May 9 is Europe Day. What better way to celebrate than by reviewing how can we support the EU’s climate and biodiversity targets. Happy Europe Day!
Remote Workshop on Air Quality Monitoring with Citizen Science
Addressing key challenges for the integration of citizen science data into the Green Deal Data Space
Air pollution is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, contributing to an estimated 8 million premature deaths globally each year. Accurate and localized monitoring is essential to effectively tackle this issue. While established monitoring systems provide valuable insights, they often fall short of capturing the full picture of air quality, especially in urban areas with complex spatial variations. Currently, air quality monitoring networks are limited, and even when they are of good quality, they struggle to provide a high-resolution overview of pollution levels. This challenge is particularly critical in densely populated regions, where strong gradients exist and numerous sources contribute to overall air quality concerns.
This pilot project, part of the Horizon Europe initiative AD4GD, explores the potential benefits of Internet of Things (IoT) data and low-cost sensors in enhancing our understanding of local air quality. These sensors, often operated and maintained by citizens, foster community involvement and promote local engagement, forming part of high-density measurement networks that significantly improve our capacity to monitor air quality in detail. However, the use of low-cost sensors remains limited in both research and practical applications.
In this interactive workshop, we aim to bring together diverse stakeholders to examine the current challenges in data management and interoperability within citizen science projects focused on air quality. Participants will collaboratively identify key barriers to the wider adoption of these technologies and develop solutions and recommendations to support their integration into the European Green Deal Data Space. Engaging discussions and brainstorming sessions will be encouraged to generate innovative approaches to these challenges. By the end of the workshop, participants will have gained a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in air quality monitoring and will have sparked initial ideas for enhancing data interoperability. This event will also provide valuable networking opportunities, fostering connections between citizen scientists and stakeholders engaged in air quality management.
If you are interested in participating in this workshop, please write an e-mail to ad4gd@fit.fraunhofer.de stating your name, affiliation, and the name of the workshop. Subsequently, our team will get in touch with you.
Main questions to be adressed
- ● What are the main challenges you face in providing or consuming data?
- ● How do the needs of data consumers differ from the assumptions made by data providers?
- ● What are potential solutions to enhance data interoperability and usability?
- ● How can these solutions be scaled and sustained over time?
Agenda
Speakers
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Lina Melbus - Fraunhofer FITHuman-centered design and co-design solutions
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Achim Haug - AirGradientExpert in Air Quality Monitoring
Expert in Air Quality Monitoring