SMHI Strengthens Air Quality Work in the Western Balkans
Through long-standing engagement and close cooperation with stakeholders in the region, SMHI is aiming to improve air quality in the Western Balkans. By providing modern tools and training, SMHI supports the collection of emissions data as a foundation for the development of air quality action plans which are important steps in these countries' path towards EU integration. One of these training rounds has now been completed.
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Sarajevo, March 2025.
Since 2022, SMHI has been participating in the regional project Partnership for Improving Air Quality in the Western Balkans, which is conducted on behalf of Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and in collaboration with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and UNICEF. An earlier phase of this project led to the development of Eclair - a customized tool that facilitates the collection and structuring of emissions data. SMHI’s long-term commitment on Air Quality improvement the region reflects a role as knowledgeable and reliable partner in the strive for cleaner air and sustainable communities.
“Our engagement in the Western Balkans has been ongoing for quite some time and is focused on building knowledge and capacity together with our partners. The goal is clear: we want to contribute to cleaner air and a sustainable future,” says Olivier Tasse, project manager at SMHI.
Ongoing Initiatives with a new tool and training
Eclair is a plug-in to QGIS, a well-known freeware for processing geodata, and aims to make air pollutants emissions inventory work easier and more efficient. The tool includes a dedicated menu and a customized database compatible with SMHI’s air quality platform Clair. With just a spreadsheet and the help of Eclair, users can process emissions data according to EU recommended methodology, facilitate dispersion modelling, and eventually help to develop air quality action plans compliant to the EU regulation.
In spring 2025, SMHI conducted a series of training sessions in five countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro. A total of 38 participants took part in a basic training course on QGIS and the inventory of industrial emission sources.
The next round in the training lessons will occur in autumn 2025, and will focus on emissions from household heating. Using AI-generated open geographic data, SMHI has mapped five million households and related emissions in the region which will be a useful ground for the participants and have been published in the study Residential Heating Emissions for the Western Balkans.
2026 - focus on traffic and long-term impact
A third training round is planned for in 2026, focusing on traffic-related emissions. As part of that course, SMHI will conduct a general mapping of traffic flows to further strengthen the ability of local stakeholders to collect and use their own emissions data. The emission data collected by the participants will be used in SMHI’s dispersion modelling once it is comprehensive enough, providing valuable insights back to the participants for tangible actions.
“Our efforts in the Western Balkans are not only about technology and knowledge, but also about supporting EU integration, where air quality is a key component of the membership process. Through education, open data, analysis and networking, the project supports establishing the necessary conditions to solve the region’s air quality challenges. This effort requires both continuity and collaboration, to which SMHI and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency continuously contribute,” says Annakarin Lindberg, project manager at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
Participants at one of the training sessions.
