UNECE Task Force on Access to Information / EIT Case Study
Brief description
This tool provides public access to information about atmospheric pollutants:
(i) Measurements of concentrations of atmospheric pollutants
- matter particles (PM10, PM2.5) and gas molecules (NO2, O3, SO2, CO) : hourly values from streaming real time measurements of about 20 stations
- heavy metals: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn (3 networks of batch analyses)
- other pollutants: COVs, HAPs, fluorine, acid rain
(ii) Index of air quality over Wallonia (hourly update)
(iii) Follow-up to pollution peaks: information and alerts in case of excessive particles or ozone
(iv) Brief explanation about pollutants and networks of measurements
(v) Documentation (annual reports, special studies, mobile campaigns)
2. Type: Governmental
3. Scope: Sub-regional
4. Working language(s): French , English, German
5. Target users: Walloon Region
6. Starting year: 2020
7. Budget and funding source: Walloon Region – Walloon Air & Climate Agency ▪
8. Contact:
Mr Stéphane COOLS President , Walloon Air & Climate Agency
email: stephane.cools[at]spw.wallonie.be
phone number:+32 81 33 59 47
ISSeP - SPW
Mr Laurent SPANU -
ISSeP - Cellule Qualité de l’Air -
l.spanu[at]issep.be
II. Implementation
9. Policy, legal and institutional context:
European directives:
- Directive 2004/107/EC: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2005:023:0003:0016:EN:PDF
- Directive 2008/50/EC: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:152:0001:0044:en:PDF
- Amending Directive 2015/1480: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32015L1480&qid=1502696812539&from=EN ▪
10. Partner organizations involved: - Institut Scientifique de Service Public - ISSeP (Liège, Belgium)
11. Stakeholders involved, their expected benefits: -
12. User needs and methods of their assessment: - ▪
13. Technology choice: -
III. Evaluation
14. Results: Public access to the measurement of air quality in Walloon Region
15. Efficiency gains: Wide information accessed and manipulated without special knowledge (access through web site)
16. Risks: Unavailability of the database server or the web sever ▪
17. Challenges encountered (please indicate resolved or not):
- Duplication of the database and the web interface on secured data center (done)
- Participate in international exchange of air quality data (to be done) ▪
18. Lessons learned: Collaborate with a computer team to ensure security, reliability, long-term responsiveness
19. Conditions for successful replication: Availability of workforce, budget, clear communication ▪
20. Overall assessment of the tool: The look of the site might become rather outdated but wide information about air quality in Walloon Region is available for the public.
