The case for integrated air quality and climate change policies

Abstract

The relationship between air quality and climate change provides a scientific basis for developing integrative policies. Local governments in developing countries are expected to reap significant benefits from incorporating climate change concerns into air quality policies. In Africa, South Africa is also one of the few countries on the continent to have developed robust air quality legislation. South African municipalities or local governments are required to develop and implement air quality management plans (AQMPs), which present opportunities to integrate climate change considerations. The extent to which cities are currently incorporating climate change concerns into existing air pollution strategies, and the opportunities for improved integration of these two issues, and actions to support the implementation thereof, are presented in this paper using the city of Durban as a case study. The results from this case study suggest that in the short-to-medium-term, local AQMPs can be used to support climate change mitigation. These outcomes could be relevant to other countries that use a similar approach to air quality management and require local AQMPs to be developed.