Belgrade, April 21st – On occasion of Earth Day, which is celebrated on April 22, the Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, are launching “Remove the illegal dumpsite” mobile application. Citizens will be able to report the locations of illegal dumpsites in Serbia, easily and anonymously.

According to the data submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency by the local self-governments, there are over 2200 illegal dumpsites on the territory of Serbia, but it is estimated that that number could be far higher. These are areas where people dump waste illegally, and they are located mainly in rural areas, or close to urban areas, by the riverbeds and along roads. About 20 per cent of communal waste ends up in illegal dumpsites. In addition to its negative effect on the appearance of the surroundings, illegal dumpsites also affect air, water and soil pollution and thus endanger human health. Sometimes, these dumpsites are hit by fire, which leads to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), as well as other pollutants. The biggest risk to the environment and human health is posed when these dumpsites are located near settlements, riverbanks, streams, lakes, or freshwater reservoirs. 

Application "Remove the illegal dumpsite" is intended to determine the precise location of the illegal dumpsites so they could be cleaned. In order to report the illegal dumpsite that users notice in their environment, they should take a photo using the app and, with a short description, send a report which will be registered in the database of the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency. If the internet connection is not available at the moment of taking the photo, the application will save the report and send it as soon as the phone connects to the internet. Reports are anonymous and their number is unlimited. By sharing data on illegal dumpsites in this way, citizens will be the ones who make the first step in removing them.

The data submitted through the application will be publicly available on the map managed by the SEPA, available within the application. Citizens will also be able to monitor whether the competent public utility companies have removed the dumpsite, as well as the total number of the reported illegal dumpsites in their area and Serbia.

The application is currently available for Android device users and can be downloaded on Google Play Store. A version for iOS devices will be available soon.

The mobile application “Remove illegal dumpsite” was developed within the project “Climate Smart Urban Development Challenge” implemented by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as implementing partner, and with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 

Aplikacija „Ukloni divlju deponiju“ je izrađena u okviru projekta „Lokalni razvoj otporan na klimatske promene“, koji Program Ujedinjenih nacija za razvoj (UNDP) sprovodi u partnerstvu sa Ministarstvom zaštite životne sredine, uz finansijsku podršku Globalnog fonda za životnu sredinu (GEF).