A Breath of Fresh Air in Western Balkans  

In the Serbian city of Užice, where a quarter of the population is under the age of 18, the winter season often carries something other than snow. 

“To heat their homes, people burn coal, wet wood, old leather materials, and even tires. The resulting smog blocks your sight even at 30 meters, and it smells very bad… I can't describe how bad it is”, explains high scool student Vuk Šiljković, 18. “It starts in November and lasts until the end of March. Half the year. Half our lives”, says Neda Lojanica, 17.

Air pollution is a major environmental health risk for children.  In 2019, 5,801 children and teenagers in 52 countries in Europe and Central Asia died from causes exclusively linked to air pollution. Among them, over 4,900 were infants under a year old. Many more suffered from the health and developmental effects of breathing polluted air.  

Vuk and Neda are passionate advocates for policies to reduce excessive levels of Inhalable Particulate Matters (PM) of 10 microns or less, which can enter the lungs. The biggest danger comes from ultrafine pollution particles equal to or less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. To put this in context, the average human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter – 30 times larger than the largest small particle.   

Children breathe twice as fast as adults. The particles enter more easily into their bloodstream and travel through their still-developing brains and lungs, causing neurodevelopmental impacts, neurodegenerative disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular diseases.  

Moved by their desire to contribute to this challenge, Vuk and Neda joined the Youth4Air Ambassadors group, a youth network encouraging the meaningful engagement of children and young people in shaping environmental policies on air pollution.   

The network engages 70 members in over 40 cities across Serbia to organize advocacy and awareness raising activities, drive policy development, and strengthen youth-driven activism movements. Youth4Air is recognized by the UNICEF Global Climate Innovation Portfolio for effectively engaging young people in shaping climate policy. 

“Air pollution is a child rights crisis, as it has lifetime effects and poses a significant threat to the overall health, development and well-being of children. Addressing this issue is essential to ensure children can grow up in a safe and healthy environment and fully develop their potential.”

Maria Osbeck, Senior Programme Specialist, UNICEF Europe and Central Asia.

With support from UNICEF Serbia, the municipality and local youth office, Neda and Vuk used the U-Report platform to collect insights from young people on the topic of air quality. Over 3,000 of their peers responded. “In every class, we had group discussions and shared information to help them understand the roots of air pollution. All the students were excited and had many ideas to share,” Neda says.

Children and young people in the Western Balkans still have limited access to climate change and environmental education, including air quality issues. Ambassadors like Vuk and Neda played a key role in conducting workshops across Serbia, reaching over 500 young people. 

In 2022, the Youth4Air Ambassadors drafted the First Serbian Youth Declaration on Air Quality and were involved in negotiating and developing local policies along with decision-makers. “Now I realize that young people like me can take part in decisions to change policies and make a positive impact on air quality and our lives” says Vuk.  

Together with partners, UNICEF remains committed to actively involving children and young people in innovating and influencing environmental policies related to air pollution and beyond.