The Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change in Africa will look at the continent’s rapid development and how it is proceeding while delivering climate and clean air benefits.
Africa is developing an integrated assessment that shows how the continent can achieve key development goals, provide clean air and help in the global fight against climate change and ecosystem degradation. The assessment, the first of its kind for Africa, will support evidence-based policies across the continent to underpin effective action on the continent.
The Comprehensive Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change in Africa is led by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). It brings together scientists, policy makers and practitioners working across Africa to look at the continent’s rapid development and associated air pollution and climate risks.
The assessment will inform decision-making on sustainable economic and social development in Africa, and identify solutions and significant benefits of improved air quality for health, agriculture, environment and forestry; along with the simultaneous potential to limit climate change and promote adaptation. It will also support capacity development and action to reduce emissions in key sectors of the economy.
Two big challenges: data and capacity
The two biggest challenges for African countries are lack of data on air pollution and climate change emissions and inadequate capacity to enforce and enforce air pollution management policies, regulations and standards. Countries need data to plan policies that can reduce air pollution and realize national development priorities and climate goals. The assessment aims to fill these gaps and build local knowledge and institutional capacity so that governments can integrate and mainstream air pollution and climate change policies into national development plans in an integrated manner.
The assessment is part of an overall goal to build communities of practice among African scientists, policymakers and practitioners to strengthen the role and capacity of emission reduction strategies to support sustainable development in Africa.
The African Union Commission will support the implementation of the results of the Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change in Africa and linkage to Agenda 2063 and the development of an Air Quality Framework for Africa,” said Harsen Nyambe, Head of Environment, Climate Change. Water and Land Management at AUC. He also emphasized the importance of incorporating the results of such work into national curricula to prepare the younger generation for the changes to come.
Addressing inequalities related to air pollution and climate change
In the face of growing inequalities in air pollution, Africa bears a significant burden of air pollution-related deaths, yet we lack accurate, timely information, hindering progress in mitigating the growing harmful impacts of air pollution on human health, regional climate, ecosystems and crops. To fill this gap, it is important to prioritize awareness raising, invest in contextualizing the progress made and the unique challenges and solutions to Africa’s air pollution monitoring and impact assessment. Through this Africa assessment, significant progress has been made in reaching stakeholders and embedding the assessment process in the region.
The importance of assessment for African policy makers was highlighted by the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) in Decision 17/2 recognizing the importance of SLCPs and “the need to assess the link between air pollution control policies and climate change policies” during the 2019-17 session in Durban, South Africa. At the 15th AMCEN (2015) in Cairo, Egypt, the Ministers in their declaration called for strengthened air quality monitoring and modeling and the need to develop an Africa-wide air quality framework agreement on air quality management. This issue was revisited at the 16th AMCEN (2017), Libreville, Gabon, where the Ministers recognized that the region is facing increasing levels of air pollution, which has a negative impact on the environment and socio-economic development in the region, as well as on the human health and well-being of the African population.
Air pollution in all its forms threatens the quality of human life in many ways. The fact that millions of people are dying prematurely because of air pollution signals the need for urgent action. In Africa, the situation is acute because Africa’s most vulnerable population – women and children – are at higher risk of susceptibility to chronic respiratory diseases due to exposure to indoor air pollution from the use of biomass fuels for cooking and paraffin for lighting.
In addition, outdoor air pollution from open burning of waste, especially plastics in open landfills, and open burning of agricultural residues worsens the situation. The assessment is timely and the results will inform ecosystem restoration policies and strategic actions for significant changes in development practices and investment decisions in Africa for the benefit of the world.