Air pollution causing thousands of premature deaths in Croatia

It is estimated that over 3,500 people in Croatia die prematurely each year due to air pollution caused by airborne particles, with continental regions being under the greatest pressure during winter.

In order to address the issue, the Environmental Protection and Green Transition Ministry has launched a €220 million program designed to improve the dire situation.

Aljoša Duplić, director of the Institute for Environmental and Nature Protection at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, says that air quality in Croatia is not talked about enough, and that it poses a significant public health problem.

Duplić said that, according to estimates by the European Environment Agency, around 300,000 die each year from poor air quality throughout Europe.

He says that 96 percent of Europeans living in cities are exposed to concentrations of suspended particles that are above the level defined as safe by World Health Organization guidelines.

He pointed out that in 2023, Zagreb, Slavonski Brod, Sisak and Kutina were under the greatest pressure from air pollution by suspended particles.

We must be aware that we have very old vehicles on our roads, with the average age of cars in Croatia between 13 and 14 years, said Duplić; adding that many of them are diesel.

The number of vehicles in Zagreb is continuously growing, and traffic is one of the main sources of air pollution.

"This is where action should be taken," he added. For example, Germany has banned the entry or use of diesel cars in numerous urban areas.

Duplić says that it is extremely important to establish quality public transportation, because if it is fast, punctual and efficient, we can significantly reduce pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

Due to its geographical position, Croatia is in a less favorable position than some other countries due to exposure to cross-border pollution, because we have a large number of neighbouring countries producing significant pollution from industry and above all electricity production in coal-fired thermal power plants.

In this way, the two-year €220 million program aims to improve air quality and mitigate the effects of climate change; namely, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Funds will go towards zero-emission vehicles, replacing refrigerators that do not damage the ozone layer, and the replacement of outdated boilers in homes.