Chemical safety & noise pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina: a gender equality, social equity and poverty reduction lens

Authors: Claudia Strambo, Lisa Segnestam, Belma Jahović
Discussion brief
September 2021

This discussion brief was produced within the project BiH ESAP in 2021 (read more: www.esap.ba).

Gender inequality and social inequity – understood in terms of access to and control over assets, participation in decision making, and knowledge, which are all dimensions of poverty – are deeply intertwined with environmental change. This discussion brief explains how chemical safety and noise pollution in Bosnia and Herzegovina are deeply related to gender inequality, social inequity and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It summarises the findings from a review of secondary literature and publicly available databases on environment, health, natural resources, gender equality, social equity and poverty in BiH.

Key messages:

• In Bosnia and Herzegovina, long-term, continuous exposure to harmful chemicals and noise pollution can lead to a variety of health problems.
• There are both physiological and social reasons why certain groups in society are more affected by harmful chemicals and noise than others.
• Examples of effective preventive actions that can help mitigate the harmful impacts of exposure to chemicals and noise pollution include implementing exposure control measures in the workplace, restricting the commercialisation and use of certain substances, and incorporating gender differences into regulatory risk assessments.
• Improving living standards for marginalised populations, addressing poverty and strengthening the visibility and voice of disadvantaged groups are also key measures that can help reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals and noise.

Read the discussion brief.