Editing Skopje (section)

=== Pollution ===
[[File:Urban pollution ,Градско загадување.jpg|thumb|Pollution contributors in the area of Skopje]]

Air pollution is a serious problem in Skopje, especially in winter.<ref name="aljazeera">{{Cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/skopje-europe-polluted-capital-city-190312092012504.html |title=Inside Skopje, Europe's most polluted capital city |last=Lee and Mickute |first=Joi and Viktorija |date=19 March 2019 |website=Al Jazeera}}</ref> Concentrations of certain types of [[Particulates|particulate matter]] (PM2 and PM10) are regularly over twelve times the [[World Health Organization|WHO]]-recommended maximum levels. In winter, smoke regularly obscures vision and can lead to problems for motorists. Together with [[Kosovo]] and [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[North Macedonia]] has the most polluted urban areas in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/articles/delhi-most-polluted-city-in-the-world/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/articles/delhi-most-polluted-city-in-the-world/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Delhi the most polluted city in the world |last=Smith |first=Oliver |date=5 November 2019 |website=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Skopje's high levels of pollution are caused by a combination of smoke from houses, emissions from the industry, public and private transport, and a general lack of interest in caring for the environment. Central heating is often not affordable, and so households often burn [[firewood]], as well as used car tyres, plastic waste, petroleum, and other possibly flammable waste, which emits toxic chemicals harmful to the population, especially to children and the elderly.<ref name="aljazeera" />

The city's smog has reduced its air quality and affected the health of many of its citizens, many of whom have died from pollution-related illnesses.

An [[Application software|application]] called ''AirCare'' ({{Langx|mk|МојВоздух|MojVozduh}}) has been launched by local eco-activist [[Gorjan Jovanovski]] to help citizens track pollution levels. It uses a [[traffic light]] system, with purple for heavily polluted air, red for high levels detected, [[Amber (colour)|amber]] for moderate levels detected, and green for when the air is safe to inhale.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.itu.int/how-skopje-north-macedonia-is-using-innovative-tech-to-clean-up-air-pollution/ |title=How Skopje is using innovative tech to clean up air pollution |last=ITU |date=5 June 2019 |website=ITU News |language=en |access-date=2 December 2019 |archive-date=2 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202214232/https://news.itu.int/how-skopje-north-macedonia-is-using-innovative-tech-to-clean-up-air-pollution/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The application relies on both government and volunteer [[sensor]]s to track hourly air pollution. Unfortunately, government sensors are frequently inoperable and malfunctioning, causing the need for more low-cost, but less accurate, volunteer sensors to be put up by citizens. Faults on government sensors are especially frequent when the pollution is measured is extremely high, according to the AQILHC (Air Quality Index Levels of Health Concern).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://aqicn.org/city/macedonia/centar/ |title=Centar, Skopje, Macedonia Air Pollution: Real time Air Quality Index (AQI) |date=2 December 2019 |website=AQICN}}</ref>

Skopje topped the ranks in December 2017 as one of the most polluted cities in the world.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Can urban environmental problems be overcome? The case of Skopje–world's most polluted city |first1=Slobodan |last1=Arsovski |first2=Michał |last2=Kwiatkowski |first3=Aleksandra |last3=Lewandowska |first4=Dimitrinka Jordanova |last4=Peshevska |first5=Emilija |last5=Sofeska |first6=Mirek |last6=Dymitrow |date=1 June 2018 |journal=Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series |volume=40 |issue=40 |pages=17–39 |doi=10.2478/bog-2018-0012 |doi-access=free}}</ref> In 2017, as part of the city's efforts to reduce pollution, a [[CityTrees|CityTree]] was installed, and promoted by German ambassador {{Interlanguage link|Christine Althauser|lt=Christine Althauser|de|Christine Althauser}}.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-22 |title=City Tree billboard installed in downtown Skopje |url=https://www.zaman.mk/en/macedonia/7513-city-tree-billboard-installed-in-downtown-skopje.html |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=Zaman Macedonia |language=en-gb }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

On 29 November 2019, a march, organised by the Skopje Smog Alarm activist community,<ref name="skopje-smog">{{Cite web |url=https://meta.mk/en/skopje-smog-alarm-asks-for-1-of-the-gdp-for-2018-for-the-protection-of-the-environment/ |title=Skopje Smog Alarm asks for 1% of the GDP of 2018 for the protection of the environment |date=7 November 2017 |website=META Mk |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102081859/https://meta.mk/en/skopje-smog-alarm-asks-for-1-of-the-gdp-for-2018-for-the-protection-of-the-environment/?upm_export=html&lang=en |archive-date= Nov 2, 2023 }}</ref> attracted thousands of people who opposed the government's lack of action in dealing with the city's pollution, which has worsened since 2017, contributing to around 1300 deaths annually.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraf.rs/english/2606068-beijing-is-nothing-compared-to-skopje-air-pollution-is-too-high-four-men-die-each-day-photo |title=Beijing is nothing compared to Skopje – Air pollution is too high, four men die each day |last=J. |first=D. |date=7 February 2017 |website=Telegraf}}</ref><ref name="skopje-smog"/>{{wide image|Скопски смог - photo by Giotto Скопје, Р. Македонија , Skopje, R. Macedonia - panoramio.jpg|1291px|alt=|A panoramic view of the smog in the central area of Skopje}}