Air pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a gender equality, social equity and poverty reduction lens

The document analyzes how socio-economic disadvantages drive air pollution and increase vulnerability to its health impacts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, highlighting the specific risks faced by women, the elderly, and Roma communities.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina experiences severe air pollution that frequently exceeds World Health Organisation (WHO), European Union (EU), and domestic standards, resulting in one of the world's highest average mortality rates from air pollution.
• In 2016, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in Bosnia and Herzegovina caused approximately 3,300 premature deaths and resulted in an economic cost estimated between 5.9% and 10.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
• Poverty drives air pollution because low-income households often rely on cheap, highly polluting fuels for heating and cooking, and are more likely to operate older vehicles that do not meet modern emission standards.
• Energy poverty disproportionately affects specific groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the elderly, persons with disabilities, the unemployed, those with health issues, and single-headed households, particularly those headed by women.
• Roma populations face extreme exposure to air pollution due to high rates of solid fuel use (92% compared to 70% in non-Roma households) and residence in informal settlements or poor-quality housing.
• Gender inequality contributes to differentiated exposure; women are more likely to be exposed to indoor air pollution due to the gendered division of labour and reproductive tasks.
• Air pollution mitigation measures can have unintended social consequences, such as school closures in Sarajevo that disrupt children's education and negatively impact women's labour opportunities due to care responsibilities.
• Effective policy responses require collecting disaggregated data on exposure and energy poverty, improving energy efficiency in social housing and public buildings, and implementing social security protections like social tariffs to ensure energy costs are met.

APA

Strambo, C., Segnestam, L., & Jahović, B. (2021). Air pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a gender equality, social equity and poverty reduction lens. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/discussion-brief-air-pollution-and-equalityfinal.pdf

Chicago

Strambo, Claudia, Lisa Segnestam, and Belma Jahović. Air pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a gender equality, social equity and poverty reduction lens. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/discussion-brief-air-pollution-and-equalityfinal.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Strambo |first1=Claudia |last2=Segnestam |first2=Lisa |last3=Jahović |first3=Belma |title=Air pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a gender equality, social equity and poverty reduction lens |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/discussion-brief-air-pollution-and-equalityfinal.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{strambo2021air, author = {Strambo, Claudia and Segnestam, Lisa and Jahović, Belma}, title = {{Air pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a gender equality, social equity and poverty reduction lens}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/discussion-brief-air-pollution-and-equalityfinal.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }