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The past few decades have seen an increasing demand for environmental information on which to make more informed decisions, strengthened by several international calls for improving available environmental information. In a democratic South Africa, the involvement of people in policy and decision-making processes has led to an even greater need for accessible information. In response to this demand for information, State of the Environment (SOE) reporting has gained momentum and become highly popular in South Africa. This popularity has grown despite the absence of any legal mandate for reporting in South Africa, as well as the lack of formalised institutional arrangements for reporting. The current situation has resulted in a number of challenges for SOE reporting which need to be addressed. These challenges, and appropriate solutions, are discussed. The paper aims to stimulate discussion in the field of SOE reporting, both within South Africa and internationally.

Health Risk Assessment (HRA) is a valuable tool for determining the potential human health risk associated with environmental exposures to hazards. HRAs are, however, limited in that they do not allow an assessment of other factors which may render people more vulnerable. Low-income (and often marginalised) communities are subjected to multiple environmental exposures and often lack the coping mechanisms that enable them to resist, cope with and manage their exposure to hazards. This paper presents the components of a proposed vulnerability index that could be used to assess levels of vulnerability of lowincome communities that are exposed to indoor air pollution. A number of social, biophysical and service-related factors which are particularly relevant to the South African context have been considered and are discussed further.

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