By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 22: The government is looking into expanding Air Pollutant Index (API) monitoring coverage in Sarawak to improve the accuracy of air quality readings, particularly when the region faces transboundary haze.
According to a TVS report, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup, stated that the step takes into account Sarawak’s vast land area and the need to strengthen monitoring in areas that currently lack dedicated stations.
“Currently, Malaysia has 68 air quality monitoring stations under the Department of Environment (DOE) using methods and standards recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA),” he said in responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr. Richard Rapu (Gabungan Parti Sarawak-Betong) during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He also explained that USEPA guidelines determine the placement of monitoring stations based on different spatial scales, including the neighbourhood scale, which covers a radius of 0.5 to four kilometres (km), and the urban scale, spanning four to 50 km.
In areas without dedicated monitoring stations, air quality conditions are assessed using data from the nearest station on a regional scale, providing an overview of pollution levels, including the impact of transboundary haze, he said.
Meanwhile, he informed that the Malaysian Meteorological Department has developed a new air quality modeling platform, MyCMAQ, capable of forecasting potential air pollution and haze events up to five days in advance.
The platform provides regular, high-resolution forecasts of air quality and atmospheric pollutant concentrations across Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
He said the forecasts would help the public obtain early indications of possible haze conditions, allowing them to plan their daily activities and take precautionary measures. – DayakDaily
