site.btaInternational Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies Marked on Sunday

International Day of Clean Air for blue skies is celebrated on September 7. It has been observed since 2020 by a resolution of the UN General Assembly of December 19, 2019. The aim is to encourage the international community to take action to improve air quality worldwide.

In countries such as Bulgaria, where air pollution and smoking tobacco in cities are significant, people suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronchitis account for no less than 9% of the adult population, pulmonologist and professor of pulmonary diseases Kosta Kostov told BTA. He added that in Bulgaria, no less than 4,000 people fall ill with lung cancer every year, which can be a consequence of lung disease.

People who live in urban areas and cities with heavy traffic are more likely to suffer from various chronic lung diseases. Even non-smokers can develop these diseases, the professor pointed out. It has been proven that these diseases are much more common in polluted cities and progress more rapidly, he added. 

Prof. Kostov recommended that city dwellers find a way to visit places with clean air at least twice a year, such as the Black Sea coast.

Prof. Kostov noted that work must be done to improve air quality. 

Polluted air is the cause of nearly 6% of all deaths in Bulgaria in 2021, according to data from the Health Effects Institute/State of Global Air, cited by the Air for Health Association. Pollution contributes to 21% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease deaths, 18% of ischemic heart disease, 17% of diabetes, 16% of lung cancer, as well as a significant proportion of strokes, lower respiratory tract infections, and even neonatal deaths, the association added. They noted that a polluted environment increases the risk of disease onset or complications and impairs quality of life.

The main sources of pollution in Eastern Europe are dependence on coal, outdated industrial production, unregulated waste incineration, excessive construction, and others, the association said. As measures to reduce air pollution, they pointed to stricter monitoring and requirements for filters and technologies to reduce emissions in enterprises, as well as stricter control over waste incineration. They also proposed cleaner transport, reducing emissions from domestic heating, and creating green buffer zones around busy roads.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 25, 2015, outlines a roadmap for achieving sustainable development and environmental protection.