NordicPATH’s overall objective is to establish a new model for citizens’ participation and collaborative planning in Nordic countries to create healthy and people-centred cities. The project is tackling complex environmental impacts such as air quality and climate change and is developing a method specifically targeted for the governance and the conditions of the Nordic countries with potential replicability and scalability to other countries.
NordicPATH aims at smart and sustainable solutions with a citizen-oriented approach. Technology will not be considered as a goal itself, but as a tool to increase accessibility to different societal groups, to stimulate the circular exchange of knowledge among citizens, public authorities, private sector and scientists and to foster system innovation towards sustainable development.
We will apply a co-monitoring system, combining environmental measurements from official monitoring stations and citizens’ own measuring devices. NordicPATH is also promoting more inclusive planning processes, involving citizens in the co-design of solutions to tackle environmental issues together with urban planners, authorities and scientists. We will combine the use of more traditional analogue participation tools as workshops and focus groups with the use of digital tools, in particular, PPGIS (public participation Geographical Information Systems), to ensure a broad range of public involvement.
NordicPATH will develop a participation method based on community activities and identity-establishing tools. This will allow for a new participative planning culture in the Nordic countries that will not just reflect the democracy that the Nordic countries represent in the world, but also the progress towards deliberative democracy, involving and shaping important local and global issues (such as air quality) together with citizens’ input on decisions. Participation in improving urban air quality is the NordicPATH strategy towards a liveable, resilient and smart urban environments.
ACTION will transform the way we do citizen science (CS) today: from a mostly scientist-led process to a more participatory, inclusive, citizen-led one, which acknowledges the diversity of the CS landscape and of the challenges CS teams have to meet as their project evolves.
We have partnered with 5 European CS initiatives tackling major forms of pollution, which pose substantial threats to human health and to the environment, and contributing to Sustainable Development Goals. These pilots will be the starting point for a ‘citizen science accelerator’, which will be expanded through an open call.
By considering the needs of multiple stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of CS, we will create methodologies, tools and guidelines to truly democratise the scientific process , allowing anyone to design and realise a CS project from the early stages of ideation to validating and publishing the results.
Our research will account for the multitude of manifestations of CS, addressing everything from from small-scale, localised social issues to international research agendas. All ACTION’s outputs - infrastructure, the citizen science platform and toolkit - will be made openly available for online and offline use. They will use accessible formats and interfaces, which appeal to audiences with diverse motivations and backgrounds and provide detailed examples, workflows, and advice tailored for a range of activities, going beyond data collection and analysis.
Our digital infrastructure will help citizen scientists use existing specialised platforms and publish results according to RRI principles, including open science.
Our toolkit will tackle common difficulties around methodological choices, quality, incentives, community building and sustainability. In addition, the 35 pilots hosted by the accelerator will result in case studies that will demonstrate the impacts of CS at social, economic, environmental and policy level.
The overall objective of hackAIR is to develop and pilot test an open platform that will enable communities of citizens to easily set up air quality monitoring networks and engage their members in measuring and publishing outdoor air pollution levels, leveraging the power of online social networks, mobile and open hardware technologies, and engagement strategies. The hackAIR platform will enable the collection of data from:
A data fusion algorithm and reasoning services will be developed for synthesising heterogeneous air quality data into air quality-aware personalised services to citizens.
The hackAIR platform will be co-created with the users, and offered through:
The hackAIR platform will be tested in two pilot locations, with the direct participation of a grassroots NGO with >400.000 members and a health association with >19.000 members. Appropriate strategies and tools will be developed and deployed for increasing user engagement and encouraging behavioural change.
The usability and effectiveness of the hackAIR platform, and its social and environmental impact will be assessed. A sustainability and exploitation strategy will pave the way for the future availability of the hackAIR toolkit, community and website, and explore opportunities for commercial exploitation.
NILU led the pilot study in Norway and the development of the data fusion tool.
