THE MEDIUM-TERM REVIEW OF THE 2011 HIGHVELD PRIORITY AREA (HPA): AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT REVIEW REPORT

The review finds that ambient air quality in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) has not shown significant improvement since 2012, with frequent exceedances of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Industrial sources remain the dominant contributors of SO2 and NOx, while mining is the primary source of PM10. An audit of the AQMP implementation reveals that less than 50% of interventions have been fully achieved, with significant deficiencies in vehicle emissions, waste management, and low-income settlement interventions. While government organizational capacity and awareness have improved, the report recommends a revised plan with SMART goals and strengthened cooperative governance across national departments.

• Ambient air quality in the HPA has not significantly improved since the 2012 AQMP gazetting, with data showing significant exceedances of the National Ambient Air Quality standards (NAAQS).
• Industrial sources are the primary contributors of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), accounting for approximately 99.57% and 95.97% of these emissions respectively, while mining is the largest source of PM10.
• An implementation audit shows that less than 50% of the AQMP interventions have been achieved in totality.
• Interventions for industrial emissions and low-income settlements have a low achievement rate of 29%.
• Progress on vehicle emissions and waste management interventions is limited, with only 45% of work completed.
• Government has made the most progress in the areas of awareness, knowledge, and organizational capacity.
• Domestic fuel burning emissions for PM10 and NOx have decreased, likely due to increased household electrification.
• Biomass burning emissions have increased compared to the 2010 baseline, attributed to fuel accumulation during prolonged winter dry seasons.
• The report identifies critical gaps in the emissions inventory, including the fact that only 75% of listed industrial activities reported emissions to the NAEIS.
• Implementation deficiencies in vehicle, mining, biomass, and waste management are linked to a lack of involvement from government departments not specifically mandated by NEMAQA.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2015). THE MEDIUM-TERM REVIEW OF THE 2011 HIGHVELD PRIORITY AREA (HPA): AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT REVIEW REPORT. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/HPA-AQMP-Midterm-review-Draft-Report_February-2016.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. THE MEDIUM-TERM REVIEW OF THE 2011 HIGHVELD PRIORITY AREA (HPA): AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT REVIEW REPORT. 2015. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/HPA-AQMP-Midterm-review-Draft-Report_February-2016.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=THE MEDIUM-TERM REVIEW OF THE 2011 HIGHVELD PRIORITY AREA (HPA): AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT REVIEW REPORT |date=December 2015 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/HPA-AQMP-Midterm-review-Draft-Report_February-2016.pdf?x21779 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2015mediumterm, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{THE MEDIUM-TERM REVIEW OF THE 2011 HIGHVELD PRIORITY AREA (HPA): AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN DRAFT REVIEW REPORT}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2015}, month = dec, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/HPA-AQMP-Midterm-review-Draft-Report_February-2016.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }