The Prime Minister of Canton Sarajevo (CS), Nihad Uk, Minister of Public Utilities, Infrastructure, Physical Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection Mladen Pandurevic, and Assistant to the Minister at the Air Quality Management Center of CS, Zijada Krvavac, presented projects and activities implemented by the CS Government with the aim of reducing air pollution, improving the monitoring system, and strengthening citizens’ awareness of the importance of environmental protection.
Prime Minister Uk emphasized that the problem of air quality in CS is among the priorities of the current Government of CS.
Speaking about the reasons for poor air quality, Uk pointed to the geographical position of CS, which prevents ventilation, traffic, and individual heating sources.
The Prime Minister of CS emphasized that the issue of improving air quality is not the responsibility of a single ministry, but rather a matter involving several ministries and multiple jurisdictions.
He cited as an example projects for ecological insulation.
“One third of the causes of polluted air comes from traffic. And it is in this area that the most has been done. A large amount of money has been invested in the reconstruction of existing traffic infrastructure, with the goal of motivating citizens to use their own vehicles as little as possible and to use public transport more,” said Uk.
He emphasized that in recent years, there has been a significant improvement when it comes to public transport.
The Minister of Public Utilities, Infrastructure, Physical Planning, Construction, and Environmental Protection, Mladen Pandurevic, among other things, emphasized that a register of air polluters has been established.
In this way, for the first time, a digitalized, precise, and comprehensive system for monitoring annual air pollution emissions has been introduced.
Minister Pandurevic also referred to the influence of geographical position.
He added that according to measurements, the poorest air quality is in the municipalities of Ilijas and Vogosca, which is worse than in Centar, and that the pollution comes from Kakanj, Zenica…
Among other things, the project “Improvement of Air Quality” was also discussed.
This project aims to improve air quality through four main components – strengthening air quality monitoring and management, supporting improvements in heating and energy efficiency in individual houses, promoting green urban mobility, and supporting project implementation.
Within this project, the focus is on subsidizing 50 percent of the costs of replacing inefficient heating systems with cleaner technologies – pellet stoves and boilers, heat pumps…
In addition, as part of green mobility, access will be restricted in the city center for vehicles with older EURO standards.
