management
17 October 2006
"There is a need to develop a sustainable approach to skills development in
air quality management," delegates to the 1st Annual Air Quality Governance
Lekgotla proclaimed unanimously in East London today, Tuesday, 17 October
2006.
Delegates drawn from all spheres of government including air quality
practitioners, environmental inspectors and other senior government officials
in the field converged in East London for a bosberaad to deliberate on issues
of air quality management and to share best practice on issues like atmospheric
emission licensing, air quality management plans across all spheres, air
quality management training challenges and inter institutional initiatives.
Talking about the need to build and strengthen the skills profile in air
quality management, Mr Peter Lukey, Chief Director in air quality management at
the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) called for greater
collaboration and diverse approaches to skills development. "Tertiary
institutes as societal organisations entrusted with sustainable knowledge
generation and transmission and in-service training should compliment training
provided by universities and technikons," he said.
A strong voice also emerged for partnerships in skills development. "We need
to further explore the issue of partnerships with other universities, including
the small universities, government, private sector, civil society etc," said
Peter Lukey. "Individuals should continually invest in their own professional
development by joining appropriate local technical/professional organisations
for example the National Association for Clean Air (NACA)," added Mr Lukey.
The Lekgotla also dealt at length with matters relating to structures,
systems and strategies in air quality management in which issues involving
policy and process and organisational arrangements were dealt with. There was
agreement that "there is not, and cannot be, an ideal organisational structure
for air quality governance at provincial and local spheres." Delegates also
acknowledged the important need for air quality management to be included in
the Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) if the municipality is to have any
chance of receiving support and funding for air quality management.
Other important air quality matters that were discussed in the Lekgotla
include presentations on the proposed South African Air Quality Information
System, draft policy on market based instruments to support environmental
fiscal reform, proposed licence fees calculator, and protocol and atmospheric
user charges.
In closing the Lekgotla, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Ms Nosipho Jezile, reminded delegates
that the effective implementation of the Air Quality Act was an endeavour that
will require all our commitment in the long-term.
The COO said that a number of presentations that were made clearly showed
that there is a clear case for the country investing in air quality management,
including those dealing with the results of the South African Weather Service
(SAWS)-DEAT aerial survey and the National Economic Development and Labour
Council (Nedlac) study on the costs of air pollution associated with fossil
fuel combustion.
These results, she said, show that our slogan, "an investment in air quality
management is an investment in public health," is completely appropriate and
that our work is not only important but urgent.
She ended by committing the department to supporting all efforts to take air
quality related programmes forward. "In this regard the recommendations from
this conference will be used as an input into the DEAT's own planning process,"
she said.
Enquiries:
Mava Scott
Cell: 082 411 9821
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
17 October 2006
