Climate Change, Air Quality and Impacts

Climate Change, Air Quality and Impacts

Sub-programme leader: Dr. Niké Wesch (Nike.Wesch@nwu.ac.za)

 

Overview

The Air Quality and Impacts sub-programme is a multidisciplinary initiative focused on advancing understanding of atmospheric processes and their interactions with ecosystems, agriculture, and society in Southern Africa. The programme addresses both anthropogenic and natural drivers of air quality and climate change, including industrial activity, biomass burning, and dust transport. Using integrated approaches such as monitoring, modelling, and GIS, it generates applied knowledge to inform environmental management and policy. The sub-programme aims to contribute to sustainable development, improved public health and quality of life, and more effective, evidence-based air quality and climate governance.

The following main themes of research are pursued:

  • Atmospheric Processes
  • Climate Change (impacts, adaptation, mitigation)
  • Air Quality (monitoring, mitigation, allergenic pollen)
  • Agro-climate Systems (crop-climate-soil, agrometeorology)
  •  Dust & Aerosol Dynamics
  • Modeling (climate, dispersion, soil carbon)
  • GIS & Remote Sensing
  • Environmental Planning & Management
  • Chemical resource beneficiation
  • Centre of Excellence in Carbon based Fuels 

 

A Living Weather Laboratory (https://www.lekwenaradar.co.za/)

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The NWU Climatology Research Group (CGR) has set up multiple weather stations at various locations:

  • METSI (UESM Research Facility)
  • Lekwena Wildlife Estate
  • NWU Potchefstroom Campus
  • NWU Mafikeng Campus (on NWU Research Farm)
  • NWU Vaal Campus (coming soon)

These weather stations send data to a cloud in real-time and is updated on an online software platform called iLeaf (https://www.ileaf.co.za/) every 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 
 

For enquiries, contact:

Dr. Niké Wesch
Chair of the Sub Programme
+27 18 299 4879
 
 
Last updated: 17 April 2026