Transport and Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa

This policy brief examines the intersection of transport and environment in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting critical issues such as rising urban air pollution, high road fatality rates, and traffic congestion. It argues that current transport policies often favor automobiles over the needs of poor and vulnerable populations and calls for an integrated approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve equity through strategies like the 'avoid, shift, improve' framework.

• Urban air pollution is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa due to population growth, economic expansion, and motorization, resulting in an estimated 49,000 deaths annually. The pollution is primarily driven by fossil fuel use in transport, exacerbated by inadequate emission controls, poor enforcement, and a lack of monitoring; only eight countries in the region maintain operational routine air quality monitoring systems.
• Road safety is a critical public health issue in the region, with Africa accounting for more than 11% of global road fatalities despite possessing less than 3% of the world's motor vehicles. Pedestrians and cyclists are the most affected, as approximately half of all trips in most sub-Saharan African cities are made on foot.
• Traffic congestion is growing in major urban centers, caused by factors such as poor road discipline, lack of integrated land-use policies, ineffective public transport, and inadequate infrastructure for walking and cycling. However, the economic, social, and environmental impacts of this congestion are rarely quantified.
• Transport policies in the region frequently prioritize automobiles, which creates inequities in accessibility, safety, and environmental protection for poor, elderly, disabled, and female populations. In rural areas, low accessibility to basic services like health clinics and markets is a significant barrier to poverty alleviation and agricultural development.
• While Africa has the lowest historical greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of any continent, its emissions are growing rapidly due to increased fossil-fuel use. The vehicle fleet is characterized by a high proportion of imported used vehicles and insufficient maintenance, which increases both GHG and exhaust emissions.
• The document recommends an 'A-S-I' strategy to achieve low-carbon transport: Avoiding travel by reducing distance, Shifting demand from cars to public transport, walking, cycling, rail, and water, and Improving the efficiency and cleanliness of fossil-fuel vehicles.

APA

Schwela, D., & Haq, G. (2013). Transport and Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-pb-2013-africa-transport.pdf

Chicago

Schwela, Dieter, and Gary Haq. Transport and Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2013. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-pb-2013-africa-transport.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Schwela |first1=Dieter |last2=Haq |first2=Gary |title=Transport and Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-pb-2013-africa-transport.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{schwela2013transport, author = {Schwela, Dieter and Haq, Gary}, title = {{Transport and Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/sei-pb-2013-africa-transport.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }