North Macedonia PA

As part of the Erasmus+ youth-exchange project "Can't You SEA?", this research focuses on North Macedonia: its current environmental and water-pollution challenges, the state of youth awareness, and what this means for broader efforts to protect our seas and marine ecosystems. Though land-locked, the country's waterways and water-quality issues reflect many of the same pressures facing coastal regions — and by exploring them, we strengthen our understanding of how local actions connect to global marine health.

North Macedonia faces significant challenges when it comes to water pollution, wastewater treatment, and infrastructure. Aging systems, industrial discharges, and farming run-off all contribute to degradation of water-courses. Olympian Water Testing+1 While the country may not border the sea, its rivers, lakes and drainage systems eventually link into wider water-flows and hence the global marine environment — meaning the local issues have broader impacts too.

For young people in the region, these environmental issues create both a need and an opportunity. Awareness of water-quality problems is still emerging, and young participants in the project provide fresh voices for change. By learning how local pollution affects ecosystems, individuals and communities, youth can become advocates for sustainable practice and bridge the gap between land-locked and coastal environmental action.

Within the "Can't You SEA?" framework, the research in North Macedonia becomes a valuable starting point for workshops, discussions, creative activities and cross-national exchange. It helps participants see how their local realities tie into marine health, and catalyses activities such as awareness campaigns, creative media materials, and action plans that link inland water-quality issues with ocean protection. The result is a richer, more inclusive project experience — one that recognises that caring for "our sea" includes inland waters and young people everywhere.