Topic: 2025 – Impact of Climate Change on Air Quality
Country: South Africa
Delegate Name: Lydia Harlan
Country: South Africa
Delegate: Lydia Harlan
School: Williamston
Committee: UNEP
Topic: Impact of climate change on air quality
As global warming intensifies, its effects on air quality have become much more prevalent. Air quality has worsened in various ways worldwide, with the presence of multiple pollutants falling into categories such as greenhouse gases, particle matter, and aerosols. It is also affected by heat waves, droughts, and other extreme weather phenomena. These effects on the air quality of the world, though, have led to death, especially among people with respiratory issues, young children, or infants, and the elderly. Particle matter is especially prevalent in cities worldwide, but PM 2.5 is prevalent everywhere globally, even above oceans, far away from any major sources of PM 2.5. It is produced by cars, factories, power plants, burning wood, cooking, and can also be produced naturally; however, PM 10 is more often produced naturally. These particles are harmful, causing risks such as premature mortality, and are linked to the largest amount of various negative health effects from air quality worldwide. Overall, this is a problem that clearly needs to be addressed.
So far, South Africa has air quality standards requiring all regulated industries to meet requirements aimed at keeping people healthy. South Africa is also collaborating with the Clean Air Fund (CAF); for example, the South African Medical Research Council is collecting local evidence to understand the impact of bad air quality on health. They also signed a Collaboration Agreement with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment to improve air quality management. South Africa’s PM 2.5 concentration has decreased significantly since 2019, indicating that the country’s efforts have been largely successful. South Africa has also begun to implement procedures suggested by the Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa.
In the future, South Africa aims to continue implementing plans outlined in the Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change for Sustainable Development in Africa. South Africa would also like to pass specific, legally binding legislation to ensure an improved general environment and air quality for both now and the future. To ensure better air quality, the contents of the planned bill would aim to set a specific limit and enforce it through routine inspections. It would offer repercussions, such as fining those over the limit, or, depending on the severity of the offense, shutting down the offender for producing air waste above the set limit. This could be better tracked by installing more air quality monitoring stations across the country, evenly. South Africa would also like to promote green energy, such as solar and wind, especially given its sunny and windy coastal location. Although South Africa believes this is not a one-country effort, as air travels, so does the particle matter, making every country affected by one another’s actions, especially the members of BRICS.
https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/air-quality/air-quality-and-climate-change
https://www.cleanairfund.org/geography/south-africa/
https://www.ccacoalition.org/content/integrated-assessment-air-pollution-and-climate-change-sustainable-development-africa
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/inhalable-particulate-matter-and-health
