Air pollution is the leading topic of this year's World Environment Day - June 5. According to the Minister of Environment, Neno Dimov, Bulgaria has made progress in combating air pollution. According to him, the whole northeastern region of the country now meets the air quality standards and the cities of Dobrich, Varna and Devnya are now out of danger of EC penalty procedures. Minister Dimov believes that it was not yet possible to talk about its complete elimination, as 17 cities in Bulgaria do not meet the standards, especially when it comes to fine particulate matter.

The Ministry of Environment and Waters and its regional structures celebrate the day with more than 50 initiatives across the country, including exhibitions of children's drawings, hiking with students, environmental protection trainings. A focus in the program of the Ministry on June 5 is an exhibition, entitled "Innovation for Air Quality", organized jointly with the Sofia Municipality, at which Bulgarian companies present their innovative solutions. Various events that aim to attract citizens’ attention towards environmental issues will continue until June 12.

The Sofia Southern Park hosts a festival organized by the Science for Nature Foundation. Various demonstrations will show how dirty air affects our lives and health and how we can reduce our personal contribution to pollution. Anyone could also check if their lungs are properly functioning. Air pollution has a devastating impact on nature, so experts will give lessons on how to recognize sick trees and alert competent institutions. For a more accurate diagnosis of diseases, however, specialized equipment such as a resistograph is needed. This is an electronic devices used to test the condition of living trees by sound signals without disturbing the bark integrity. The equipment also makes it possible to determine rotting processes and the ability of the tree to deal with them.

Throughout the day, organizations dealing with recycling and reusing old clothing and other textiles will show citizens and guests of the capital how to give new life to their clothes and belongings without harming the environment or air quality.

June 5 was declared World Environment Day with a decision taken at the 27th Session of the UN General Assembly in Stockholm on 15 December 1972 when an Environmental Statement was adopted. The document is known as the first international treaty on the principles on which the environmental protection of the planet will take place. A new UN-UNEP organization was set up during the same session, under whose auspices the World Environment Day was organized. Annually, the United Nations, Global 500 Award, is presented on June 5. Its winners have so far been prime ministers, ministers, politicians and public figures who have contributed to environmental protection.

English: Alexander Markov