As part of Serbia’s Stockholm+50 national consultations, the second meeting was held last week by the Serbian Ministry of Environmental Protection (Serbian Ministry of Environmental Protection) and the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) with support from the Government of Sweden.
The Belgrade event, which was part of Serbia’s preparations to the conference, was held in Belgrade Stockholm+50: A healthy planet to ensure the prosperity of all our responsibility and our opportunitiesLocal and international experts spoke out about the links between health and the environment. They also discussed Serbia’s transition towards a circular economy. Representatives from cities and municipalities shared their best practices in addressing environmental issues and implementing the Green Agenda.
Radovan Nikoli, Serbia’s national advisor in preparations for Stockholm+50, stated that the meeting was designed to gather views and recommendations from all stakeholders regarding key priorities of environmental action, in order to include these in the national report that Serbias delegation will present in Stockholm, Sweden, in June. Participants included representatives from national and local institutions, civil societies, businesses, as well as young people.
Every investment in the environmental environment is an act to prevent healthcare.
Sandra Doki, assistant minister at Ministry of Environmental Protection, pointed out that Serbia is in a region where temperatures rise by 1C more than the global average. She called for regional cooperation to implement the Green Agenda.
Serbia is in a region where temperatures are 1C higher than the global mean
Doki also stressed that partnership is important with Serbia’s national public hospital Dr Milan Jovanovi Batut and the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the Ministry of Health. According to Doki, the role of local governments in Serbia is crucial for environmental protection.
Doki stated that every investment in the environment is a preventative measure in the field healthcare.
Fabio Scano is the Director of the WHO office at Belgrade. He stated that Sweden had recognized the importance of multilateralism for environmental protection 50 years back. He said that Serbia is working in collaboration with the WHO to increase its capacity to tackle air pollution and its negative impact on human health.
50 years ago, Sweden recognized the importance of multilateralism when it came to environmental protection.
The unbreakable bond between a healthy environment for human health
Francine Pickup is UNDP Resident Representative for Serbia. She stated that there is no way to break the connection between healthy environment and good health.
For our survival, healthy ecosystems are vital. They provide us with the air we breathe and water we drink as well as the food we eat. Our mental and physical well-being is also dependent on the beauty and diversity found in nature. Pickup stated that we continue to exploit natural resources and degrade the environment, which can endanger our own health and our existence.
Francine Pickup: We continue to overexploit natural resources and degrade our environment, putting our health and our existence in danger.
WHO estimated that air pollution was responsible in 2016 for nearly 7,000,000 premature deaths around the world, including 6,500 deaths in Serbia. She also noted that the number of deaths from heatwave-related chronic diseases will increase if we do not take action on climate change.
Francine Pickup is UNDP Resident Representative in Serbia
The fight against pollution is also a fight to promote fairness and equality. Pickup stated that the most detrimental effects of pollution on human health are often borne by the poorest, most vulnerable, elderly, and those with chronic conditions.
The power of combined action
Ida Reuterswrd (First Secretary at the Embassy to Sweden to Serbia) stressed the importance of multilateralism, and joint action all over the globe. According to her, the conference in Stockholm in June will revive dialogue on shared environmental problems.
The Stockholm conference in Juni will revive the dialogue about shared environmental challenges
She stated that the 1972 declaration established a clear link between the environment, the economy, and health. Now, there are opportunities to move together.
Reuterswrd stated that the European integration process can also help achieve higher environmental standards. Noting that the European Union has found a way through directives or legislation to set higher standards for the environment,
Public health and environmental protection
Verica Jovanovi is the acting director of Serbia’s public health institute, Dr. Milan Jovanovi Batut. She stated that environmental protection is a key goal in preserving wellbeing and overall public healthcare. She said that it was important to consider the complexity of public safety and to adopt a multisectoral approach for individual and collective safety.
A multisectoral approach to safety for individual and collective health is necessary because of the complexity of public healthcare
Dragana Jovi, head of the Batut Institute’s center of hygiene and human ecology, stated that the COVID-19 Pandemic resulted in increased household waste, noise and wastewater. The pandemic also had an effect on energy consumption and increased the amount of medical waste.
Panel on the relation between the environment & health
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted air quality and ecosystem services by requiring lockdown measures
Jovi reports that the amount of commercial and industrial waste, traffic noise, industrial wastewater pollution, and air pollution were all reduced at the same time.
