Periodic Reporting for period 2 - D-NOSES (Distributed Network for Odour Sensing, Empowerment and Sustainability)
Période du rapport: 2019-07-01 au 2021-09-30
Odour pollution is the second reason for citizens’ complaints after noise, across Europe. Yet, it has repeatedly been ignored in the policy agendas, leaving citizens defenceless. As a result, socio-environmental conflicts are generated within the affected communities which also suffer from the associated health consequences. D-NOSES aims to find innovative solutions to this largely neglected problem by reversing the way in which odour pollution is commonly tackled. D-NOSES has developed a new methodology based on citizen science to improve odour management empowering citizens through an innovative bottom-up approach to become drivers of change, increasing transparency and enhancing positive relationships within affected communities, as well as improving their quality of life. The project promotes quadruple helix engagement and a multi-level governance model that has been applied at local, national and global levels, with the ultimate aim of introducing odour pollution in the policy agendas. To address D-NOSES aims, a world-class partnership has been assembled combining experts in RRI, citizen science and co-creation, International Associations, odour scientists, including universities and SMEs, local administration and public bodies from 9 countries.
D-NOSES has been greatly active being present in a wide variety of events (+110) and quadruple helix audiences to literally put odour pollution in the map, achieving the following major results:
● The International Odour Observatory (OO) has been co-created and continuously updated to provide access to odour pollution information to quadruple helix stakeholders, complying with Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration. Collaborative maps were created, such as the map on affected communities or the map on odour regulations, to which anyone can contribute and report new data.
● The main project tool, the citizen science App OdourCollect, has been improved to collaboratively map odour observations, with more than 10,000 observations collected globally and more than 1,600 registered users. This includes the analytical back end that reports data and connects it to weather data for trajectory modelling back to possible sources and the maps that aggregate all the information collected for further scientific analysis.
● D-NOSES has executed its multi-level governance model analysing affected communities by odour issues at national level (over 450 communities in the 9 countries under study, 222 of them located in Europe) to select 10 local case studies to tackle odour pollution issues using the D-NOSES innovative methodology and pave the way for future regulations.
● The D-NOSES methodology was validated through 10 pilot case studies in European (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Germany and the UK) and non-European countries (Chile, Uganda) tackling a variety of odour issues and social contexts, showing that the method is viable, highly replicable and flexible and thus can lead to the generation of new evidence to monitor odour pollution in real time from the receptors point of view, as reflected in D6.3 DIY guidelines for replicability. The 10 pilots engaged citizens affected through a highly inclusive approach regardless of their socio-economic and cultural background, age, urban or rural area, or gender, thus improving social cohesion within the communities.
● Training materials were created as MOOCs to allow for better education in odours addressing general audiences and teachers with a gender perspective. Additional materials have been created for training, such as toolkits for schools and user guides for OdourCollect. Training in the pilots to recognize and correctly map ambient odours have been key to guarantee the scientific validity of the results.
● The Green Paper and the Strategic Roadmap for Odour Governance have been presented at the advocacy session of the D-NOSES final conference and at an event at the European Parliament hosted by MEP Mr Maria Spiraki, co-chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on ‘Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development’, entitled "Revisiting odour pollution in Europe, which counted with the participation in the debate of key representatives from DG ENV, the JRC, and the CoR, together with industrial and citizen representatives involved in the D-NOSES pilots. Recommendations were made to introduce more harmonized regulations that protect European citizens and recognize ambient odours as pollutants to be introduced in the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive or in the Zero Pollution Action Plan.
● Advocacy actions include the production and dissemination of the D-NOSES Policy Brief and a toolkit to engage with decision makers at different levels. They have produced significant policy impacts in several countries at the national level, such as the creation of a High level policy group in Portugal that produced the first national regulation on the issue, or the constitution of a working group in Spain to produce a technical standard on the citizen science methodology to monitor odour pollution - which will be key for its official uptake by environmental authorities and to produce new Odour Impact Criteria in future regulations, expected to be published by mid-2022. In addition, the policy-society dialogues held had resulting in further understanding and debate among concern stakeholders.
● Three videos have been produced to showcase the project: one at the beginning of the project, one reflecting the results of the Barcelona pilot and one final video to show the final results.
● The International Odour Observatory (OO) has been co-created and continuously updated to provide access to odour pollution information to quadruple helix stakeholders, complying with Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration. Collaborative maps were created, such as the map on affected communities or the map on odour regulations, to which anyone can contribute and report new data.
