Swapna Prabhakaran
Environmentalists and researchers from around the world converged on Durban’s International Convention Centre this week to share ideas on global air pollution.
It was the first time the World Clean Air and Environment Congress, holding its 11th conference, has been held in Africa. It provided an opportunity for valuable information exchange, bridging the gap between developed and developing countries.
“South Africa is quite advanced in certain areas, but it still has some major problems with pollution – especially with coal-fire usage in residential areas. Studies have shown the coal smoke affects children’s health, the pollution affects their lungs,” said Martin Lloyd, chief air pollution officer in the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism.
Factory emissions are another area for concern in South Africa: “There’s major room for improvement in the prevention of industrial pollution.”
The delegates shared a common interest in clean air, but came from a wide spectrum of interests, from health to technology. The congress gave locals a chance to brainstorm with international experts, to compare alternatives and discover solutions.
“For developing countries … the conference is important as a lot of the new technology and research is being done overseas by people in developed countries,” said Lloyd.
But it’s not just developing countries which have problems with pollution. Much of the focus was on reducing atmospheric pollutants and waste in the cities of the world.
Some innovative solutions have emerged. Engineers of a Japanese car, for example, have designed various models which emit only a 10th of the legally permitted vehicle emissions. Such cars could go a long way to clearing the air of dense urban areas in Europe, Asia and the United States.