Description
Air We Breathe is a cross-disciplinary investigation led by Boom93 in partnership with the National Ecological Association (NEA). The project explores alarming air pollution levels in three towns in Eastern Serbia – Pozarevac, Kostolac, and Smederevo, where citizens face long-term exposure to PM2.5 and SO₂. It tackles urgent public interest issues — from underreported health consequences and limited public awareness to institutional inaction and gaps between Serbia’s environmental policies and EU air-quality standards. By combining scientific data analysis, WHO-based health modeling, and investigative journalism, the project seeks to uncover how pollution affects people’s lives and health and why authorities fail to act. Using NEA’s xEco Air monitoring app and data-driven storytelling, Air We Breathe will make environmental information more transparent and accessible, raising public awareness and empowering communities to demand cleaner air and greater institutional accountability.
“When journalism and science work together, data becomes more than numbers—it becomes a story that people can understand and act upon. In Eastern Serbia, citizens live with polluted air every day but rarely with clear information. Through Air We Breathe, we aim to bring that clarity, turning evidence into awareness and awareness into action.” — Jana Jacić, media content editor
Project Team
Media outlet
Research organisation
National Ecological Association (NEA)
Belgrade, Serbia
https://nea.rs/
Elizabet Paunovic
Environmental and occupational health expert
Serbia
National Ecological Association (NEA)
