SAAQIS is intended meet the following Air Quality (AQ) objectives:
The Information Management Objective
By 2010 and beyond, there are measurable improvements in South African ambient air quality as a result of, among others, air quality management interventions that are fully informed by accurate, current, relevant, complete and accessible information.
The SAAQIS Objective
By 2010 and beyond, a national air quality information system is in place that provides accurate, current, relevant, complete and accessible information for informed decision-making that goes beyond compliance with national and international information management requirements and commitments.
The SAAQIS Vision
The SAAQIS ultimately aims to provide:
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A one-stop site for users to get an overview of what air and atmospheric quality information exists.
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Centralised, verified applications for practical implementation of the Air Quality Act to facilitate compliance with norms and standards by the different stakeholders.
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Vertical integration of the 3 spheres of government - national, provisional and local with regard to air quality information.
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Flexible technological solutions allowing for utilisation of various current and future air quality management solutions for different stakeholders.
The SAAQIS is in development. The Phase I project is currently underway.
SAAQIS Development Phases
The development of SAAQIS will be phased as follows:
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Phase 1 - Establish framework, core AQ ambient modules and scientific resource library
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Phase 2 - Establish complete AQ ambient modules and public access national website solution
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Phase 3 - Roll-out of Phase 1 & 2 outputs to all national stakeholders
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Phase 4 - Establish core emission modules, EIA library and permits archive
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Phase 5 - Establish complete emission modules and International reporting module as well as the media archive
Phase 1 Project Details
The overall objective of the project is framed as that for the entire SAAQIS:
The SAAQIS provides all stakeholders with easy access to all relevant information about air quality in South Africa and further provides different stakeholders with different useful on-line applications to support effective and efficient management of the air quality
The project is divided into three immediate objectives:
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Immediate Objective A - The Description and Plan Objective
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By project completion, the SAAQIS, informed by local requirements and needs and international experience, is fully described and detailed and its development articulated in a phased and costed implementation plan.
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Immediate Objective B - The Phase I Implementation Objective
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By project completion, the SAAQIS framework, central database and core functions that are required for reporting ambient air quality monitoring data and status/management reports by all spheres of government are established, tested and fully operationalised for pilot areas.
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Immediate Objective C - The Capacity Building Objective