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More departmental cooperation in the future promised, as storm threat recedes

Government departments, including the Environment Bureau, will cooperate more closely to provide earlier warnings to the public about poor air quality, Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau said Tuesday.

The Air Pollution Index (API) soared as high as 500 Monday, setting off Tuesday's hastily called inter-departmental meeting to review handling of the occurrence.

Speaking after the meeting, Yau said the Environment Bureau would undertake a leadership role in establishing closer communications between different departments in order that they be better prepared and equipped to provide public announcements earlier.

"It was the first time the API has reached as high as 500. For preparing for similar situations in the future, we believe tighter collaboration between the Environment Bureau and the Observatory is needed," Yau said. "We'll have more data exchange between the two departments. We'll see if we can work out some analytical approach to make forecasts beforehand."

Yau said the two departments would make use of their existing networks with nearby mainland provinces and cities to gather more useful data in an attempt to facilitate earlier announcements when similar events occur in future.

More cooperation and communication between other departments, such as the Food and Health Bureau, the Hospital Authority, the Education Bureau and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is also expected.

"Any extreme weather may affect services to the public. Departments may have to adjust their services," Yau said. "More communication can shorten the time for each department to get prepared and react to the situation when the API reaches extremely high."

Yau denied the government was slow to react to Monday's sandstorm. He said the department had issued a press release within two hours of the storm.

"On Sunday night, although it was midnight, we discovered there seemed to be some sort of rapid increase in the API. We spared no time in informing the public via radio and TV although it was very early hour in the day."

Lee Boon-ying, director of the Hong Kong Observatory, forecast that a cold front would reach the city tomorrow, affecting visibility but having nothing to do with the sandstorm. The situation will be better Friday and the following days.

Sent sky-high by the sandstorm from northern China, Hong Kong's API, after reaching as high as 500 Monday, dropped to about 300 Tuesday. The API is forecast to remain in a range between 70 and 120 today.

(HK Edition 03/24/2010 page1)