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Integrated Environmental Monitoring, Forecasting and Warning systems in Metropolitan Areas

Objective

The project aims at meeting users' needs in the field of air quality monitoring, forecasting and warning by the introduction of innovative telematics and integrated multimedia systems.

The work will be carried out in the following cities: Genoa, Leicester, Madrid and Stockholm.
The final objective is to develop new approaches to the use of air quality and meteorological data for the improvement of life in metropolitan areas. This will involve the integration of existing technologies to enable responses to be made at the most appropriate time and at the most appropriate level. Particular emphasis is placed on forecasting over 24 and 48 hours and providing information to general public.
The EMMA project is characterised by:
- Integration of existing networks covering a range of air quality and meteorological parameters. This range of air quality and meteorological networks is representative of many European urban areas.
- Improved data collection, assessment and forecasting, using common system architectures for monitoring, forecasting and warning networks and models, quality control procedures, expert software systems for the front-end data validation from networks. Introduction of software and system improvements will minimise the time-lag between network measurements and dissemination to the public and media.
- Strong orientation to administrations in local environment, transport and health: regions, provinces, municipalities, public hospitals and, most importantly, citizens of metropolitan areas. A User Reference Group will be established with responsibility for establishing objectives and monitoring progress towards their implementation.
- Research into economic benefit for administrations and therefore to citizens: integrated architectures and models, and other characteristics of the project, make it possible to minimise the number of sensors and instruments to be purchased. By building common understanding, this will increase the information available to citizens, administrators and research institutes.
- High attention to Air Quality Indicators; in this field this project will have a direct impact on future harmonisation between national and European approaches, consistently with the Commission Proposal of Directive (94/0106) on Ambient Air Quality Assessment.

Major Validation Sites
Stockholm S L B (Air Quality Dept.), SE
Ayuntamiento de Madrid, ES
Provincia di Genova, IT
Leicestershire County Council, UK

Users
The users of the proposed system are of three types
- Environment Administrations: Provincia di Genova, Stockholm Air Quality Dept, Ayuntamiento de Madrid, Agencia del Medio Ambiente de Madrid, Leicestershire County Council, European Environment Agency
- Urban Traffic Administrations: Swedish Road Dept, Leicestershire Transport Dept, Town Hall of Zaragoza
- Health & Research Organisations: World Health Organisation, Regional Hospital of Madrid.

Approach
The technologies to be applied are primarily Geographic Information Systems, multimedia archiving systems, advanced local area networks, RDS/TMC (synthesised voice) and World Wide Web/Internet.

Expected Benefits
- easy access to local environmental information
- greater availability of meteorological information
- accurate forecasts (24 and 48 hours) of environmental situations
- optimised investments and the use of air quality and meteorological sensors and instruments
- availability of more accurate environmental data
- quality control on real-time environmental data
- quicker standardisation of air quality measurements and forecasting
- improved performance of air quality monitoring and forecasting systems
- creation of a first-line software product.

Contribution to EU Policies
- EU Directives 80/779, 89/427, 82/884 and 92/72
- 5th Action programme of the European Union, relating to the 'need to find a balance between the use of different tools: product standards, emission limits and environmental quality objectives'.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

Data not available

Coordinator

Institut International pour l'Innovation
EU contribution
No data
Address


Belgium

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Total cost
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Participants (17)