Role of non-governmental organizations in the area of effective environmental safety management in Poland on the example of Polish Smog Alert (PSA)
Role of non-governmental organizations in the area of effective environmental safety management in Poland on the example of Polish Smog Alert (PSA)

Summary/Abstract: The changing state of the environment leads to impacts on human well-being and ecosystem health, which then produces human responses to remedy these impacts, such as social controls, redirecting investments, and/or policies and political interventions to influence human activity. These responses have an impact on the state of the environment, either directly or indirectly, through the driving forces or the pressures. The article focuses on the conditions of air in the cities which directly affects human health. As a case study, the activities of the non-governmental organization – Polish Smog Alert (PSA, Pol. Polski Alarm Smogowy) were focused on. Efficiently operating non-governmental organizations in a democratic state allow for optimal realization of the interests of all citizens. The main objective was to examine the effectiveness of the Polish Smog Alert as an organization working for the environment – mainly clean air. The conducted analysis concerned the fulfillment by PSA of the four basic functions that a non-governmental organization should perform: educational – influencing the shape of civic awareness and attitudes regarding environmental issues; integration – impact on partnership relations between entities that can jointly implement the goal of improving air quality in cities; mobilization – a set of substantive content and instruments inspiring citizens, public authorities and other groups and organizations to be active in the field of ensuring clean air; programing – direct impact on the process of shaping state policy. The main research method was the analysis of content posted on the organization’s website and in its social media.

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