In Colombia, as in the rest of South America, awareness of environmental issues has grown to include the development of pollution-control programmes supported and funded by international credit and development-aid agencies. This is the case in Barranquilla, an increasingly industrialised port that produces a considerable amount of pollution and, in turn, experiences significant air-quality problems.

With support from the World Bank, the Barranquilla City Council issued a call for international tenders, through its District Environment Department (DADIMA), for the supply and installation of an air-quality monitoring network, as a preliminary step before taking measures to reduce local pollution levels and boost the city’s potential as a Caribbean holiday resort.

SICE was awarded the contract, the most significant parts of which include the installation of three remote air-quality stations (two weather stations and one central control station located on the city’s university campus), with mathematical-modelling software for air-pollution forecasting.