The online tool “Report a Problem,” available at www.zzz.org.mk, was introduced to make it easier for citizens to report local environmental problems and encourage greater civic participation in environmental protection. The results of its pilot implementation provide insight into the types of problems citizens report, the responses received, and the opportunities to improve communication between citizens and local institutions.

Full report on the following link.

87 reports submitted through the platform

By 17 September 2026, a total of 87 reports had been submitted through the platform. To learn more about the outcomes of these reports, a follow-up questionnaire was conducted, receiving 53 responses, representing 60.9% of all reports.

The analysis showed that 39 of the 53 respondents (73.6%) were from the Skopje region. Waste management was the main issue raised in this region, accounting for 31 of the 39 reports. These reports concerned problems such as illegal dumping, municipal waste collection, waste containers, and waste sorting.

The findings suggest that visible, everyday environmental problems—particularly those related to waste—are among the issues most frequently reported by citizens through the platform. Water and soil pollution were not mentioned in the analysed responses, while air pollution was reported once.

What happened after the reports were submitted?

According to the follow-up questionnaire, five respondents stated that the environmental problem they reported had been resolved, representing 9.4% of the 53 respondents. None reported being contacted directly by their municipality.

These findings highlight the importance of not only providing citizens with a way to report environmental problems, but also ensuring that reports are acknowledged, followed up, and accompanied by clear information about the action taken. The reported outcomes reflect respondents’ feedback and have not been independently verified.

Communication with municipalities

As part of the initiative, attempts were made to contact all 80 municipalities in North Macedonia to discuss the reporting tool and the role of local institutions in addressing environmental problems.

Communication was established with approximately half of the municipalities. For 13 municipalities, publicly available functional telephone numbers could not be found, while 26 municipalities with available telephone numbers did not respond to the contact attempts. Meetings were also held with the municipalities of Kisela Voda and Aerodrom.

The experience demonstrated the need for accessible and up-to-date municipal contact information, as well as more consistent communication channels between citizens and local authorities.

How can the reporting process be improved?

The findings point to several opportunities to strengthen the platform and the wider process of reporting environmental problems:

• Acknowledgement and follow-up: Introduce clear procedures for confirming that a report has been received and communicating updates on its status.
• Accessible municipal contacts: Maintain accurate and regularly updated contact information for local institutions.
• Consistent record-keeping: Encourage a more unified approach to recording, monitoring, and addressing reported environmental problems.
• Data analysis and transparency: Use the collected reports to identify recurring environmental concerns and inform local responses.
• Public awareness: Continue informing citizens about the tool and how to use it effectively.
• Youth participation: Encourage young people to take an active role in identifying environmental challenges and participating in local environmental advocacy.

Improving these areas could help strengthen public trust in reporting mechanisms and support more transparent communication between citizens and institutions.

A step towards stronger environmental participation

The pilot implementation of the “Report a Problem” tool has provided valuable insight into citizens’ experiences with reporting local environmental issues. The 87 reports demonstrate the use of a digital channel for raising environmental concerns, while the follow-up findings underline the importance of effective institutional communication and clear feedback mechanisms.

The next step is to build on these experiences by improving the reporting process, strengthening cooperation with municipalities, and encouraging more citizens to participate in protecting their local environment.

The initiative was implemented within the project “Together for Green Advocacy – ZZZ,” running from 1 December 2023 to 30 September 2026. The project is led by the Center for Youth Activism KRIK, in partnership with CSI Nadezh and the Association of Social Workers of Macedonia (ZRSM), with support from the Government of Switzerland through Civica Mobilitas.

The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Center for Youth Activism KRIK and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Switzerland or Civica Mobilitas.