Talk:India AQ CoP

Discussion about CoP -- Erinmr 13:24, 13 October 2009 (EDT)

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My thoughts on CoPs of Air Pollution and Health -- Khare Mukesh, 12 October 2009

Dear Virendra, I went through the GEO web site as provided by Rudy in his mail to all of us. It is quite interesting and the intiative taken at this time to formalize a CoP on Air Quality and Health is quite appropriate. I have some thoughts complimentry to some of the points as mentioned in one of the papers by McBeth et al given at the web site on CoP:

There are objectives and activities very clearly mentioned at the site for different CoP under the umbrella of GEO and GEOSS. One of the activities come under Air Quality and Health.
The CoP on Air Quality and Health is at present oriented towards mainly conventional problems encompassing the transport, dispersion, and ambient effects. There also exists stress on validating the remotely sensed data with ground truths. There also exists very clearly various scales of investigating the air pollution problem i.e. local, urban, regional and intercontinental.
The CoP also emphasizes data handling, storage and shring using AIP. In doing this, I found a very crucial role of Federation of Earth Sciences Information Partners (ESIP).
In Indian scenario, in the first instance, we require a consolidated approach to first identify various experts, stakeholders and users related to air pollution and health and then formalize CoPs defining their research/work areas. Before this exercise, it would be very effective if we can also initiate to form an official body equivalent to ESIP of which the primary work is to laison various CoPs among themselves and the government bodies. The ESIP will also help in consolidating the data bank on air quality and health. A sub group within equivalent ESIP may be formed who can handle and consolidate the countrywide data available at one face and formulate GUI for the researchers, stakeholders and users.
ESIP has to work very closely with Central Pollution Control Board in order to synthesize the diverse decisions on one common portal. It will help in achieving various research objectives countrywide, statewide, districtwide and also at local and urban scale for CoPs working in respective specializations.
I also feel that we have to orient the CoPs and ESIP towards the exposure and health side of air pollution. It is somewhat missing in present paper of McBeth et al at the site. Whatever initiaitives the CoPs take in analysing the air pollution issues it has to incorporate the exposure and health impacts. Secondly, we have to think the air pollution issues holistically, I mean we have to include the Indoor air pollution with air pollution and health CoPs. In that case the area of the work of CoPs will extend taking into account the Indoor Air Pollution as well. It is in present context is NOT reflected in the concept paper by McBeth et al on CoPs of Air Pollution and Health.