Air Quality Information Systems and geoss: Applications to India

Air Quality Information Systems and GEOSS: Applications to India

A Type I Proposal in response to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Decision Support Call for Proposals

A collaboration among:

	Washington University in St. Louis
	The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
	Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
	Ansal Institute of Technology
	National Environmental Engineering Research Institute
	University of Maryland – Baltimore County
	Colorado State University
	Centre for Development of Advanced Computing

May 1, 2010

Overview of proposal

This proposal is in response to the GEO Decision Support CFP, and addresses the objectives therein by applying GEOSS principles, and the evolving GEOSS information infrastructure to the enhancement of air quality information systems and decision processes. The proposed effort will establish processes that integrate key earth observation data from remote-sensing platforms to augment the, often sparse, in situ measurements, along with multi-scale, multi-pollutant atmospheric chemistry-transport model outputs and advanced analysis tools for the Indian sub-continent. This will be enabled in part by making globally accessible information more easily available to local, regional and national decision support systems to meet the goal of increasing the capacity for effective air quality decision-making within India.

The current system of air quality monitoring, emission inventory, air quality modeling and action plan development are need based and addresses the questions partially to resolve overall science based air quality management in urban and industrial clusters. One of the major issues encountered quite often in the process of action plan development is availability of good data, accessibility as also adequacy of spatial, temporal and chemical information.

The importance of urban air pollution management in India has been felt even by Judiciary which has directed the Government to prepare an action plan for 16 cities. Recently the need for industrial clusters across country to address air quality problems besides other environmental pollution has been also felt. These upcoming and urgent issues are being addressed in India, however, it could be strengthened through the processes and systems developed during this project. The initiative would provide the infrastructure for access, training materials, and ongoing guidance on the use of earth observation data, models, and analysis tools. The project would result in the evolution of an India Air Quality Community of Practice (IAQ CoP), which would provide an environment for collaboration and coordination among Indian air quality organizations and systems as well as providing a collaborative connection with the GEO Air Quality Community of Practice (GEO AQ CoP).

Table of Contents

Overview of proposal 2

Table of Contents 3

Names and contact information for each project team member 5

Description of decision or problem needing improvement 6

Technical/Management Section 7

Background of Air Quality Monitoring in India 7

Technical Scope of Proposed Effort 9

Community Building 9

Education and Outreach 10

Advancement of Information Infrastructure 11

Enhancement of Decision Support Systems 12

Existing Systems and Community-oriented Efforts 12

Application of Systems to Air Quality Characterization in India 15

Project Framework 17

Deliverables from project 18

Air Quality Communities 18

India AQ Community of Practice 18

Workshops/Training 19

Reports and publications 19

Air Quality Information Infrastructure Processes 19

Process for using GEOSS in support of AQ characterization analyses 19

Reusable and reproducible demonstrations 19

Air Quality Science and Decision-ready Knowledge 19

Algorithms and tools for integrated, multi-data source analyses 19

India urban/industrial air quality characterization analyses 19

Approach to transitioning to operational system of systems 19

Anticipated results, benefits, and beneficiaries 20

Specific roles of each project team member 20

Project budget (estimated) 22

23

Project schedule 24

24

Appendix A: References 25

Appendix B: Acronyms 27

Appendix C: Personnel (2-page CVs) 29

Professional Appointments 30

Education 30

Active Research Projects 30

Teaching 31

Professional Service 31

Selected Publications 31

Virendra Sethi 47

EDUCATION 47

Appendix D: Detailed Budget 55