Hundreds of Thousands of Batswana are breathing air that is so polluted it is putting their health at risk, the State of Global Air 2020 report has revealed.The report indicates that pollution levels in Botswana have soured to hazardous level partly because of imported Japanese used cars, the defunct BCL mine is Selibe-Phikwe and the Morupule coal fired power station in Palapye. It has emerged that although Botswana has one of the lowest populations in the world, the country has a high concentration of deadly particle pollution, recording the concentration of poisonous PM2.5 particles at two and half times over the World Health Organisation threshold limit. The October 2020 State of Global Air report confirms earlier findings contained in a research paper by Wiston Modise: Status of Air Pollution in Botswana and Significance to Air Quality and Human Health which stated that Botswana’s air pollution has reached hazardous levels.
The report by Modise states in part, “One other significant factor is the high rate at which the number of vehicles has increased in Botswana in recent decades. There is a significant amount of vehicle importation, especially of cheap used Japanese vehicles, most of which are not properly maintained after purchase. These vehicles are reconditioned older model cars discarded from industrialized countries and there is a continuing problem of lead additives in petroleum.”
The report further states that, “the Bamangwato Consolidated Limited (BCL) copper-nickel mine in Selebi Phikwe has been a major source of pollutants. Due to the town’s growing population, the mine and its smelter plant are now in close proximity to residential sites. Sources of air pollution have been compounded by the release of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and other toxic gases from mining activities, resulting in smoke released into the atmosphere, and respiratory problems among the town residents. Very often, the air around the town and surrounding areas would be clouded with thick smoke—sometimes lasting for more than 24 hours. Prior to its closure in 2016, emissions occurred at all stages, including tailing piles, crushed and waste rocks/sand and gaseous species from the smelter.
Morupule Power Station, located about 6 km west of Palapye is another major potential source of pollution. This power plant generates electricity using pulverized coal mined at the Morupule Colliery (Ltd), just adjacent to the station. The coal burns and reacts with oxygen to produce gaseous pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, SO2 and nitrogen oxides (NOx [where NOx = nitric oxide + nitrogen dioxide]), which are then released into the atmosphere through tall chimneys. There are two plants, Morupule A and B, in operation next to each other.
Due to the increasing demand for electricity and the country’s effort to cut outside electrical supply costs, the power station has been upgraded. Electricity has mainly been imported from Eskom (South Africa) with a peak demand of 434 MW satisfied through internal generation and imports. The second plant was constructed to assist with load shedding that has been a concern in recent years. Once fully operational, Morupule B is expected to produce a total of about 600 MW of electricity (only about 132 MW is generated from Morupule A), with an annual requirement of about 3 million tons of coal supply. Botswana’s energy demand was estimated at about 3660 GWh in 2008 (peak load of 500 MW), and is projected to grow at about 6% per annum, reaching 5300 GWh in 2017.”
The October 21 World health Organisation report shows that Botswana has high exposure to particle matter concentration at 25 micrograms per cubic metre which is above WHO’s Air Quality Guideline for PM2.5 of only 10 micrograms per cubic metre.PM2.5 are particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter – less than a 30th of the diameter of a human hair and capable of entering the bloodstream via the lungs. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the major components of particle matter are sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and water; and are mainly emitted by vehicles, coal-burning power plants, industrial activity, waste burning, and other human activities. The report ranks India as the country with the highest exposure globally to PM2.5 concentration at 83.2 micrograms per cubic metre of air, which is 8 times over the threshold limit. Almost all of India’s 1.3 billion people live in areas where PM2.5 levels are higher than the WHO safe limits. According to WHO: “Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) offer guidance on threshold limits for key air pollutants that pose health risks and provide a reference for setting air pollution targets at regional and national levels to improve air quality.” With Botswana importing more second-hand cars than new ones, environmentalist Tuelo Dibeko says there is need for policymakers to put restrictions on the age of cars being imported since old cars pollute more. “From my own assessment, I can state that the increase in PM2.5 concentration in Botswana is mainly because of vehicular emissions, industrial activities and coal-fired power plants,” Dibeko says.
She also says there are three reasons which make it difficult for particle pollution to be addressed in this country. “Botswana does not have sufficient smart technologies, lacks better air quality management plans and also has a problem with imported low-grade vehicular cars,” she says. The State of Global Air 2020 report also says African countries with the highest exposures to PM2.5 are Niger, Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritania and Cameroon. It is believed that 475,000 infants died from exposure to air pollution in 2019. “Infants born in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have the highest rates of neonatal deaths attributable to air pollution, from 9,000 to 13,100 per 100,000 live births,” reads part of the State of Global Air 2020 report. In order to estimate average PM2.5 exposure across the globe, the report relied on data from ground monitors and remote-sensing satellites. Air pollution is the fourth leading risk factor for premature death worldwide after high blood pressure, tobacco and diet.
