Joint Air Quality Initiative

Programme 2007 - 2013 North West Europe

Date of latest update: 2023-08-05

Description

Description (EN):

Air pollution (AP) constitutes a risk to human health. It is thought that lung conditions. exacerbated by AP cost the EU €50 billion per year and reduce life expectancy by an average of 6 months. Contrary to popular believe. air pollution is increasing. Factors such as rising industrial activity. energy production and increased traffic have all contributed to increased AP. Furthermore. air pollution is highest in areas where urban development is concentrated. A major part of the NWE-region is considered as one of the two European hot spot zones (NWE OP p18). Research shows that pollutant metrics not currently measured (Ultrafine partilces. partcle number etc) constitute better links to health endpoints than nitrogen dioxide and PM10. Untill now there was no understanding of the spatial distribution of these metrics espcially at the local and regional scale. and there is little guarantee that current air quality policies will result in improvements to health. The aim of the Joaquin project is to take a 360° approach to facilitate the development health relevant air quality (AQ) policies in the NWE hotspot region. This project wants to: 1. provide decision makers with the necessary evidence on their current local/regional situation (what does this mean for us?) 2. provide decision makers best-practices on how to deal best with the current local/regional situation (what can we do about it?) 3. motivate decision makers to adapt current policies by creating a support base with stakeholders and the general public To reach the projects aim and to promote a transnational approach to improve the AQ in the NWE region (as specified in target objective 3 of the INTERREG IV-B NWE-programme). it is necessary to carry out efforts in all 3 the above mentioned basic assumptions of AQ policy making. and to tune them to each other (360°).

Achievements (EN):

Joaquin's Decision Support Tool The Joaquin Decision Support Tool is developed to support decision makers and their assistants, such as civil servants, in choosing the best fit measures to improve their own local air quality traffic policies. However, picking the best fit measure does not necessarily mean it will be implemented straight away. In this document the authors, from their own experience, share with local decision makers and their assistants’ tips and tricks contributing to improved air quality policies. Needless to say this document is not conclusive and it is always necessary to adapt your approach to the local situation. Joaquin's online game We have developed the 'Clean Air Quest' game based on our educational package. The big difference with that package is this is not just for kids! Clean Air Quest is a game about a young hero helping to improve the air qualiy in his polluted city. There is a total of 6 missions/games that have to be played to find the cause of the pollution and discover solutions! Joaquin's Information Centre This part of the website will guide through all the information generated by the Joaquin-project. There are 3 basic ways of getting to know the project: you can navigate the project and its results both by topic and chronologically on a timeline, or watch the introductory Joaquin movie. For a quick overview of our findings, we have created a joint statements document. Find more under: http://www.joaquin.eu/Information-Centre/page.aspx/130

Website: http://www.nweurope.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

The project is divided into 3 work packages, each of which is specifically tailored to target the aim and the topics identified above. WP1 will focus on the development and implementation of novel air quality monitoring infrastructure for pollutants associated with the most dangerous aspects of air pollution on human health (WP1A1). It will increase the understanding on what pollution comprises, identify where it comes from and establish the link to toxicological effects on human health (WP1A2). To ensure the quality, comparability and harmonization of the data obtained from the new "Watchdog Network" a transnational mobile monitoring campaign will be set up (WP1A3). Furthermore a permanent NWE air pollution observatory and information centre will be set up to analyse the interlinkages between the currently used and newly identified health pertinent air pollution parameters and can integrate these data sets within existing European networks and programs (WP1A4). WP2 will focus on the development and application of measures to reduce public exposure to air pollution. In particular it will examine the effects of implementing traffic emission reduction measures (WP2A5-6) and the effectiveness of both local and transnational air quality improvement measures (WP2A7). As a significant period of time will elapse before the ultimate results are reached, the effectiveness of building and vehicle filtration measures will be tested as well (WP2A8). WP3 will focus on the creation of a support base for policy changes. To do so, AQ- and health-related stakeholders will be actively involved during the lifetime of the project (WP3A9). Furthermore, the general public will be addressed as well (WP3A10), with special attention to more vulnerable groups (WP3A11) and children (WP3A12), before finally bringing our outcomes to the decision making policy levels (WP3A13).

Thematic information

Soil and air quality

Partners (9)

Lead Partner: Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij (VMM)

Address: Alfons Van de Maelestraat 96, 9320 Erembodegem, Belgium

Legal status: n/a

Geneeskundige en Gezondheidsdienst Amsterdam

Name: Geneeskundige en Gezondheidsdienst Amsterdam

Address: Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, 1018 WT Amsterdam, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu

Name: Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu

Address: Antonie Van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

Stad Antwerpen

Name: Stad Antwerpen

Address: Grote Markt 1, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

Legal status: n/a

Ecole des Ingénieurs de la Ville de Paris

Name: Ecole des Ingénieurs de la Ville de Paris

Address: 15 rue Fénelon, 75010 Paris, France

Legal status: n/a

Energy research Centre of the Netherlands

Name: Energy research Centre of the Netherlands

Address: Westerduinweg 3, 1755 ZG Petten, Netherlands

Legal status: n/a

University of Brighton

Name: University of Brighton

Address: Mithras House - Lewes Road, BN2 4AT Brighton, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

airTEXT (London)

Name: airTEXT (London)

Address: Islington Council, 222 Upper Street, N1 1XR London, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

University of Leicester

Name: University of Leicester

Address: George Porter Building, University Road, LEI 7RH Leicester, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

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Geneeskundige en Gezondheidsdienst Amsterdam

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Partners and Projects info

Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Partners and Projects info

Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij (VMM)

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Partners and Projects info

Stad Antwerpen

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Partners and Projects info

Ecole des Ingénieurs de la Ville de Paris

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Partners and Projects info

Energy research Centre of the Netherlands

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Partners and Projects info

University of Brighton

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Partners and Projects info

airTEXT (London)

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Partners and Projects info

University of Leicester

Joint Air Quality Initiative

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Joint Air Quality Initiative

Project acronym: Joaquin

Project start date: 2010-05-01

Project end date: 2015-09-30

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 8 945 058.94

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 4 472 529.47

Co-financing sources:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2007 - 2013 North West Europe

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2015-12-01

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

114 / 114 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

1 104 / 1 104 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the programme and collected from programme's website

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Joint Air Quality Initiative

Description

Thematic information

Partners (9)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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