As essential for human life and survival and the Earth overall survival, water management needs to be on the upfront of national and even international decision makers. Fresh water ecosystems are experiencing various pressures, perhaps the most of all ecosystems. Water everywhere, or better yet, clean, potable water is slowly becoming a scarce resource, and yet there is a chance of improving the situation especially on the Balkans, as it is already advised by EU experts. There is extensive room for Improvement of the situation, especially when it comes to raising awareness and education. As a fact, freshwater consists only about 2% of the water on this planet and it is estimated that demands that continuously grow, will reach 40% global water shortage by 2030. The country needs to act in accordance to EU directives in this matter and pay attention to the three crucial components: water consumption, water preservation and pollution control. The citizens need to have a more pro-active role in this sense and along with the NGOs must act as a watch-dog for the water management policies.

In the era of increased consumption and resource scarcity, we have to collectively turn towards new ways and means of managing our economies, in light of sustainable development. The situation with waste management in the Republic of North Macedonia has to be improved and stakeholders need to ensure prevention of future disasters. In this sense, CED Florozon will work on advocating prevention, reuse and repair priorities, in addition to recycling of materials. The national policies have to follow global trends and adapt to newly developed situations such as the model of circular economy. Frequent and maximum use of recycled materials will remain in the focus of work in the next year, as well as collaboration with like-minded organizations and or people.

One of the most popular issues in the media within the country is the management of the land, the spatial planning and the construction industry. The process of managing utilization and development of both rural and urban land resources need to be more transparent and inclusive. CED Florozon will continue pressuring for reforestation and organize small local actions to inspire and motivate other civil society organizations and citizens to do the same and contribute towards cleaner and safer environment. In addition, the organization will keep forcing the right of access to information when it comes to decisions concerning urban green areas, and accountability of the institutions. The organization will also monitor and analyze any policy changes in this regard and will continue to advocate for a greater amount of green areas in particular within the big cities.

Noting the fact that Genetically Modified Organisms have become very present in the public, which were previously not legally allowed in the country’s food production, CED Florozon will closely follow this process and monitor and undertaken decisions and/or measures. In regards to pesticides, the organization will continue advocating for pesticide register already present in the neighboring countries and control mechanisms for pesticide residues. In addition, CED Florozon will organize workshops with farmers in order to educate them how to use pesticides in a correct manner and whenever possible the organization will promote the use of natural pesticides made of natural ingredients without any chemical intervention. It is crucial to impose strict risk assessment criteria in both GMOs and pesticides and the organization will continue to act in this direction.

Creation, introduction and implementation of new measures as a matter of prevention and limit to air pollution are required on a national and local level, keeping in mind the exceptionally high number of dangerously polluted cities in the country. Inter-sectorial networking and multi-stakeholder approach are required in order to reduce the air pollution percentage. In this regard, CED Florozon will continue to monitor the levels of different particles present within the environmental air and will advocate public pressure intended for the decision-makers, in order to act upon this issue. The organization will also persist promoting the third pillar of the Aarhus Convention – the access to justice, and inform the citizens of disposable legal mechanisms in cases of violation of the right to a healthy environment, which is constitutionally guaranteed in RNM.