How a local initiative in North Macedonia is helping citizens report environmental problems and strengthen civic participation through simple digital tools.
Struga is known for its natural beauty, the lake, rivers, forests, and mountains that surround the city. However, beneath this landscape, environmental problems such as illegal waste dumping, water pollution, forest fires, and illegal logging continue to affect the local community. For many citizens, the biggest challenge is not only the environmental damage itself, but also the lack of simple and accessible ways to report these problems and communicate with authorities.
Through the project “EcoBridge: Strengthening Digital Civic Space through Environmental Reporting and Accountability in Struga,” organization CIVIC MOMENTUM Struga aims to create a bridge between citizens and institutions by introducing a simple digital reporting mechanism and encouraging civic participation in environmental protection.
A community problem that often remains invisible
Based on our own data, as well as research from local media in Struga, such as Freshnews22, Strugalajm, Strugaekspres, and others, it is clear that Struga faces countless environmental issues, including pollution and mismanaged waste. Environmental concerns in Struga have become part of everyday life. Citizens frequently witness illegal waste disposal, pollution near rivers and public areas, smoke from uncontrolled burning, forest degradation, and even cases of suspected illegal logging. This is demonstrated in the following photos:
However, despite these clear environmental issues, many people do not know where to report such issues or believe that their voices will not make a difference.
In smaller communities, environmental problems are often normalized over time. Citizens may become discouraged because of slow institutional responses, complicated procedures, or a lack of communication channels. As a result, many incidents remain undocumented and unresolved.
This was one of the key motivations behind the project: to create a simple, accessible, and citizen-friendly way for people to report environmental concerns digitally and help strengthen accountability at the local level.
Building EcoBridge
CIVIC MOMENTUM launched the EcoBridge initiative as part of the Digital Spark granting scheme supported by Metamorphosis Foundation. The project focuses on strengthening digital civic participation and environmental accountability in Struga.
The central idea of EcoBridge is simple: citizens should have an easy way to report environmental problems using digital tools they already use in everyday life.
For this reason, the project created an email-based reporting mechanism where citizens can submit environmental concerns directly to the CIVIC MOMENTUM’s team. Reports may include information and photographs related to pollution, illegal dumping, forest fires, illegal logging, damaged public spaces, or other environmental issues.
After reviewing and documenting the cases, EcoBridge serves as a connecting bridge between citizens and the responsible institutions, including the Municipality of Struga, public utility enterprises, forest management authorities, environmental institutions, and other relevant bodies.
Encouraging digital civic participation
One important aspect of the project is encouraging citizens to become active participants in protecting their environment. Digital participation is not only about technology; it is about giving people the confidence that their voices matter.
As part of the project, CIVIC MOMENTUM also conducted a public survey to better understand citizens’ perceptions regarding environmental reporting and institutional accountability. The responses demonstrated that many people are willing to report environmental problems if accessible mechanisms exist.
One of the most valuable aspects of the project so far has been the public response. Citizens showed interest in the reporting mechanism and expressed support for initiatives that increase environmental transparency and accountability.
Although EcoBridge is a local initiative, its broader message is universal: communities become stronger when citizens are empowered to participate, and institutions are encouraged to respond transparently.
Environmental responsibility cannot depend only on institutions. Sustainable change also requires active citizens, accessible communication channels, and trust between communities and decision-makers.
Looking ahead
Through EcoBridge, CIVIC MOMENTUM NGO hopes to contribute to a more active civic culture in Struga, where citizens feel encouraged to speak up about environmental concerns and participate in protecting their community.
The long-term goal is to continue improving the reporting mechanism, strengthen cooperation with local institutions, and expand public awareness regarding environmental accountability and digital civic participation.
This experience has shown that even small local initiatives can create meaningful conversations and inspire communities to become more engaged in shaping their environment and future.