The CITI-SENSE project developed and tested components of environmental monitoring and information systems based on innovative and novel Earth Observation capabilities. The applications focused on the citizens’ immediate environment regarding urban air quality, environmental quality of urban public spaces and indoor air quality in schools.
The CITI-SENSE approach was to develop “Citizens’ Observatories” (COs), a collaborative concept that focuses on the empowerment of citizens to influence their community policy and decision-making. Several novel technologies, especially a variety of micro sensors, mobile applications and communication solutions, enabled this approach technically.
The concept of CITI-SENSE citizen observatories rested on realizing the chain “sensors-platform-products-users” with the following elements: technologies for distributed monitoring (sensors); information and communication technologies (platform); information products and services (products); and citizen involvement in both monitoring and societal decisions (users). The main novel contributions were:
To demonstrate the CO concept and capabilities, we established and for over six months, operated the largest ever sensor network for air quality comprising of 324 units deployed across Europe. We involved nearly 400 volunteers in nine cities to test our personal monitoring devices. We established 24 individual COs (8 COs for outdoor air quality, 12 COs for indoor air quality in schools and 4 COs for personal comfort in public spaces) in the following nine cities across Europe: Barcelona (ES), Belgrade (RS), Edinburgh (UK), Haifa (IL), Ljubljana (SI), Oslo (NO), Ostrava (CZ), Vienna (A) and Vitoria-Gasteiz (ES). We involved volunteers in co-development of sensor devices, visualisation solutions and other tools used in the project. Our air perception app was downloaded and actively used by more than 1200 persons. With the help of the sensor network and additional observation tools, we collected more than 9.4 million observations in the last year of the project.
In any decisions, people need to be in focus. We developed and applied participatory methods for each individual CO. We collected citizens’ feedback on environmental issues through evaluation questionnaires and in-depth focus group discussions and interviews. We have also collected feedback on our tools and services. The results have also helped the tools’ providers to improve their products and we can provide a list of lessons learned to support similar initiatives within Citizens’ Observatories and Citizen Science. The resulting products and services are available through the Citizens’ Observatories Web Portal (http://co.citi-sense.eu).
CITI-SENSE operated within an open e-collaboration framework with projects funded under the same call. Methodologies and standards for data archiving, discovery and access within the GEOSS framework were coherent with initiatives such as GEO, INSPIRE and GMES. CITI-SENSE also made CO information available through the GEOSS infrastructure.
NILU was the project coordinator and WP lead for Citizens’ Observatories. NILU led the CO on air quality in Oslo and the CO on indoor climate in schools.
Castell, N. & Grossberndt, S.
2017
Report/thesis
CITI-SENSE. Final report on methodology. Deliverable 6.4, Work Package 6.
Fredriksen, M., Bartonova, A., Kruzevic, Z., Kobernus, M., Liu, H.-Y., Santiago, L., Schneider, P., & Tamilin, A.
2016
Report/thesis
CITI-SENSE. Citizens' observatories - version 1. Deliverable D4.3.
Liu, H.-Y. (Ed.) Bartonova, A., Berre, A., Broday, D., Castell, N., Cole-Hunter, T., Fredriksen, M.F., Grossberndt, S., Høiskar, B.A., Holøs, S.B., Kobernus, M., Keune, H., Liu, H.-Y., Robinson, J., Santiago, L., & Soloaga, I..A.
2015
Report/thesis
The PrecX project will develop a forecast service that provides highly accurate, hyper-local, and on demand precipitation prediction everywhere in the world.
PrecX will be a ready-to-go digital solution for hydropower-related companies to easily get a tailor-made precipitation forecast. Hydropower companies are dependent on the accuracy of hyper-local precipitation forecast as this is crucial information used to establish the inflow of water to rivers or reservoirs, consequently establishing the right pricing of produced electricity. The energy market is increasingly digital, and PrecX will be a lower cost solution that provides accurate forecasts based on different data sources.
This milestone project will prepare PrecX for full-scale development, and address the R&D challenges of making an operationally viable forecast, as well as investigate the potential business model for PrecX.
Being a fast developing field of research of increasing complexity, education on the impact and fate of MP pollution is lacking behind both in teaching, state-of-the art research as well as methodology.
An overall goal is to train students in combining theoretical, experimental and field approaches for an excellent and sound scientific understanding of relevant processes and observations while at the same time contributing to the understanding of the fate and impact of MPs in the environment by developing this new emerging field of research on a global scale together. An invaluable added value to the underlying JPI projects PLASTOX and BASEMAN will result in the evolution from the European to global scale as well as to broaden the scope from marine to also terrestrial MP pollution.
A strong interaction between not only the supervisors, but also the students will be both encouraged and facilitated by exchange visits, webinars and winter-/ summer schools. We will additionally offer master student projects in all three locations, which will create additional opportunities for students to participate in specific parts of this project.
At the same time, the exchange of experts will ensure the direct transfer of recent knowledge and understanding as well as help to develop a strong consortium, leading on global research of MP in the environment. The unique combination of participating research institutions (NILU, NPI) and universities (UiT, UCB, TU) is complementary in scientific quality, academic programs, experience and qualification.
Our collaborative educational project combines experienced scientists and educators (from different relevant disciplines), in an innovative project addressing the urgent need of knowledge on how MP move in the environment, harm organisms and how possible remediation actions can be designed.
The project FACTS will create new knowledge and improve our understanding on the sources, transport, occurrence, and fate of small microplastics (MP) in the northern marine waters. FACTS will combine newest methods to describe transport and geographical sources of microplastics contamination. We will also investigate where microplastic particles will end up both in temperate waters of the southern North Sea and the Arctic waters of the Barents Sea.
PLASTCYCLE will provide a comprehensive overview of fate of different plastic types and additive chemicals in the waste stream. We will also provide solutions for optimizing plastic waste management by coupling scientific findings with information and knowledge of industrial partners, municipalities and waste management companies across Norway.
The primary objective of this proposal is to develop, explore, and evaluate a novel integrated risk assessment framework for assessing combined impacts of multiple pressures on the state of Arctic ecosystems. The focus herein will be upon data-rich pressures and ecosystems to enable development and a thorough evaluation of the framework.
Arctic ecosystems are subject to multiple pressures, of which two of the major challenges are climate change and exposure to long-range transported, persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic contaminants.
These issues have largely been addressed individually, yet there is a critical need to enhance the understanding of combined impacts of multiple pressures and their interactions on Arctic ecosystem state and health. This calls for better integration of research both within and across disciplines in a comprehensive research initiative.
The primary objective of this proposal is to develop, explore, and evaluate a novel integrated risk assessment framework for assessing combined impacts of multiple pressures on the state of Arctic ecosystems.
The focus herein will be upon data-rich pressures and ecosystems to enable development and a thorough evaluation of the framework.
Hence, the initial focus will be on interacting effects of environmental organic contaminants and climate change on top-predators of a coastal and an offshore Arctic marine ecosystem in the Svalbard and Barents Sea areas.
Important sub-goals include research to
(1) develop the framework through evaluating existing knowledge of the most relevant pressures and their interactions,
(2) explore the utility of the framework to assess interactions of contaminants and climate change on the state of two selected Arctic marine ecosystems,
(3) explore the utility of the framework to assess combined impacts across ecosystems, space, and time, and
(4) evaluate the overall framework, guide further research, and communicate key results to regulatory bodies and institutions.
Overall, the project is designed to both
(i) strengthen research on critical Arctic environmental issues across disciplines and institutions, and
(ii) contribute with scientific knowledge and possible mitigation strategies of interest to relevant environmental agencies as well as international programs and agreements.
How should we best dispose of our used car tires? The RubberRoad project addresses the responsible use of tires, stimulating the production of asphalt with rubber content in Norway.