● The main project tool, the citizen science App OdourCollect, has been improved to collaboratively map odour observations, with more than 10,000 observations collected globally and more than 1,600 registered users. This includes the analytical back end that reports data and connects it to weather data for trajectory modelling back to possible sources and the maps that aggregate all the information collected for further scientific analysis.
● D-NOSES has executed its multi-level governance model analysing affected communities by odour issues at national level (over 450 communities in the 9 countries under study, 222 of them located in Europe) to select 10 local case studies to tackle odour pollution issues using the D-NOSES innovative methodology and pave the way for future regulations.
● The D-NOSES methodology was validated through 10 pilot case studies in European (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Germany and the UK) and non-European countries (Chile, Uganda) tackling a variety of odour issues and social contexts, showing that the method is viable, highly replicable and flexible and thus can lead to the generation of new evidence to monitor odour pollution in real time from the receptors point of view, as reflected in D6.3 DIY guidelines for replicability. The 10 pilots engaged citizens affected through a highly inclusive approach regardless of their socio-economic and cultural background, age, urban or rural area, or gender, thus improving social cohesion within the communities.
● Training materials were created as MOOCs to allow for better education in odours addressing general audiences and teachers with a gender perspective. Additional materials have been created for training, such as toolkits for schools and user guides for OdourCollect. Training in the pilots to recognize and correctly map ambient odours have been key to guarantee the scientific validity of the results.
● The Green Paper and the Strategic Roadmap for Odour Governance have been presented at the advocacy session of the D-NOSES final conference and at an event at the European Parliament hosted by MEP Mr Maria Spiraki, co-chair of the European Parliament Intergroup on ‘Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development’, entitled "Revisiting odour pollution in Europe, which counted with the participation in the debate of key representatives from DG ENV, the JRC, and the CoR, together with industrial and citizen representatives involved in the D-NOSES pilots. Recommendations were made to introduce more harmonized regulations that protect European citizens and recognize ambient odours as pollutants to be introduced in the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive or in the Zero Pollution Action Plan.
● Advocacy actions include the production and dissemination of the D-NOSES Policy Brief and a toolkit to engage with decision makers at different levels. They have produced significant policy impacts in several countries at the national level, such as the creation of a High level policy group in Portugal that produced the first national regulation on the issue, or the constitution of a working group in Spain to produce a technical standard on the citizen science methodology to monitor odour pollution - which will be key for its official uptake by environmental authorities and to produce new Odour Impact Criteria in future regulations, expected to be published by mid-2022. In addition, the policy-society dialogues held had resulting in further understanding and debate among concern stakeholders.
● Three videos have been produced to showcase the project: one at the beginning of the project, one reflecting the results of the Barcelona pilot and one final video to show the final results.
A first scientific article was published presenting "A New Methodology Based on Citizen Science to Improve Environmental Odour Management" in 2018 (Rosa Arias, Carlos Díaz & Laura Capelli), with a total scientific production of +20 papers and publications of proceedings in scientific conferences. D-NOSES allows for the first time to collect odour observations in real time directly involving citizens affected by odour pollution by building capacity in local communities, increasing transparency, and promoting dialogue and collaboration between quadruple helix of stakeholders.
The DIY Guidelines for replicability, the Green Paper and the Strategic Roadmap for Odour Governance both serve as legacy policy documents of the project, which will live through the Odour Observatory that will continue as living website and community of stakeholders committed to improving odour pollution management across Europe and the world. Additional funding will be sought to perpetuate the debate and walk towards the White Paper.
An Exploitation plan has been agreed by all partners that want to be able to use the products of the project in developing their own practices in odour management, consulting and/or citizen science methods. A special effort has been made on this regard with the creation of the startup Science for Change by the Project Coordinator to guarantee the exploitation of the project results.
The DIY Guidelines for replicability, the Green Paper and the Strategic Roadmap for Odour Governance both serve as legacy policy documents of the project, which will live through the Odour Observatory that will continue as living website and community of stakeholders committed to improving odour pollution management across Europe and the world. Additional funding will be sought to perpetuate the debate and walk towards the White Paper.
An Exploitation plan has been agreed by all partners that want to be able to use the products of the project in developing their own practices in odour management, consulting and/or citizen science methods. A special effort has been made on this regard with the creation of the startup Science for Change by the Project Coordinator to guarantee the exploitation of the project results.