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17 March 2010

The Department of Environmental Affairs will launch the South African Air Quality Information System at the South African Weather Service. The launch takes place on 23 March which is also World Meteorological Day.

The SAAQIS is an electronic web-based interactive air quality information system. The objectives of SAAQIS is firstly to meet the legal purpose of reporting air quality related information to the public and secondly to serve as an information system to assist all spheres of government in strengthening policy making related to air quality issues.

With the existence of an air quality information system such as SAAQIS, policy making will for the first time be driven by air quality information. This is in line with the Air Quality Act (AQA 2004) which adopted the air quality governance cycle that emphasises air quality information as a start and end point of air quality management in South Africa. In the past policy making in this area had been based largely on ad-hoc air quality information.

A demonstration on how SAAQIS operates will be conducted during the launch.

Media is invited to the launch:

Date: Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Venue: South African Weather Service, 442 Rigel Avenue South, Erasmusrand, Pretoria
Time: 10h30 for 11h00

To RSVP contact:

Moses Rannditsheni
Tel: 012 310 3901
Cell: 082 448 2450
E-mail: MRannditsheni@deat.gov.za

Xolani Ngqoshela
Tel: 012 310 3078
E-mail: XNgqoshela@deat.gov.za

For media queries contact:
Roopa Singh
Tel: 012 310 3566
Cell: 082 225 3076
E-mail: RSingh@deat.gov.za

Albi Modise
Tel: 012 310 3123
Cell: 083 490 2871
E-mail: AModise@deat.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs
17 March 2010