HRW: Deadly Air Pollution in BiH Kills Thousands Every Year

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have failed to tackle the terrible air pollution in the country, which prematurely kills thousands of people every year and harms the health of thousands of others, according to Human Rights Watch in a detailed analysis of the health consequences of air pollution in our country. 

The country's reliance on coal and wood for heating, as well as coal for electricity generation, makes cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina among the most polluted in the world during the winter months. The country has the fifth highest mortality rate from air pollution.

"Reliance on outdated coal-fired energy technology in Bosnia and Herzegovina kills thousands of people every year, while authorities do very little to address the problem or even warn people about the risk to their health," said Felix Horne, senior environmental researcher at Human Rights Watch. He added that with the air pollution season only a few months away, there is no time to waste in starting to make changes.

During the winter months, levels of fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other deadly pollutants regularly exceed values that the World Health Organization says are safe for human health.

An estimated 3,300 people in the country die prematurely from exposure to air pollution each year, or 9 percent of all deaths, according to the World Bank.

Thousands of others live with increased respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The elderly and children are particularly vulnerable.

A faster shift to renewable energy, HRW says, along with improved building and vehicle standards and widespread adoption of more efficient home heating solutions, can simultaneously address air pollution, meet the country's emissions commitments under the Paris Agreement, and bring it closer to European Union accession.

"The European Union should continue with its adjustment mechanism and provide further support for the development of renewable energy sources, especially solar and wind power, to meet climate goals and reduce air pollution that claims lives both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the EU," HRW states.

It should also consider providing support for the further development of gas infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, partly due to climate impacts, and should help Bosnia and Herzegovina improve building insulation and support the development of other strategies to reduce air pollution and emissions from residential heating, according to the Human Rights Watch analysis with a special focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina.