The Joburg metro launched the Breathe Cities Johannesburg initiative last Friday at the Brixton Multipurpose Centre in celebration of International Day for Clean Air for Blue Skies, which annually occurs on September 07.
While parts of the city are notorious for being exposed to grime and heaps of litter, the initiative plans to combat air pollution and promote clean air quality.
Breathe Cities is a programme that supports the fight against air pollution. Through partnership with global stakeholders and government city officials, the programme aims to cut air pollution by 30% by 2030 and deliver clean air quality for global citizens.
Breathe Cities is committed to prevent 39 0000 premature deaths and eliminate 284 megatons of CO2e emissions globally. The programme is active in 11 cities such as Accra (Ghana), Johannesburg, Nairobi (Kenya) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), among others.
According to the Health Effects Institute (HEI) Global Air 2024 report, air pollution accounted for 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021. Additionally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said there are 7 million premature deaths annually linked to indoor and outdoor air pollution.
More than half of these deaths were recorded in developing countries, reported the WHO.
The city’s MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, Jack Sekwaila spotlighted that achieving clean air quality is of critical importance for public health.
“Air pollution remains the foremost environmental risk to human health, and a significant preventable cause of death and disease globally,” said Sekwaila.
He highlighted marginalised groups being women, children, the elderly and indigent who were vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution.
“New research has shown an association between prenatal exposure to high levels of air pollution and developmental delay at age three, as well as psychological and behavioural problems later on, including symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and depression,” said the WHO.
Referencing HEI Global Air, the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) reported that more than 700 000 children’s deaths under the age of five were linked to air pollution, making it the second leading risk factor for global death in this age group, after malnutrition.
Sekwaila noted the initiative was the city’s commitment to environment sustainability and addressing climate change.
“Our drive to improve living conditions must be supported by resilience to climate risks and continuous environmental improvement. Air quality in the city is of particular concern, especially during the winter months. Addressing air pollution is a crucial step in our broader efforts to combat climate change and build a resilient city,” said Sekwaila.
Sekwaila said that Joburg Municipality entered a partnership with Breathe Cities, Clean Air Fund and C40 in generating data that informs targeted interventions and supports policies to improve air quality.
Executive director of Breathe Cities, Jaime Pumarejo, said: “We are thrilled to have Johannesburg join Breathe Cities and work together to ensure cleaner, healthier air for all. Our objective is to assist the city in revising its Air Quality Management Plan by conducting a source apportionment study to strengthen its data component. We aim to save lives and address the climate emergency by collaborating with the city and local communities.”
The Star
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