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Mpuma's air 'worst in SA'
01/08/2006 20:44 - (SA)
Sharon Hammond
Nelspruit - Mpumalanga continues to have a reputation for having the worst air pollution in the country, said agriculture and land administration MEC Madala Masuku on Tuesday.
Addressing the awards ceremony of the provincial Cleanest Town Competition in Middelburg, he blamed the energy and mining industries on the Highveld for the poor quality of air in the region.
"We are faced with the challenge of air pollution, particularly as a result of energy generation and mining in the Gert Sibande and Nkangala regions," he said.
He said the pollution affected the health of communities as well as the ecosystem and caused respiratory problems, headaches, acid rain, global warming and destruction of the ozone layer.
Urged to tackle the challenges
He said Mpumalanga was also the largest producer of hazardous waste, according to a 2002 report of the United Nations environment programme (UNEP).
He urged the provincial forum of the decade of education for sustainable development (DESD), which is a United Nations' initiative, to tackle such challenges.
The provincial DESD forum was formed on July 27.
It aims to proactively address climate change and other environmental concerns in the next 10 years.
Masuku said an holistic approach by the government and civil society was necessary to address air quality, biodiversity, waste management, land and water uses, environmental management and governance.
All programmes and projects should consider the problem of poverty, he said.
The poor had the biggest impact on the environment because they depended on it for their livelihoods.
In Mpumalanga, 60% of households were considered poor, while 68% of individuals were considered poor.
Zero waste by 2022
The national department of environmental affairs and tourism initiated the Cleanest Town Competition in 2001 with the ultimate aim of developing a plan for zero waste by 2022.
The winner for the Mpumalanga leg of the competition this year is Steve Tshwete municipality in Middelburg.
The runners up are the Govan Mbeki municipality in Secunda and Nkomazi municipality in Malelane. -
- African Eye
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