Mpumalanga has won the dubious distinction of being the biggest hotspot for nitrous dioxide (NO2) pollution in the world.
Greenpeace analysis of Satellite data from 1 June to 31 August points to coal and transport as the two principle sources of air pollution, with Mpumalanga in South Africa topping the chart as the world’s largest NO2 hotspot across six continents.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a dangerous pollutant in and of itself and also contributes to the formation of PM2.5 and ozone, two of the most dangerous forms of air pollution.
“It has been reported before that the Witbank area has the world’s dirtiest air, and now this analysis of high tech satellite data has revealed that the Mpumalanga province is the global number one hotspot for NO2 emissions,” says Melita Steele, senior climate and energy campaign manager for Greenpeace Africa. “This confirms that South Africa has the most polluting cluster of coal-fired power stations in the world which is both disturbing and very scary.”
Mpumalanga is home to a cluster of 12 coal fired power plants with a total capacity of over 32 gigawatts, owned and operated by Eskom.
The satellite data reveals that Johannesburg and Pretoria are also affected by extreme NO2 pollution levels which blow across from Mpumalanga and into both cities due to close proximity and regular eastwinds.
The average wind directions over Johannesburg and Pretoria in the last 30 years on Meteoblue show that for about 28% of the year, the wind is blowing over Johannesburg from either ENE, E, ESE, SE, SSE, and S – all directions from where the winds would be blowing pollution from coal-fired power plants into the cities. This implies that plumes of dangerous NO2 pollution regularly cover these cities and their 8-million people.
“Because South Africa’s coal-belts are hidden from view for the majority of South Africans, it can be easy to pretend that they don’t actually exist,” Steele says. “The reality is that coal extraction and burning has devastating impacts on the people living in the area.
“This satellite data now confirms that there is nowhere to hide: Eskom’s coal addiction in Mpumalanga means that millions of people living in Johannesburg and Pretoria are also impacted by the pollution from coal.”
The list of the largest NO2 hotspots in the world includes well known coal-fired power plants in South Africa, Germany and India, and a total of nine coal power and industrial clusters in China. Cities such as Santiago de Chile, London, Paris, Dubai and Tehran also feature high in the ranking due to transport-related emissions.
“Air pollution is a global health crisis, with up to 95% of the world’s population breathing unsafe air,” Steele says. “South Africa is a significant global hotspot with its high concentration of coal power stations and its weak air pollution standards. Our government urgently needs to come up with an action plan that protects millions of people, instead of dirty coal power stations.”
Compared to many other countries South Africa has relatively weak Minimum Emission Standards (MES), that allow coal-fired power stations to emit up to 10 times more NO2 than allowed in China or Japan.