Cape Town marked World Environmental Health Day this week by calling on residents to step up efforts to keep the city’s air clean. Under the theme “Clean Air, Healthy People”, City Health highlighted the impact of air pollution and the measures being taken to limit it.
The Specialised Environmental Health Air Quality Management Unit enforces the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act of 2004. In the past financial year it issued more than R2 million in fines to industries and businesses that failed to comply with air quality regulations.
Its Diesel Vehicle Testing Team checks between 6 000 and 8 000 vehicles a year at roadside emissions sites in partnership with Traffic Services. Data from 14 fixed ambient air quality stations showed air pollution limits were breached on just 10 days last year, indicating that most days residents and visitors experienced good air quality.
“Environmental health is public health… we have over 200 professionals in this field but millions of potential advocates in our residents,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham.
City Health hosted an event at the Wynberg Civic Centre with experts from UCT, Stellenbosch University and CPUT to showcase how environmental health addresses air pollution and climate change.
Residents were urged to carpool or use public transport, keep vehicles maintained, avoid burning waste, use clean energy sources and adopt low-smoke methods for braais.
