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1. Background

Air quality administrations usually use conventional reference monitors. However, low- and middle-income countries cannot fully use these in their air quality monitoring networks due to the limitation of resources. Less expensive and smaller monitoring devices, so-called Low-Cost Sensors (LCS), are capable of filling the gaps in existing air quality monitoring networks, and the data measured by LCS may provide information for policy-relevant air quality measures.

In most areas in the Asian region, air quality monitoring capacities of the national and local governments are still limited and need to be developed to improve their air quality to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Considering emerging sub-regional-scale and serious seasonal air pollution events, such as Ozone and PM2.5 pollution, building a network of reliable and internationally comparable air quality data becomes more important. Thus, practitioners must consider how they can wisely select and use reliable LCS with a network of reference-level monitors in an integrated manner for enhanced air quality monitoring.

The EANET has been supporting the development of air quality monitoring networks in the East Asia region in partnership with its 13 Participating Countries’ governments and scientists, assisting them to develop local capacity of scientific and internationally comparable air quality monitoring. The EANET has expanded its scope to wider air pollution issues in 2021, and the wise use of reliable LCS is one of the EANET’s interests aiming at developing its monitoring capacities. The EANET project titled “Methodology Study for Development of LCS Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Network (HAQMN)” has been implemented since 2022, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, and the EANET Project Fund.

Besides the above-mentioned EANET project, there are other projects implementing air quality monitoring using LCS networks of urban and regional scales in East Asia. These networks are collecting the data via the Internet and some projects demonstrate real-time data. These preceded projects show how LCS technology and citizen participation can contribute to monitoring and improving air quality. They also show how data transparency and open access are important to increase public awareness of air pollution issues.

The Online Workshop on the Utilization of Low-Cost Sensors for Air Quality Monitoring: Recommendations and Strategies will take place on Wednesday 6 November 2024, from 13:00 to 16:45 (UTC+7), via Zoom. The event is organized by the Asian Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP), serving as the Network Center for the EANET.

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2. Objectives

• To share information on technical requirements, data management, and visualization, citizen participation, policy involvement, and business models by preceded projects on LCS monitoring networks in the Asian region
• To discuss scopes and challenges for establishing a sustainable LCS monitoring network in East Asia and for sharing LCS data and scientific findings to strengthen efforts to improve the regional air quality in East Asia.
• To consider recommendations on future directions of LCS monitoring in EANET

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3. Expected Participants

Policymakers, practitioners, and technical officers of local/national governments related to air pollution issues in the Participating Countries of EANET and other countries in Asia.

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4. Concept Note, Agenda and Speakers

Download the Concept Note and Programme.

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For further inquiries, contact the Network Center for the EANET

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