Sarajevo imposes traffic restrictions after being ranked world's most polluted city

Authorities in Sarajevo have issued an air quality warning and imposed traffic restrictions for certain cars and trucks after the Bosnia and Herzegovina capital was named the world's most polluted city for the past two nights, according to a ranking by Swiss air quality monitoring company IQAir, Reuters reports. The Sarajevo cantonal government decided to implement the measures after air pollution levels reached dangerous levels, amid dense fog and persistent smog that covered the city of about 350,000 inhabitants. According to authorities, cars and trucks with a gross tonnage of more than 3.5 tons, which do not comply with emission standards set by the European Union, were banned from driving inside the city. Outdoor construction work has also been suspended, and public gatherings in open spaces have been temporarily banned. Experts point to residential heating systems and road transport as the main sources of pollution. Some 40,000 homes in Sarajevo still use wood and coal for heating in the winter, while the city's car fleet numbers around 180,000 vehicles. "Only 500 homes have received gas stoves, with the support of international aid," said Anes Podić, a representative of the environmental organization Eko Akcija, underlining the scale of the problem. Located in a valley surrounded by mountains and hills, Sarajevo frequently experiences the phenomenon of thermal inversion, which causes the accumulation of cold air and pollutants close to the ground. Combined with fog, this phenomenon can persist for several days, significantly worsening air quality. Bosnia and Herzegovina faces some of the highest levels of PM2.5 fine particulate matter pollution in Europe. According to the World Bank, burning solid fuels for heating homes contributes about 50% of this type of pollution, while the transport sector is responsible for about 20%. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that Bosnia has the fifth highest mortality rate due to air pollution globally. In turn, the World Bank estimates that PM2.5 fine particulate matter pollution causes about 3,300 premature deaths annually and generates economic losses equivalent to more than 8% of the country's gross domestic product.