South African delegation visit UWE on the first leg of their European Study Tour (31st March - 4th April 2008)

In 2007, AQMRC in partnership with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) successfully completed the National Air Quality Framework on behalf of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in South Africa. As part of this prestigious project, AQMRC were tasked with organising a knowledge exchange study tour to the UK for a South African delegation to learn more about the UK air quality management systems, science and issues. The South African delegation is lead Prof Roseanne Diab (University of KwaZulu-Natal) accompanied by her husband Richard, Jean-Pierre Mfuamba (National Framework Intern), Yegeshni Naiker (National Framework Intern), Caradee Wright (CSIR Postdoc) and Tirusha Thambiran (University of KwaZulu-Natal PhD student). This knowledge exchange study tour will include visits to UWE, AEAT, the Environment Agency, Defra, the GLA and finally two days at the Environmental Protection UK Annual Spring Workshop. Dr Enda Hayes, AQMRC organised the study tour and will accompany the delegation while they are in the UK. AQMRC are delighted to be involved in such a high profile project and look forward to welcoming our South African colleagues for an engaging and informative visit.

Tim takes key role at the UKPHA annual public health forum

Tim will be attending the UKPHA annual public health forum in Liverpool on the 1st and 2nd of April. He will be having a busy week. He will be presenting an paper based on the work that the group carried out for DfT last year on public attitudes towards the environment in making transport choices, and a poster on public consultation based on the ESRC Science in Society "10 Steps to Better Engagement" project. In his role as co-chair of the UKPHA's Special Interest Group on Health and Sustainable Environments, Tim will also be chairing a session on Planning for Health, and is co-ordinating the SIGs concurrent debate on "Valuing Health and Environment in Decision Making: Can We Afford Not To?". This feature a number of high profile speakers, including Neil McInroy from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, Paul Tomlinson from the Royal Town Planning Institute, and members of the GLAs teams on planning and health.