Pretoria — Policymakers, scientists, civil society groups, <a href="https://absafricatv.com/south-africa-renews-pledge-to-meet-2030-sustainable-development-goals-law/” title=”South Africa renews pledge to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals | Law”>development partners, and community leaders are converging in Pretoria this week for the 2026 Africa Clean Air Forum, running from July 13 to 16, under the theme “Investment Case for Clean Air and Healthy Cities.”
The annual gathering has evolved from a conference into a continental platform where governments, researchers, and communities exchange evidence, build partnerships, and advance action on air pollution—helping elevate air quality from a neglected environmental concern to a central public health and development priority across Africa.
Waste Burning: An Overlooked Killer
While debates on air pollution typically center on transport, industry, and power generation, environmental advocates are drawing attention to a less‑discussed but major contributor: waste.
Open burning of waste remains widespread in African communities, driven by inadequate collection systems, poorly managed dumpsites, and limited waste infrastructure. Smoke from burning plastics, organic matter, and other mixed refuse exposes nearby residents to toxic pollutants and drives greenhouse gas emissions.
According to figures cited by GAIA Africa, open waste burning accounts for 29 percent of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution on the continent and contributes to nearly 1.2 million premature deaths annually when combined with other pollutants.
The Incineration Debate
As African cities expand air quality monitoring networks—a trend advocates call encouraging for building better data and accountability—attention is now shifting to what happens next: how governments respond to the waste crisis at its source.
A growing push within the waste industry to promote waste‑to‑energy incineration as a fix for municipal waste challenges is drawing sharp criticism from environmental groups. Weyinmi Okotie, Clean Air Program Manager at GAIA Africa, argues the technology is being misrepresented as a solution.
Incineration does not eliminate waste, Okotie contends; it converts it into emissions, toxic ash, and greenhouse gases, while locking cities into long‑term dependence on generating and burning materials that should instead be reduced, reused, recycled, or composted.
Studies referenced in the debate suggest that 70 to 80 percent of municipal solid waste generated in African cities—including biodegradable material, plastics, and paper—is recyclable, representing a circular economy opportunity worth an estimated $8 billion annually if properly managed.
Calls for Investment in Real Solutions
Advocates are urging that clean air financing prioritize pollution‑prevention measures at the waste recovery, material recovery facilities, and formal integration of informal waste workers into municipal systems
Proponents say these approaches offer benefits beyond emissions reduction—creating jobs, cutting methane output, strengthening local economies, and advancing circular economic models—while addressing pollution across land and air simultaneously rather than merely shifting it from one to the other.
Environmental groups are calling on African governments and financiers meeting in Pretoria to reject incineration proposals framed as pollution‑reduction strategies and instead channel clean air funding towardnt, and institutional capacity building
What’s Next
The forum’s outcomes will not be judged by its discussions alone, observers say, but by the policies adopted, investments committed, and ultimately the quality of air breathed by millions of Africans long after delegates leave Pretoria.