Used tires represent a significant waste problem both globally and in Norway, with ca 60,000 tons of tires been discarded in our country every year. It is not allowed to dump used tires in a landfill. Instead, tires are burned for energy or recycled for their material like for use to fill artificial soccer fields. However, the waste treatment methods for used tires currently used in Norway leads to serious environmental and climate effects, including harmful emissions of micro-plastics and chemicals to water, air, and soil. Therefore, alternative more sustainable ways to dispose of our used tires need to be considered.
RubberRoad proposes to use rubber from used tires in the production of asphalt for road and bicycle ways. This recycling approach has not gained much attention in Norway despite is apparent advantages, such as noise reduction, increased durability, safer shock impact, and reduced climate and environmental impacts.
The Life Cycle Analysis carried out during this project feasibility study has demonstrated a series of environmental benefits in the use in the use of rubber in asphalt production. It has also helped identify relevant knowledge gaps related in particular to the use phase of the rubberized asphalt and its impact to noise, air and micro-plastic pollution. Better understanding of these effects would probably result in even larger environmental benefits of rubberized asphalt with respect to standard asphalt production.
However, while the tire recycling industry is generally positive to the disposal of used tires in asphalt production, additional incentives need to be put in place for the Norwegian asphalt producers to consider actively contributing to this development.
In ANDROMEDA, a combination of advanced techniques, such as µFTIR, Raman and SEM-EDX, should be optimized and used for characterization and quantification of microplastics and nanoplastics in the order of 1 µm, 0.2 µm and less. Particular focus will be given to types of MP that are challenging to detect, such as microfibers, paint flakes and tire wear particles.
Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are covered by REACH/CLP regulations; the general opinion is that the risk assessment (RA) approach routinely used for conventional chemicals is also applicable to ENMs. However, as acknowledged by OECD and ECHA, the OECD and ISO Test Guidelines (TGs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) need to be verified and adapted to be applicable to ENMs.
Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) provide the opportunity for breakthroughs in health care, chemical and technology industry. However, ENMs' unpredictable impact on human health generates increasing concern from the public, academia, and governments worldwide.
ENMs are subject to REACH/CLP regulations. The test procedures need to be verified and adapted for specific use for ENMs (OECD and ISO Test Guidelines (TGs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)). The national legal frameworks and the international regulations need to be harmonized. RiskGone, a newly financed H2020 project (H2020-NMBP-13-2018 RIA), aims at providing solid procedures for science-based inter-disciplinary risk governance, based on a clear understanding of risks, risk management practices and the societal risk perception by all stakeholders.
The iFLINK project shall facilitate for monitoring AQ at many different places at low costs. Scientists working in the project will develop and use new calibration and visualization methods based on machine learning and data fusion techniques to correct and improve data quality from the cheaper sensors. They shall also develop an open technology solution to obtain and quality secure data from different AQ sensors, so that municipalities and other users can obtain AQ data in satisfying quality.
Many municipalities in Norway would like to measure air quality (AQ) in their local environment and share this information with their citizens.
However, official monitoring stations are quite expensive in acquisition and maintenance, therefore only a limited number of these stations are set up in Norwegian municipalities.
As alternative, more simple and cheap air quality sensors could be used that are easier to buy from a range of manufacturers. The challenge for these kind of sensors is the relative high uncertainty around the quality of their data. In addition, they require good solutions for data communication and storage to be able to set together AQ information from a range of different sensors and thus get a good overview of the AQ situation in real time.
The iFLINK project shall facilitate for monitoring AQ at many different places at low costs. Scientists working in the project will develop and use new calibration and visualization methods based on machine learning and data fusion techniques to correct and improve data quality from the cheaper sensors. They shall also develop an open technology solution to obtain and quality secure data from different AQ sensors, so that municipalities and other users can obtain AQ data in satisfying quality.
The project idea is that anyone can use iFLINK results and technology to develop real time services connected to AQ, climate change and noise pollution. Municipalities are most important supporters and partners in the project, first pilots will be carried out in the participating municipalities Oslo (project lead), Bergen, Bærum, Drammen and Kristiansand.