|
Letter to the Editor of the South China Morning Post dated 29 November 2005 - Response to a report entitled "Critics hit out over new air quality monitoring network (24 November 2005) and an editorial "Full disclosure needed on delta's air quality" (25 November 2005)
In response to the article published in your newspaper on 24 November 2005 titled "Critics hit out over new quality monitoring network" and the editorial of 25 November (Full disclosure needed on delta's air quality), I would like to clarify a few points.
First, the new Regional Air Quality Index (RAQI) is intended to be a simple indicator to describe the overall air quality in different parts of the Pearl River Delta region. It is an aggregate measure of the four major air pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, respirable suspended particulates and ozone, at each of the 16 monitoring stations that cover the entire region. On a daily basis, a map showing the RAQI values of these monitoring stations in the PRD will be made public so that people in both Guangdong and Hong Kong will learn first hand the overall air quality over different parts of the region.
The existing Air Pollution Indices (API) currently reported in Hong Kong and in individual Mainland cities will continue to serve the purpose of reporting the levels of the most health-threatening air pollutant at localized districts and providing forecasts and warnings of high pollution for residents in the locality. While the RAQI will give an overall picture of the air quality in the region, it will not replace or duplicate the use of the APIs for reporting on the localized air pollution situation to the public. The two indices are therefore complementary to each other.
Second, the suggestion that the RAQI will only be released 24 hours after the daily readings have been collected is incorrect. It should be noted that the RAQI is calculated and reported daily based on the air monitoring data collected in the immediate past 24 hours. It will be reported at 4 p.m. each day, shortly after the end of the daily air monitoring cycle from 2 p.m. of the previous day up to 2 p.m. of the day of reporting. It represents the most up-to-date information available on the air quality in the region.
Third, apart from the daily RAQI report, the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments will conduct detailed analyses of the data collected and will jointly publish a detailed regional air quality report every six months on the monitoring results and trends of the major pollutants. These results will help both governments to evaluate the regional air quality trend and to understand the effectiveness of pollution abatement measures being implemented. The published reports will be available to all members of the public.
I hope the above explanation will help clarify any possible misunderstanding about the new RAQI and the regional air quality monitoring network. We believe that the establishment of the network is an important achievement which helps the two places to better understand the regional air pollution issue. Both the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Hong Kong SAR Government are committed to maintaining close cooperation to improve the air quality in the Pearl River Delta with a view to achieving the 2010 emission reduction targets.
( K K Kwok )
Permanent Secretary for the Environment,
Transport and Works (Environment)
|
