UN Environment Programme – Global Environment Monitoring System for Air (GEMS Air)
UN Environment Programme is leading the deployment of affordable air quality monitoring networks for assessing air pollution in cities and proactively assessing the viability of fusing satellite and ground observations in developing countries where data gaps for air quality has persisted for decades. Interest and request for technical support has been expressed by more than 50 countries and air quality focal points within local governments established with UNEP to engage in efforts.
The GEMS/Air unit housed in the Science Division of UNEP, together with a network of partners, aims to enhance capacity in selected countries to monitor and assess trends and patterns of urban air quality using low-cost sensors, to support the development of evidence-based air quality management policies and to support the actions for mitigating air pollution.
The programme has three main pillars to achieve the goal stated above: 1. Capacity development to monitor air pollution (levering low cost sensor technology where applicable); 2. modeling and assessment (leveraging cloud based platforms and open data); 3. upscaling the benefits of interventions (through awareness raising and demonstration projects).
