Expanding Air Quality Monitoring with Low Cost Sensors: What Policymakers and Practitioners Need to Know
6 March 2026
The UN Environment Programme’s Global Environment Outlook 7 (GEO‑7) warns that “globally, six out of the top ten countries with the worst air pollution levels are from Asia and the Pacific, leading to respiratory diseases, poor health and lower agricultural productivity”. Against this global backdrop, EANET’s two new publications offer region‑specific guidance to help countries deploy Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Networks (HAQMN) that combine reference‑grade monitors with Low‑Cost Sensors (LCS).
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Guidelines for Establishing a Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Network – Strategic direction for policymakers and planners
While reference-grade monitors have been traditionally used for air quality monitoring, based on their reliability and high accuracy, they also require a high investment and strong technical operation knowledge. Sensors refered to as ‘Low-Cost Sensors’ (LCS), on the other hand, have appeared in the recent years with improved technology related to the size and energy efficiency, lower cost and easier deployment, in particular in zones with limited infrastructures. However, LCS lack the same measurement precision and require maintenance and data analysis. The complementary use of LCSs and reference-grade monitors is referred to as Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring with Low-Cost Sensors (HAQMN), as described in these EANET Guidelines.
The Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring with Low-Cost Sensors Guidelines provide governments with a strategic framework for integrating LCS into existing reference‑grade networks. They emphasize that LCS should supplement, not replace, reference-grade monitors, ensuring expanded coverage without compromising accuracy. They also lay out critical principles such as robust Quality Assurance and Quality Control practices, contextualized network planning, and clear differentiation from the EANET’s traditional monitoring practices and guidelines.
Aimed at senior government officials, these Guidelines describe institutional responsibilities, site selection criteria, and governance considerations. They serve as supporting documents to the EANET’s existing technical manuals, helping countries in the region and beyond expand monitoring capacity methodically and consistently.
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Technical Manual for Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring with Low‑Cost Sensors – Operational guidance for technicians and practitioners
The Technical Manual provides detailed, operational instructions for implementing and maintaining LCS within hybrid networks. It includes step‑by‑step procedures for LCS assembly, installation, calibration, site preparation, communication systems, maintenance, and safety.
The document also incorporates expanded Quality Assurance and Quality Control procedures—such as data screening, bias correction, and performance evaluation—reflecting technical revisions made after expert review. It is designed for technicians, field operators, and analysts responsible for ensuring high‑quality, reliable data.
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How the Two Reports Work Together
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A Regional Response to a Global Environmental Warning
Together, EANET’s Hybrid Air Quality Monitoring Guidelines and Technical Manual form a comprehensive, region‑tailored toolkit that intend to help countries modernize their monitoring systems, strengthen data quality, and better protect public health.
Adopted by the Twenty-seventh Intergovernmental Meeting on the EANET in November 2025, both publications reflect the increased interest to intergrate the use of new technologies for air quality monitoring in the EANET countries, in line with the EANET’s recently launched Medium-Term Plan (2026-2030).
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Photo credits: Ho Chi Minh by Andrei Miranchuk (2019).