Dragana Joviovi, who is in charge of cooperation at the WHO and the Protocol on Water and Health of the Batut institution, spoke about global and local initiatives for improving water supply and sanitation in Serbia. These initiatives were implemented by the Ministry of Health and Batut. These include the Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water(GLAAS) and Joint Monitoring Programme.
According to Biljana Filipoviui, an adviser at the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the pandemic demonstrated the link between human health, and the health of the planet.
It is important to support solutions that are based on nature.
Filipovi-ui also stated that it was necessary to review waste management legislation and support solutions based upon nature.
Serbia will adopt a circular economy program to develop its economy
Serbia has prepared a circular-economy roadmap, which emphasizes the importance of collaboration with the civil and academic sectors. The incoming government is expected adopt a program of the development of circular economies for 2022-2024. Aleksandra Vuini heads the green and circle economy department at Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Each local government should develop its own circular economy roadmap
Vuini explained that in the field of circular economics, there is no way to engage citizens. Vuini also emphasized the importance of local governments, and recommended each local authority create its circular economy roadmap. She said that society must become resource-resilient and that is where local authorities can play a significant role.
Panel: Accelerating sustainable development’s environmental dimension and the role played by local self-governments
Neboja Vrane (advisor at the circular economic center at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia) spoke about the role of businesses and a circular economy for sustainable development. He stated that the PKS has established the circular economy center, an academy for circular economy, and a digital platform to promote a circular economic.
The PKS will be educating businesspeople about the new regulations regarding CO2 emissions and circular products over the next period. According to him, the chamber also produced a guide on decarbonization to help bring the topic closer for citizens and businesses.
Subotica: Decades of struggle have helped solve environmental problems
Subotica municipal administration’s head for environmental protection and sustainable growth, ika Reh explained how the northern Serbian capital had solved the problem both of wastewater and solid waste.
Subotica’s wastewater was destined for Lake Pali. It was a source of untreated wastewater that caused environmental problems and killed all the fish. According to Reh, the city has since built a water treatment facility, remediated the lake, and built a regional landfill. This solved the problem.
Local governments do not have any oversight of wastewater discharge.
He stated that the local government does not have any inspection authority over wastewater discharge. However, it is important to allow local authorities to influence polluters.
Priboj: A switch to renewables for district heating
Priboj, Serbia’s first municipality to replace oil with biomass as a fuel, was the first. Saa Vasili is Priboj’s deputy mayor. He said that there is good collaboration with other local governments. Arilje is also expected to get a bio-heating plant this year.
The municipality has reduced its emissions by 30% but household heating remains a problem
Vasili stated that quality heating with biomass can still be achieved with good management. He noted that while the municipality has reduced CO2 emissions 30%, individual heating (household) remains a problem.
Kragujevac: A strategy to reduce emissions
According to Ana Radojevi (city energy manager), Kragujevac was one of the first cities in Serbia to adopt a low carbon development strategy. She said that 162 recommendations were presented to the city for improving energy and climate and reducing greenhouse gases emissions after a thorough assessment.
According to the analysis, Kragujevac’s largest energy consumers were residential buildings. The subsidy program of the Ministry of Mining and Energys was implemented in this year and in 2021 to increase energy efficiency in households.
A project to convert Kragujevacs district heating from fuel oil to natural gasoline is near completion
Radojevi stated that a project to convert from fuel oil to natural gasoline in Kragujevacs district heating must be completed within the next few days. This will help to solve the problem with excessive air pollution and other harmful gases in the city.
According to her, the city has begun to build a northern bypass for trucks in order to avoid the city’s center because the strategy also identified transportation as one of the largest polluters.
Kragujevac has also constructed a rooftop solar power station at one of its kindergartens in collaboration with UNDP. The facility should begin producing green electricity in the next few days, she said.
The national consultations in Serbia will conclude on May 20
The UNDP and the Ministry of Environmental Protection are simultaneously preparing Serbia’s National Report. This document will incorporate comments made at the meetings as well comments from interested parties. SparkBlueOnline platform available by May 20.
The closing event of the Stockholm conference will be held at the Belgrade botanical garden Jevremovac on May 20, where some of the key elements from the Serbian national report will be presented.
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