VZCZCXRO4315
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHSA #0986/01 1341253
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141253Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8473
RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 6839
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0952
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 9189

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRETORIA 000986 
 
DEPT FOR OES/PCI, OES/ENV, AND AF/S 
DEPT PASS EPA/OIA, 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SENV SOCI ETRD SF
SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICAN WEATHER SERVICE CELEBRATES WORLD 
METEOROLIGICAL DAY 
 
PRETORIA 00000986  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  The South African Weather Services (SAWS) hosted a 
World Meteorological Day seminar for over one hundred government, 
private sector, academia and civil society participants in Pretoria 
on March 23 - 24, 2009.  Discussion topics included weather-related 
disasters and their impact on human health; early warning systems; 
air pollution and climate change; forecast-enabling technologies; 
and international collaboration including partnership with NASA. 
Participants agreed that air quality, climate and weather challenges 
could provide opportunities for innovation and international 
partnerships.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------------ 
Weather-related Knowledge Necessary for Effective Climate Change 
Policies 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) SAWS hosted a World Meteorological Day seminar on March 
23-24, 2009.  SAWS CEO Dr. Linda Makuleni stated that the World 
Meteorological Organization's (WMO) collaborative efforts have 
increased scientific knowledge about air-quality services, weather 
and climate predictions.  She noted that scientists predict severe 
climate and weather patterns for the future, and that 
meteorologists, climatologists and policymakers need accurate and 
high quality instruments and information to make climate change 
policy decisions. 
 
¶3. (U) SAWS Operations General Manager Dr. Jonas Mphepya told 
attendees that eighty percent of all natural disasters are caused by 
weather.  He noted that polluted indoor air has cost the government 
approximately R3.2 billion ($320 million) in health care costs and 
lost wages since 2002.  Dr. Mphepya noted that scientific knowledge 
of air quality, climate and weather patterns would help the country 
prepare for climate change mitigation and adaptation. 
 
------------------------------- 
SAWS Employing State-of-the-Art Technologies 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) SAWS Senior Manager for Research Dr. Deon Terblanche 
explained that SAWS employs a number of technologies that provide 
air quality, climate and weather information.  The "Meteorsat", 
acquired from the US, collates vegetation indexes and sea surface 
temperatures using high resolution images.  SAWS also make use of 
the South African National Weather Radar Network, also acquired from 
the US, the South African Lightning Detector Network, the Global 
Instability Index, and the Regional Instability Index.  Both indexes 
provide early warning services against climate or weather- related 
dangers.  Dr. Terblanche said the Early Warning System (EWS) is the 
most critical component of the SWAS technologies.  Dr. Terblanche 
added that SAWS uses a Numerical Weather Prediction system, which 
simulates the future to produce a forecast.  Terblanche noted that 
it is difficult to obtain accurate rain forecasts at the moment 
because there is insufficient data.  SAWS plans to establish 
automatic rain forecast systems across the country to address this 
deficiency. 
 
------------------------ 
Global Atmospheric Watch 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) The Global Atmospheric Watch (GAW) at Cape Point, coordinated 
by the WMO, monitors the chemical composition of air masses reaching 
Cape Town.  Data regarding several greenhouse gases (GHG) is 
collected, and collaboratively sampled by universities in South 
Africa, France and the US.  Data is archived locally and at the GAWS 
Headquarters in Tokyo. 
 
¶6. (U) South Africa's other GAW base is SANAE IV, the country's 
Q6. (U) South Africa's other GAW base is SANAE IV, the country's 
research and weather station base in the Antarctica.  WMO/GAW 
Scientific Advisor Ernest Brunke said GAWS studies have shown that 
the Southern Ocean is losing its capacity to sink carbon.  He noted 
that the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is 
investigating the cause for this phenomenon at SANAE IV. 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
Air Pollution Affecting Rainfall 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) SAWS's Scientist Dr. Patience Gwaza explained that South 
Africa's current Air Quality Management (AQM) plans are small scale 
and focused on homes, offices and cities.  She noted that aerosol 
particles disturb the astrophysics process of precipitation, 
producing anything from strong thunderstorms to no precipitation at 
all.  She said air pollution has caused the gradual reduction in 
precipitation over Cape Town.  Gwaza noted that sixty percent of the 
 
PRETORIA 00000986  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
rural population contribute to air pollution by using firewood as an 
energy source for heating and cooking. 
 
¶8. (U) Dr. Gwaza said South Africa has enacted an Air Quality 
Management Act but there are no laws regulating climate change 
mitigation or adaptation.  She emphasized that there should be 
separate and specific policy directives regarding climate.  Dr. 
Gwaza said policy makers also should harmonize policies regulating 
climate change and air quality. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Regional and International Collaboration 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) South African permanent WMO Representative Dr. Makuleni said 
international meteorological cooperation could provide Africa with 
reliable data collection and interpretation skills, as well as new 
scientific applications to reduce potential disaster impacts.  South 
AfricMg7Qby the WMO, and designed to reduce impacts of 
weather-related disasters in the SADC region. 
 
-------------- 
NASA Relations 
-------------- 
 
¶10. (U) Dr. Gwaza said SAWS collaborates with NASA on AQM, and it is 
happy with the accuracy, quality and efficiency of the estimates 
from these joint efforts.   Aircraft and ground-based equipment are 
used to acquire data.  Gwaza said SAWS has acquired useful technical 
expertise from NASA.  She added that future joint programs would 
include modeling impact assessments and remote sensing.  SAWS will 
borrow models from the EPA and modify them to suit the South African 
situation. 
 
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Comment 
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¶11. (U) The SAWS World Meteorological Day (WMD) demonstrated SAWS 
capabilities and revealed its meteorological shortcomings.  SAWS 
notes that collaboration with the U.S. has proven useful.  Increased 
U.S./South Africa meteorological partnerships could prove beneficial 
in future climate change discussions with South Africa. 
La Lime