Air pollution in Kosovo continues to remain at alarming levels without any visible improvement, becoming a serious risk to public health. Air pollution expert Ilir Morina, in an interview for Ekonomia Online, emphasizes that the lack of implementation of legislation and environmental projects has left the country without functional air regulations, while institutions do not cooperate with experts.

According to him, the consequences are serious for the health of the population, especially young people.

“We have had three or four years that no one from the government has called the professors to a meeting. We lecture them, do studies, do topics diplomas and scientific publications, these are a disaster for our future. I appeal to every young MP to deal with the issue of the environment, the one who is for health. 3 thousand and 600 young people are identified with cancer and with 1.6 million inhabitants, this is a very big problem. We are dying, we are getting old. the birth rate is decreasing, young people are leaving Kosovo, life has become more expensive, I don’t know what state we might be in 2030”, he said.

Morina says that the country is heading towards the abyss consciously, in which case she has called on the new MPs to treat the environment and health as urgent priorities, warning that the lack of action is leading the country to a deep health crisis.

“Every government that comes should not come to change something else, but it should implement the legislation that is in force, which we have harmonized with the European directives, we have had progress in the legislation, in the environmental policies in implementation. There is absolutely no talk of environmental projects, nor of laws. The air law is made, the moment a new law is made, all the instructions of the old law fall into force and the law that came into force today, Kosovo does not have any regulations that We have to wait for the new governments, the parliamentarians, to implement the legislation. We have as much money as you want, 75 million euros for Kosovo, don’t talk to me about that. Every field is important, but without the environment health, we will not have healthy people, with sick people, with problems being brought to hospitals, with new people dying every day. We are going towards the abyss knowingly not taking any politicians.

Pediatrician Gëzim Krasniqi has emphasized that the increase in pollution affects respiratory diseases, especially in children: “”We have long-term air pollution that affects all people, in particular in children, it affects respiratory diseases every day on the rise, air pollution is among the important factors that, in addition to seasons with respiratory diseases, air pollution worsens these conditions and every day more and more children with respiratory problems are increasing, but with special emphasis on air pollution. I can confirm that the increase of patients is daily. I consider that the relevant institutions should pay attention to its improvement, because if the obstructive diseases of children are increasing all over the world, but the air parameters are within normal limits, while here they are increasing and these parameters are not within normal limits, I think that the relevant institutions should take measures to improve these parameters, at least where they have space”, he said.

He emphasizes that the air parameters in Kosovo remain outside normal limits and demands urgent measures from the institutions responsible for improving air quality.

Experts warn that without serious institutional commitment, high pollution will continue to rank Kosovo among the countries with a high risk for public health.

Source: prizrenpost