Vital support mechanism
he SA Weather Service (SAWS) has an established and trusted history in the country. It is well-positioned to make a significant contribution towards socioeconomic development and the creation of an equitable society that is able to enjoy and protect the country’s ample natural resources.
SAWS is committed to providing accurate and innovative weather, climate and related products and services — not only in SA, but also to the wider African continent.
“We operate sophisticated weather observation infrastructure in the country, and this investment is paying off by enabling us to provide goodquality products and services”, says SAWS CEO Linda Makuleni.
“As a provider of reliable weather and climate information, we continue to enable various sectors and communities to develop weather and climate risk mitigation strategies and thus reduce the impact of
Tclimate change and weather-related natural disasters. Through our products and services, we aim to build resilience towards climate change and severe weather among all South Africans,” she says.
“Many sectors can benefit from using SAWS’ products and services. This includes supporting safe, regular and efficient aviation operations; the monitoring of water resources; risk management support for agriculture and fisheries; as well as building a healthier nation through monitoring of ambient air quality.”
By enabling safe and regular aviation operations, SAWS facilitates ease of access to markets, which drives the tourism industry and, as a result, contributes to socioeconomic development and job creation.
Supporting the monitoring of water resources, a commodity which will become increasingly scarce in future, is another important function of SAWS, according to Makuleni.