Air pollution is a daily reality for a large number of young people in Skopje. This case study focuses on the experience of a young person living with a chronic respiratory condition who directly feels the consequences of high air pollution levels, especially during the winter months.

Through his testimony, the study illustrates how pollution affects not only physical health but also mental well-being, education, social life, and opportunities for active participation in the community. Difficult breathing, frequent health attacks, stress, and anxiety become part of everyday life, while going outside is often experienced as a risk rather than a right.

Data from the action research “From Diversity to Justice – Equal in the Right to a Healthy and Sustainable Environment for All” (2024) show that more than half of young people in North Macedonia live in environments with a high level of air pollution. Young people in urban areas are significantly more exposed to pollution compared to those in rural areas. Almost all young people recognize that an unhealthy environment has a negative impact on their physical health, while one in three believes it fully affects their mental health as well.

The case study does not offer simple solutions, but it highlights the importance of small, everyday actions and collective engagement. Using public transport and bicycles, supporting renewable energy sources, and active civic participation through public initiatives and protests are identified as ways in which young people can contribute to cleaner air and better health.

This case study opens a broader discussion on the right to clean air as a fundamental human right and on the responsibility of institutions—as well as society as a whole—to create conditions in which young people can live, learn, and develop safely.

📘 Read the full case study here.

ℹ️ The case study was developed within the project “ZZZ – Together for Green Advocacy for Environmental Protection”, funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Civica Mobilitas program, and implemented by Center for Youth Activism KRIK, Center for Social Initiatives “Nadez”, and the Association of Social Workers of North Macedonia – ZSRM.

The views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Switzerland, Civica Mobilitas, or the organizations implementing the program.