Mumbai AQ course rationale, goals, approach, expected outcomes - rhusar

From Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP)


Background an Rationale

  • Mega trends

Goals of the Event

From the AMgeep …

Approach

Use A Q as a trial…

Support to Air Quality Management

AQ management will be supported by covering the topic of Monitoring and Assessment (M & A) of Air Quality, with focus on Particulate Matter (PM) as a multi-species with strong relevance to the management of public health, climate and solar energy.

Air quality control strategies and technologies are beyond the scope of the current activity. However, the outcome of this PM monitoring and assesment effort is intended for the development of effective PM management strategies and their implementation.

Support to Monitoring and Assessment Research

Monitoring and Assessment research will be supported by

  • Combining measurements from surface-based and satellite sensors
  • Iteratively reconciling the AQ observations, models and emissions.
  • Integrating global, regional and local measurements and knowledge
  • Characterize PM so the knowledge will have multiple societal benefits: i.e the effects on health, climate , solar energy etc..

The choice of specific research areas as well as the clustering of collaborators is to be driven by the initiatives of their voluntary participants and enabled by a shared information infrastructure.

Support for Education for AQ Monitoring and Assessment

‘Deep’ learning modules for more detailed understanding of sub-topics will support education. Deep modules can be prepared by the traditional (or newer on-line) methods of science education.

‘Crosscutting’ learning modules are required for complex topics that integrate and fusion multi-disciplinary knowledge. Crosscutting modules can be developed during specific applied research activities.

The enabling infrastructure will facilitate both the preparation as well as the dissemination of the deep and crosscutting educational modules.

Web-Based Networking Infrastructure

This activity will be supported by a web-based information infrastructure with capabilities to support communication; be a platform for cooperation through shared resources and to facilitate coordination for jointly developing, organizing and disseminating educational and research content. The shared resources in the cloud can be tapped seamlessly by all interested users. Experts from various organizations can synergistically collaborate in research and collectively develop and deliver multimedia educational content.

The cloud-based cyber-infrastructure, will serve as a physical connectivity tissue and it will augment the current human networking in MAGEEP and IARG. Also, it will draw upon the extensive global-scale machine-machine AQ data networking facilitated by the GEO AQ CoP using systems such as ‘DataFed” for data sharing, processing and visualisation.

The basic technological capabilities for cloud-based communication, cooperation and coordination exist but their application to education and research is in its infancy. For this reason we envision a staged iterative, feedback-driven approach toward implementation. This Mumbai AQ short course is the initial demonstration.

During and following the live sessions in Mumbai, participants will be asked to provide feedback and suggestions on the web-supported collaboration.

Participants will aslo be asked to identify to

  • suggest research areas in PM monitoring and assessment they wish to lead or to participate in
  • indicate educational activities and modules of interest
  • identify specific AQ data resources that the may wish to add to shared data pool

Constituents of the Event

Organizational Constituents

The air quality (AQ) short course is offered by the mutually supportive efforts of three organizations:

  • The McDonnell Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership (MAGEEP) through its new Educational initiative.
  • India Air Quality Resource Group (IARG)
  • GEO Air Quality Community of Practice (GEO AQ CoP), the facilitators of the Global Air Quality Data Network.


This inaugural meeting has benefited from the active participation of its key constituents : AQ managers, researchers, and educators.

Through an iterative process the agenda is structured such that the perspectives of all three constituents are represented.

The broad coverage necessitated compromises in selecting the topics and as well as the depth of coverage.

However, the strong expertise of the participating lecturers, as well as the agenda will allow expressing the essential perspectives of AQ management and education.

Requests to Participants

It is ealize that Participants of this event are requested:

  1. To critically evaluate this framework.
  2. Provide constructive suggestions to the framework or its implementation.
  3. Indicate topics or content that they wish to contribute to the pool.

During this event ample time is allocated to open discussion, as well as for informal interaction between the participants.