2023 National Air Quality Officer's Annual Report on Air Quality Management in the Republic of South Africa

Paragraph 5.9.4 of the 2017 National Framework for Air Quality Management in Republic of South Africa (National Framework), requires that the National Air Quality Officer reports, on an annual basis, on the progress relating to the implementation of the National Framework and additional information on air quality management. This report is known as the National Air Quality Officer’s Report. A set of indicators to be included in the report are provided in Appendix 3 of the National Framework and these indicators have three basic functions, namely, to simplify, quantify and communicate key information about both the quality of air in South Africa and the efficacy of the air quality management process itself.

The National Air Quality Officer’s Annual Report is meant to provide all stakeholders with information relating to progress made in the implementation of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004) (NEM: AQA) and its National Framework and, most importantly the efficacy of this implementation with reference to the objectives of the NEM: AQA, namely:

• protecting the environment by providing reasonable measures for the protection and enhancement of the quality of air in the Republic of South Africa.
• protecting the environment by providing reasonable measures for the prevention of air pollution and ecological degradation; securing ecologically sustainable development while promoting justifiable economic and social development; and
• generally giving effect to section 24(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 19962, in order to enhance the quality of ambient air for the sake of securing an environment that is not harmful to the health and well-being of people.