The first thing I remember from when I arrived in Prishtina in fall 2001 to begin my studies is the intense smell that hit me the moment I got off the bus. It was a suffocating odor that burned my nose and triggered a sharp headache. Only later did I realize that the heavy smell came from sulfur dioxide — a gas released by the burning of coal in the power plants that still supply Kosovo with energy.

Coming from the rural municipality of Kamenica, I wasn’t used to this kind of pollution. As the months and years went by, I no longer noticed that suffocating smell. I assumed that government efforts to reduce pollution had been successful. That is, until a few months ago, when I met a German investor visiting Prishtina for the first time. He mentioned the same choking smell to me — and that’s when I realized: it wasn’t that filters in the thermal power plants had improved. Rather the “filters” in my own sense of smell had adapted to the odor of burning coal.

As someone who primarily engaged in the fields of political science, public administration and socio-economic issues, air and environmental pollution were not always my main focus — until I became a parent in 2018. After that, I became much more sensitive to everyday problems like the deafening noise of traffic that can rupture your eardrums, blocked sidewalks that prevent you from walking freely, the lack of safety for pedestrians, the absence of green spaces or parks and stray dogs that attack out of fear and hunger. I also became increasingly aware of the practices that directly contribute to air pollution.

I became more aware of the dangerous dust particles released by power plants and cars, the lack of greenery and public spaces that could help clean the polluted air, the absence of a functional public transportation system that could reduce our dependence on cars, the burning of garbage in neighborhoods, the release of methane from uncontrolled landfills, which pollutes the air we breathe every day and the feeling of collective fatigue that sets in when the city becomes uninhabitable — people begin to accept that reality as something normal.

This gradual increase in sensitivity to environmental issues prompted me to shift my activist focus toward air pollution and environmental justice. Having closely followed institutional and economic developments in Kosovo for many years, the idea of developing the country sustainably — in line with the commitments we have undertaken as a state through the Green Agenda until 2050 — became another strong motivation to engage more deeply in this field. Sustainable development, beyond economic progress, also considers the social, psychological and physical well-being of citizens — dimensions that can no longer be excluded from discussions about the country’s future.

Amid a health and environmental emergency

In February 2025, other activists equally concerned about air pollution and the environment and I founded the Atlas Institute — a civic initiative made up of volunteers from various fields who share a common concern for the environment and quality of life in Kosovo. Atlas was born out of the conviction that air pollution and the broader environmental crisis in the country are no longer merely technical issues — they are health and social emergencies that require immediate public mobilization.

Atlas’s goal is to influence public policy and civic awareness through the power of data, visual communication and human storytelling. In an environment where pollution issues are often neglected by politics — and where environmental organizations lack capacity or influence — Atlas aims to create a model of fact-based, publicly accessible and outspoken activism in the public space.

Atlas aims to serve as a bridge between successful local initiatives — such as activist Shpresa Loshaj’s work to protect the Lumbardhi River from hydropower plant construction — local and international expertise and decision-making at both central and local levels. At Atlas, we believe that it is only through the broad involvement of citizens, professionals and policymakers that we can build a sustainable future — one where economic development goes hand in hand with the protection of collective health and well-being.

Alarm about air pollution is nothing new. Numerous reports by the World Bank, the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the Kosovo Agency for Environmental Protection (KEPA), the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and other local organizations have addressed air pollution and broader environmental issues for more than two decades. However, these reports’ findings are often buried deep within lengthy documents, written in technical language, and presented in formats that are difficult to understand for those without a background in environmental, health, or energy sciences.

Precisely for this reason, based on the data and analysis from these reports, the Atlas Institute has republished its findings in simplified, visual formats that are accessible to all citizens. In the few weeks since their launch, we’ve seen increased media coverage and a significant rise in public awareness around these issues.

The findings — which we are repackaging both in substance and in visual form — paint a bleak picture of the quality of life in Kosovo, particularly in the Prishtina region.

Specifically, in Kosovo, 99% of children are exposed to air pollution levels that exceed the safety standards set by the WHO. Daily concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can reach up to 367 micrograms per cubic meter — 25 times higher than the safe limit for children. This level of pollution is directly linked to under-five mortality, increased risk of premature birth, low birth weight, respiratory diseases and even a decline in learning abilities.

According to data from the EEA, Kosovo ranks first in premature deaths caused by PM2.5 particle pollution. These particles are extremely small, can penetrate the bloodstream, and are linked to chronic illnesses such as cancer, stroke and heart disease.

In addition, every five-microgram increase in PM2.5 levels is associated with a one-point drop in students’ grade point averages — which, in Kosovo’s case, translates into a potential 68-point decline in children’s academic achievement.

Air pollution also takes a toll on adult health. In 2024, over 17,000 cases of respiratory disease hospitalizations were recorded in Kosovo — a rate of 990 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. These figures point not only to a public health crisis but also to a significant financial burden, with annual costs exceeding $350 million according to the World Bank.

Meanwhile, data shows that the main contributors to air pollution are not only power plants, transportation and industrial activity. We as citizens also play a significant role — particularly through the burning of coal and wood for heating. Air quality monitoring data reveals poor air conditions even in cities far from power plants, such as Gjilan and Peja. In Kosovo, 72% of households use wood for heating and 37% for cooking, contributing to indoor (and outdoor) air pollution that can lead to chronic lung diseases, heart attacks, pregnancy complications and even cataracts and eye damage.

Another major source of air pollution is the alarming waste situation. Kosovo generates around 580,000 tons of waste per year, but only 26% is managed safely, and just 2.5% is recycled. Meanwhile, 746 illegal landfills are scattered across the country. In these landfills, waste is often burned in an uncontrolled manner, releasing methane — a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes both to climate change and air pollution. Kosovo has the highest level of methane emissions per capita in the Western Balkans.

In addition to methane released from waste burning, forest fires — which emit PM2.5 particles harmful to human health, especially for children — have also continued. From 2001 to 2023, Kosovo lost 17,350 hectares of forest cover, with 2,250 hectares lost specifically due to fires.

All these facts are not just numbers — they are calls to action. We can no longer accept a reality where air pollution, waste, lack of greenery and degraded infrastructure threaten our health and our future. Our cities need sustainable urban planning, functional public transportation, recycling systems, integrated climate policies and — above all — the political and civic will to prevent this situation from becoming the norm.

So far, public institutions have done very little in terms of environmental protection. While the state of Kosovo collects an average of 300 million euros annually in environmental taxes — levied on businesses that cause environmental damage — in the past two years, an average of less than 8 million euros has been invested in environmental protection.

Once upon a time, the music group Gjurmët sang about the “city without a river” — a metaphor for the lack of vitality and urban spirit during difficult times. Today, beyond the absence of a river, our cities also lack greenery, healthy public spaces and — worst of all — clean air. We are no longer just victims of a prolonged political and economic transition, but also victims of an environment that makes us sick every day.

Feature Image: Arrita Katona / K2.0

Victims of a suffocating city

We are in the midst of a health emergency.

Victims of a suffocating city

We are in the midst of a health emergency.

Agron Demi