Monitoring the implementation and results of air quality actions in the Po valley in a coordinated and homogeneous way is the strategic target pursued by the Italian regions and provinces of the project (Emilia Romagna, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Valle d’Aosta, Province of Trento), which approved a common monitoring protocol to adopt experimentally at least until 2023 and to implement through a specific web application that will be developed by ERVET.

This is the first expected result of PREPAIR within the monitoring actions of air quality, preparatory to the evaluation of the relative emission impacts.

The monitoring protocol foresees a common structure of responsibilities, deadlines and monitoring indicators and the use of a web platform that will allow to report the actions and to monitor their implementation status. It will therefore be possible to evaluate and communicate the achieved results at the Po basin level. The indicators used will give a framework of the policy instruments activated and of the financial resourced used, of the impacts on the territory and of the reduction of polluting emissions.

The 427 measures already planned by the regions through their air quality plans or other plans and programs and through the Po basin agreements for the quality of air of 2013 and 2017 with the Ministry of the Environment will be monitored. These measures refer to all the impacting sectors such as mobility, industry, energy efficiency of residential buildings, biomass combustion and agriculture.

On May 10 and 11 in Bologna two days of works dedicated to urban air quality are organized by ARPAE and by the University of Bologna. Topics that will be discussed are passive control systems of urban pollution, low-cost sensors for air quality, people participation to the monitoring and management of the quality of air.

The event of May 10 will last the whole day and will be entirely held in English, whereas the event of May 11 will last only half a day, will be held in Italian and will focus on the situation of Bologna.

PREPAIR will also be present at the event of May 10, at the poster sessions.

Both days are organized within the Horizon 2020 project iSCAPE, which works on integrating and advancing the control of air quality and carbon emissions in European cities in the context of climate change through the development of sustainable and passive air pollution remediation strategies, policy interventions and behavioural change initiatives.

For more information and for subscribing to the events, please visit the following websites:

Urban air quality: designing and implementing effective control strategies (May 10)

Qualità dell’aria: pianificazione e coinvolgimento dei cittadini (May 11)