Since the establishment of the original SAWDIS in 2008 it's existence has been threatened by changes and copyright issues. The reasons for this onslaught against the SAWDIS now the SAWDOS is unknown as SAWDOS is a non-profitable community service that renders a free weather and disaster observation service to the general public. Up to now the SAWDOS survived but it becomes more and more difficult to gather real-time weather and disaster information. This is mainly due to the fact that information is no longer available free of charge. Many organizations and even some members of the public chose the monetary route where you have to pay absorbent prices for weather and disaster information. This is really heartbreaking as citizens of this country must now pay for information to stay alive. The SAWDOS successfully issued real-time weather observation warnings of severe weather since 2008 but this will unfortunately come to an end when the new South African Weather Service Amendment Bill comes into effect. No person or organization will be allowed to issue severe weather-related warnings. The bill provides that the SA Weather Service will be the sole agency entitled to issue severe and weather-related warnings.
The bill will make it an offence for anyone to issue warnings about severe weather or air pollution. Once this bill is passed the SAWDOS will not be allowed to issue real-time observation warnings of severe weather as we have done successfully since 2008. The SA Weather Service will be the only entity that can issue such warnings.
The SAWDOS was working on an early warning system for severe weather and disasters but this has now come to an abrupt end. We used Twitter to issue real-time weather observations and warnings but looked forward to include other social media to warn the public of severe weather and disasters. With the SAWS Amendment Bill this will be against the law and a punishable offence.
The SAWDOS received the following email yesterday afternoon:
Dear weather forecaster or forecast user
I am not sure if you have heard about the new weather service amendment bill which will have far reaching consequences for everyone in the weather business, including forecasters and end users of any weather warning.
Part of the proposed legislation is to make it a crime with a punishment of up to R5 million and/or 10 years in jail to issue any air quality or weather related warnings without the written consent of the South African weather service..
Needless to say this goes to the core of my business as well as anyone else in the weather business as well as the various climate departments etc, It also puts us all at a disadvantage to all the foreign companies who will continue without this requirement. This is all in addition to the anti-competitiveness of this where one commercial organization will be able to dictate to us what we may or may not tell our clients.
Furthermore the ramifications seem endless, strictly interpreted a fleet manager warning his vessels of a storm that he has found on an internet weather site could also be engaging in a crime. An institution doing climate forecasts indicating a drought in a region could also be undertaking criminal activity. Several metro's measure air quality and thus any warning based upon these measurements could also be constituted as criminal activity. Finally pubic warnings by disaster management of rescue services could also be constituted as illegal activity.
This bill has not been widely publicized and so please pass this message on to any affected parties and encourage them to make submissions.
I am trying to contact as many role players as possible to make submissions on the bill before the 12th January 2012 and would appreciate your assistance in this regard.
Kind Regards
Jean Pierre Arabonis
Oceanography and Meteorology
Ocean Satellite Imaging Systems
Link to article
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=161731
Link to Parliamentary working group
http://www.pmg.org.za/node/30128
Jean Pierre's concern is valid, but unfortunately there is not much that can be done to stop or alter this amendment bill other than to make submissions. The SAWDOS however doubt that it would have any effect on the final outcome.
The future of the SAWDOS is at stake and we are working feverishly on an alternative concept to change the way in which we operate. However this seems more and more unlikely as the bill jeopardise the aim and vision of the SAWDOS. The original aim and vision of the SAWDOS will cease to exist once this bill comes into operation. This will undoubtedly lead to the closure of the SAWDOS. The SAWDOS's purpose is based on real-time weather and storm observations by members of the public to issue timely warnings of approaching severe weather in a specific area, town or province.
Unfortunately sad and disappointing but that's the way the cookie crumbles. The new SAWDOS started off with a bang but it looks like it will face sudden death once the SA Weather Service Amendment Bill is accepted.
A final announcement of the future existence of the SAWDOS will be made once we have finality regarding the Amendment Bill.
Comments, suggestions, ideas for publication on this blog regarding the future exsistance of the SAWDOS most welcome. Send your comments to the SAWDOS by clicking HERE.
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