Monaco is taking strides with an environmental initiative to measure the quality of the air in the Principality. There is nothing more important than the air we breathe. We all understand that conceptually. Monaco not only advocates but acts. And from a public policy perspective there are major gains for the Principality’s residents in terms of health care – for education too; it is common sense that well-nourished children breathing clean air are more alert with better cognitive abilities.
All this improves quality of life and in the longer term yields economic benefits in terms of higher productivity and savings in health care. Not to mention tourism is also a beneficiary. News travels fast that Monaco is a healthy place to love and visit and a leader in protecting its environment.
In 2018 the Directorate of the Environment will carry out a high-resolution mapping of the Principality’s air quality that will take into account the 3D effects (a 3D map in relief, showing height of buildings etc…). As part of the program entitled “Quality of life – Monaco’s High Resolution Air Quality Modelling and Mapping Platform”, 52 sensors will be deployed throughout the Monegasque territory from 29 January to 26 February 2018.
In order to refine the knowledge on the distribution of pollutants, these sensors are intended to measure the emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and hydrocarbons over a period of one month in winter and also over one month in summer, in order to establish an estimate of the annual concentrations of these pollutants in the Principality.
NO2 and hydrocarbon sensors are the main markers of automotive pollution and fuel combustion. The purpose of the SO2 sensors is to evaluate the impact of the combustion of heavy fuel oil used by ships.
This campaign, carried out in partnership with Air PACA, will be renewed between mid-June and mid-July 2018. These two measurement campaigns will help calibrate and validate the high-resolution modelling of air quality, taking into account the dispersion of pollutants.
Monaco residents can sleep more easily in the knowledge that the Principality is a leader in taking environmental initiatives. It is one thing to pay lip-service to protection of the environment; and to be fair awareness itself is often a first powerful step forward. Monaco goes well beyond this and makes its commitment shown in practice. This air quality initiative is one of many that sets life in Monaco apart and makes it such an attractive place to live and visit.
