Hands-on action for Clean Air: the CARI Initiative tackles pollution in the Western Balkans

Air pollution levels in the Western Balkans rank among the highest globally and are expected to increase as we approach the heating season. With support from the European Climate Foundation, the Secretariat facilitates the deployment of small-scale air monitoring devices to track particulate matter pollution and promote targeted measures in the Western Balkans municipalities participating in the Clean Air Regions Initiative (CARI).

The CARI targets local air quality improvement across the Western Balkans to address urgent environmental and health challenges. Using advanced sensors, it monitors harmful airborne pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide (particulate matter), which penetrate deep into the respiratory system and pose significant health risks, particularly to the lungs and heart, causing premature deaths.

With some of the highest pollution levels in the world, our region faces an urgent need for greater awareness, detailed data, and targeted actions to address this growing crisis. Without these resources, local authorities will struggle to effectively counter the escalation in air pollution, putting public health at further risk.

The Energy Community Secretariat experts, in collaboration with local authorities, are analysing the data to identify pollution patterns with the help of an online mapping system developed by the monitor provider.

Preliminary data from the CARI2.0 project already indicates increased nighttime emissions of particulate matter, when domestic heating devices are in use.

“The sensors deployed through the CARI project help municipalities understand local air pollution patterns. It empowers authorities to refine policies and implement effective interventions, such as public awareness campaigns and heating device upgrades,” says Peter Vajda, Senior Environmental Expert at the Energy Community Secretariat.

The CARI Initiative remains open-ended, allowing municipalities to join at their discretion by signing the CARI Declaration.

Participation in events organised by the Secretariat and sharing of best practices enables municipalities tackle air quality challenges more effectively and align with the initiative's goals.

Background

Launched at the inaugural Energy Community Just Transition Forum in June 2021 by nine Western Balkan municipalities, the project’s second phase (CARI 2.0) began in 2023 with a €20,000 grant from the European Climate Foundation to support particulate matter monitoring. A call for expressions of interest on 16 February 2024 drew applications exceeding the budget for 30 monitors, including:

• Banovici: Applied 5 March 2024, no monitors specified.
• Lukavac: Applied 29 March 2024, requested 15 monitors.
• Maglaj: Applied 5 March 2024, requested 5 monitors.
• Pirot: Applied 1 March 2024, requested 5 monitors.
• Tuzla: Applied 22 February 2024, requested 15 monitors.