Professor Rebecca Garland, an expert in atmospheric composition, works within the Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology at the University of Pretoria. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing air pollution in southern Africa, where pollution levels often surpass national limits.

According to Prof. Garland, the region faces a mix of pollution from both human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels for electricity and vehicles, and natural sources like veldfires. Her team uses advanced tools, including big data from satellites and atmospheric models, to fill data gaps and understand the drivers and impacts of this pollution.

The work is highly collaborative, with her group partnering with health researchers and ecologists to tackle complex, cross-disciplinary problems, including environmental justice issues where poorer communities are disproportionately affected by pollution.

Prof. Garland's work highlights the need for a collaborative, data-driven approach to improve air quality. This approach aligns with the mission of NITheCS (National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences), which launches in Stellenbosch during the week of September 8th. Prof. Garland aims to foster this community building and support connections within the atmospheric science field. She is also their featured scientist in their newsletter. Read their post here.

Disclaimer: This post is an adapted and shortened version of the newsletter item posted by NITheCS: https://nithecs.ac.za/prof-garland-has-over-20-years-of-experience-in-her-field-of-atmospheric-composition-and-air-quality/