The PRD Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network won the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s Science and Technology Award
The Pearl River Delta (PRD) Regional Air Quality Monitoring Network (the Network) jointly established by the Guangdong Environmental Protection Bureau, Guangdong Provincial Environmental Monitoring Centre (GDEMC) and the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR (HKEPD) has obtained the 2008 Environmental Protection Science and Technology Class 2 Award from the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The award aims to recognise organisations which have made outstanding achievement and contributions to the advancement of environmental protection science and technology. The winners were selected by the Environmental Protection Science and Technology Award Committee under the Ministry of Environmental Protection by ballot from a list of qualified innovative technology projects throughout the nation. This award underlines mainland experts' recognition of the Network as an innovative technology project in environmental protection.
The Network is one of the important environmental initiatives under the co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong. It came into operation on 30th November 2005 and has been providing data for reporting of Regional Air Quality Index (RAQI) to the public since then. It comprises 16 automatic air quality monitoring stations across the PRD region. Thirteen of these stations are operated by the Environmental Monitoring Centres of the individual cities in Guangdong and the GDEMC, while the 3 stations located in Hong Kong are managed by the HKEPD. To ensure the air quality monitoring results attain a high degree of accuracy and reliability, the network is equipped with advanced air monitoring equipment and in compliance with the requirements set out in the stringent quality control and assurance operating procedures.
The government of both sides will continue to strengthen the technical and management capabilities of the Network so as to ensure timely and accurate reporting of environmental data to the public.
