Establishment of Metropolitan Air Quality Database

□ Air pollution in the metropolitan area of Korea has been much worse than in major cities of advanced countries. To improve air quality, many efforts have been made by academia and industry, along with the government’s special measures for metropolitan air quality. And now it is necessary to manage research data in a more systematic way.

□ Sun Woo Young-Jun, President of the Metropolitan Air Management Office (MAMO) said that with the Database of approx. 5,700 materials included in research papers and statistics reports, we can systematically manage diverse data and increase the usefulness of materials through data encryption, which contributes to the enhancement of the public service.

□ Prior to the establishment of the Database, It was not easy to find and use research reports, papers and statistics related to air quality in Metropolitan areas contained in each relevant organization, which consequently requires time and efforts to obtain necessary materials. However, by now, without visits to relevant organizations, easy access to such data is possible on the Internet.

□ The Database provides easy access and research capability for data on air quality management and policy, traffic pollution, air pollution reduction technology, odor/Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), and basic statistics of government agencies and local governments. The materials, not contained in the database, are linked to the websites of relevant organizations.

□ According to a staff member of the MAMO, the number of data which the Office has collected since its inception in January 2005, reached 5,700. The Office aims to become a “reservoir of air quality data” by gathering and securing all materials on air environment in years to come.

□ In fact, there are not many users of the air quality data search system which was established in 2005. However, more data collection and an integrated database will provide advanced services, which would lead to a natural increase in users.

※ Data by Category (5,685 cases, as of Aug.’06)