ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Geographic Information
for Environmental Quality
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• The areas of poorest environmental quality in Greater Johannesburg are found in the northern part of the metropolitan area (Diepsloot and Zevenfontein), Alexandra (east of Sandton), the mining and industrial belt and the Klip River area, Roodepoort vicinity, the area around Soweto, Orange Farm and Poortjie. These trends discussed in this document, have also been acknowledged in the Strategic Metropolitan Development Framework, which has specifically identified Soweto, Alexandra, the Southern Development Corridor and the Klip River area, as Priority Intervention Zones.
• In the northern part of Greater Johannesburg the environmental quality is poor in the Diepsloot and Zevenfontein settlements. Smoke from excessive coal burning causes air pollution, with no refuse removal, bad sewer systems and a lack of service provision leading to land pollution. Noise levels are high along the N14 national road, and water pollution also contributes to high pollution levels in these areas. Irregular services further leads to solid waste and wastewater problems. This coincides with the conditions of poverty among the local communities of the area, and forms a  vicious cycle of environmental degradation and poor environmental and human health quality.
• Environmental quality is much higher in the north of GJ, with high qualities around the northern suburbs of Sandton, Randburg and Roodepoort. Various walking trails, parks and open spaces are found around the Jukskei River and its tributaries, north of the CBD and around Roodepoort, Sandton and Randburg. The northern areas, including Randburg and Sandton also have a very high development potential, due to the stable granites underlying these areas. The environmental quality is lower in the CBD's and south of Sandton and Randburg, than to the north. To the east of Sandton, in Alexandra, quality again decreases with high pollution levels, mainly due to poor water quality from industrial effluent and poor sanitation. The Wynberg/Kew industrial area also causes bad air and noise pollution, together with the car, bus, taxi and train routes in and out of the area. Settlements around Alexandra cause high levels of litter, which combined with bad sanitation, sewage and refuse services, causes bad land pollution. Alexandra is the most densely populated low-rise informal settlement in South Africa, with about 1 person per 29m². Most of these people do not have access to formal housing or employment, which leads to further impacts on environmental quality. The limited availability of space for expansion, aggravates the problems in the area. Due to more pressing problems caused by the large dense population and poverty, open space and conservation issues are realtively low priorities in these areas. Respiratory, ear, nose and throat diseases heads the list of diseases related to air pollution and the home environment to the east of Sandton. A combination of diarrhoea, vomiting, other gastro-intestinal and opthomological diseases, are high in the area due to bad water quality. This may be due to the lack of services in the area and the lack of clean running water.
• In the Inner City the pollution levels are high due to water pollution from unbalanced pH and copper levels in industrial effluent from Industria West and Selby, eastwards to Benrose and Denver. High bacterial content is also found in the water due to blocked sewers in informal settlements and in the city, especially in the north that is very densely populated. Air pollution is also high due to industries, bus commuter ways and the converging of vehicles in the city. Dust from mine dumps to the south of the city also increases the air pollution. Land pollution is bad due to CBD activities, as well as the illegal dumping of waste, littering by informal traders and businesses, non-maintained sewage pipes, and the large amounts of refuse due to overcrowding in the city. Noise pollution also contributes to the pollution levels, due to the small spaces between the roads in the city and the large amount of vehicular activity together with the industries. High solid waste and wastewater levels are also found in the city, due to a lack of services, industrial effluent, informal traders, overcrowding and badly maintained and overflown sewer systems. Urban poverty is also a great problem in the Inner City, due to the informal and illegal migration into the area. Parks and historical building in the CBD are poorly maintained, and there is a lack of open space. Mining activity to the south of the CBD also created large tracts of barren, undeveloped open space. Further south water in the Klip River is badly polluted due to the mining zone, and big industries like City Deep, Aeroton, Booysens and Electron. The industries, mining belt, vehicle emissions and the burning of coal and other fossil fuels like petroleum, leads to air pollution in the area. In terms of geotechnical development potential, the mining zone of Greater Johannesburg has various problems like excavatibility and compressible soils, as well as pollution and damage by human activities. The Klip River System area also has a very low development potential due to collapsible clayey soils, marches and dolomites. People in the area mostly have respiratory diseases related to air pollution. Gastro-intestinal diseases related to bad water quality, can also be seen in the area. There is a definate lack of environmental health advice and education in the inner city.
• South and west of Roodepoort environmental quality is much lower than in the northern areas. Water quality is poor from the Lea Glen industrial area, while industries, mining dust, CBD activities and excessive coal burning in settlements like Davidsonville contributes to air pollution. Land pollution includes industrial and residential waste, as well as high litter and refuse levels in the Davidsonville settlement. The industries, mining and CBD activities and vehicles, combined with the small distances between roads, leads to noise pollution. Fewer parks, open space and conservation areas, in relation to the north, also contributes to a lower level of environmental quality. These areas, however have a high development potential.
• Environmental quality is low in and around Soweto, with high water pollution levels due to bad industrial effluent from areas like Devland, as well as sewage pollution from the informal settlements in the area. Air quality is poor due to excessive amounts of coal burning taking place in the whole of Soweto and the Orlando Power Station. Littering, unmanaged waste and illegal dumping are the main causes of land pollution, whilst noise mainly emanates from the Devland industrial area and vehicles entering and leaving the area on a daily basis. High poverty and pollution levels mainly exist in the Freedom Park, Goldev, Mofolo, Diepkloof, Nancefield and Protea South areas. Total waste problems also exist in these areas due to a lack of services. In the south solid waste and sewerage from the Slovo Park area as well as industrial effluent from the Nancefield area causes waste problems. There are insufficient parks in Soweto and no open space system exists. Conservation also needs to be upgraded in the area. High numbers of diseases related to bacteriological water pollution is experienced to the south of Soweto.There are also many diseases related to air pollution in the south.Environmental quality improves outside of the industrial and mining zone towards the Southgate and Glenvista areas, but decreases again south of Kibler Park towards Eikenhof. Some walking trails and open spaces are also found around the Klip River and its tributaries to the south of Johannesburg.
• Environmental quality is slightly better around Lenasia, to the south of Soweto. Exceptions are found to the east of Lenasia, where excessive coal burning in settlements like Thembelihle causes air pollution. Inadequate refuse removal and illegal dumping leads to land pollution. Southeast of Lenasia in the Lawley settlement, a lack of refuse and sewage services as well as illegal dumping also causes land pollution and waste problems. Poverty levels are much higher in these areas than in Lenasia itself. The whole Lenasia area has a very low development potential, due to the unstable dolomites underlying the area.
• Environmental quality is of a relatively adequate standard in Ennerdale, but decreases towards the south. Poverty levels are high in the Weilers Farm area, in the Poortjie area and in Orange Farm. Low-cost housing and low household incomes are characteristic of these relatively remote southwestern areas. Moderate to excessive coal burning and dust from gravel roads and open/farm land, causes air pollution. Litter, illegal dumping and irregular refuse removal causes land pollution in Poortjie. Noise levels are also high along national and major roads in the vicinity of Poortjie and Orange Farm. A backlog of parks exists in these areas, together with a lack of quality open space and conservation areas.To the north of Ennerdale the amount of diseases related to solid waste services, like diarrhoea and vomiting, is very high.
• In Greater Johannesburg practical solutions have to be developed, that would enable the city's economic status to positively impact on addressing the problems of poverty, homelessness and integration. The focus of the Metropolitan Council is therefor to attract local, national and international investments through a partnership approach that achieves the vision set for Greater Johannesburg:

"UNITY THROUGH DEVELOPMENT".

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