KwaZulu-Natal is home to 8.9 million people representing 20.7% of the country’s population, which makes KwaZulu-Natal the most populated province in the country. Ten to fourteen percent of the province consists of informal settlements.

The province contains the second largest industrial hub in South Africa, generating 12.6% of the country’s GDP. The majority of the economic activity takes place within the Durban South Industrial Basin, an area which produces 40% of the total oil refinery capacity of South Africa.  The basin is also home to 200,000 people living in close proximity to these industrial activities. The combination of pollution and people makes this area is one of the world’s most serious air pollution 'hot-spots’.

With respect to air quality the coordinated work undertaken in the last five years in the province, in partnership with national and local government, has allowed KwaZulu-Natal to become a learning centre in the development of a local air quality monitoring network. The programme will support the expansion of knowledge include the entire KwaZulu-Natal province.

Waste management in the province is a challenge for a variety of reasons. The KwaZulu-Natal provincial Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs is intending to assist ten district councils with financial support to develop integrated waste management plans over the next years to improve on waste management planning in the province. The results will provide input to develop a Provincial Integrated Waste Management plan.

The aim of the Environmental Management theme within the KwaZulu-Natal province is to develop the capacity of the province to complete an Environmental Management Framework (EMF) for a high-density area identified as a priority area for intervention in the province.