AIR POLLUTION IN SKOPJE: PRACTICE AND AWARENESS IN THE SCOPE OF HOUSEHOLD HEATING

Abstract

Air pollution is a concern which poses threat to human health and likewise greatly impacts the ecosystem and the environment. By its broader definition, the air pollution is described as increase in the rate of harmful gases and particles in the atmosphere. Given that the city of Skopje is on the top of the list of most polluted cities in Europe the aim of this study is to analyze the air pollution in Skopje, particularly focusing the attention on the household heating as one of the major sources of ambient air pollution in the city. A survey on 242 households was conducted in order to obtain information about the ways of residential heating and the willingness of households to use more environmentally friendly heating technologies. The survey was carried out on the territory of the city of Skopje, as it is the most polluted city in the country. The governmental measures for air pollution abatement in Skopje were reviewed as well. The results show that most of the households although aware about the emission of harmful particles into air when combusting firewood in old traditional stoves, they still use firewood as it is the cheapest mode of heating. The previous is of particular importance and decisive for the low-income households. It was also observed that the respondents were familiar with the possibility for using wood pellets, as more environmentally heating mode, but there was a lack of information concerning the possibility of governmental subsidizing for replacement of the existing firewood with more modern wood pellets system. The households that have already started to use wood pellets instead firewood, have increased monthly costs (10 - 15%), but nevertheless they still recommend the use of pellets and pellet stoves due to the efficiency of heating, maintenance, cleanliness, and less pollution of air on the long run. Summarizing, the choice of heating with firewood is more due to the lower monthly incomes and rational cost planning of the households, and less to the lack of awareness of citizens for utilizing more efficient and more environmentally friendly heating technologies.