News

In the locations of Gemerská Poloma, Dobšiná, Kozelník, Banská Belá and Banská Štiavnica, informative measurements of air pollution by ultrafine dust particles (UFP) were carried out at the beginning of November 2024. The aim of the measurements was to determine the extent to which heating with solid fuels affects UFP air pollution in selected areas and cities of Slovakia. Measurements focused on household pollution were carried out as part of the Populair project activities in cooperation with the civic association CEPTA.

In connection with the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process, a public hearing was held on 12 February 2025 on the draft Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) for the Banská Bystrica region (BBSK) and the Strategic Document Assessment Report.

From 7 to 12 November 2024, an informative measurement of air pollution by ultrafine particles (UFP – from the English “ultrafine particle”) was carried out in Sereď, Banská Bystrica, Čertovica, and Prešov. The aim of the measurements was to determine the extent to which road traffic affects UFP pollution in inhabited areas of Slovakia. Traffic-related pollution measurements were conducted as part of the Populair project in cooperation with the non-governmental organization CEPTA.

In connection with the assessment of the impacts of strategic documents on the environment (SEA), a public discussion of the Report on the Assessment and Proposal of the Air Quality Improvement Program (PZKO) for the Košice agglomeration and the Košice Region zone was held on February 4, 2025.

The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute informs about the air quality forecasting service. The data is available through the CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service). The forecast products also include forecasts of natural dust concentrations. This is mostly dust from deserts or semi-deserts - in Slovakia it is the most frequently occurring "Saharan dust".

At the end of November, a unique experiment was carried out in the Trnava region, in the small village of Blahová. For the first time in Slovakia, a drone was used to measure air pollution, which represents a revolutionary step in air quality monitoring. The experiment was carried out in cooperation with the Populair project, the UAVONIC company and the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. The measurements focused on investigating the impact of heating on air quality, which is a very topical problem in Slovakia, especially in the winter months.

The Slovak Environmental Agency, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, organized two 2-hour online workshops for representatives of local governments who fulfill delegated state administration functions in the field of air protection on December 10 and 12, 2024. The workshops focused on current information and guidelines for the application of legislative requirements in the field of air quality.

A study tour took place in mid-October 2024, providing participants with the opportunity to learn about good practice examples in the field of sustainability and urban development in three countries – Austria, Slovenia and Hungary. Over the course of four days, they visited the cities of Vienna, Maribor, Ljubljana, Budapest and Győr.

As part of the European Mobility Week, SEA employees continued the activity "Go to school on your own" at Golianova Primary School in Banská Bystrica. The aim of the activity, implemented as part of the LIFE IP project - Improving air quality, is to raise the awareness of pupils, parents and teachers about the importance of walking and cycling as an alternative to the use of cars when transporting children to school.

Every year on 7th September we celebrate the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. This year's campaign slogan is "Invest in #CleanAirNow" from the English original "Invest in #CleanAirNow". It highlights the urgent need for stronger partnerships, increased investment and shared responsibility in the fight against air pollution.