According to the air quality training plan, Goce Delchev University in Shtip hosted the first of a series of training sessions titled “Preparation of an Ambient Air Quality Plan” on November 16, 2023. Representatives from the municipalities of Kavadarci, Struga, Kumanovo, Gostivar, and Strumica, as well as the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, the United Nations Development Program, the Institute for Sociological, Political, and Legal Research of the University “St. Cyril and Methodius” in Skopje, and Goce Delchev University, participated at the training. There were 17 women and 13 men among the 29 participants. The event is organized and moderated by the Center for Climate Change.

The working portion of the training included presentations on the legal regulations for developing the Ambient Air Quality Plan and the municipalities’ responsibilities, as well as guidelines for developing an inventory of polluting substances in the air as a required component of the Ambient Air Quality Plan and identifying (proportioning) sources of air pollution. For the first time, plans for ambient air quality were developed taking gender in consideration.

The agenda and training presentations:

• Review of legislation for preparation of an Ambient Air Quality Plan and responsibilities of the municipalities (available in macedonian version only)
• Preparation of an inventory as a necessary component of the Air Quality Plan (available in macedonian version only)
• During air quality planning, the proportions of each source’s contribution to overall pollution must be balanced (available in macedonian version only)
• Inclusion of gender aspects in the design / planning / implementation and monitoring of local plans for ambient air quality (available in macedonian version only)