkans countries, which renders the agricultural sector particularly vulnerable to shifting rainfall patterns and higher overall temperatures. Climate extremes would pose numerous risks for the health of the population and energy security in the Western Balkans.
