Integrated assessment models for air quality planning (encompassing health impact assessment) have already been formulated and implemented at the continental scale, as the RAINS and GAINS models. However, they are not designed for and are not detailed enough to support the Air Quality Managers at the sub-national scale (either sectorally or geographically), particularly in urban areas where a major share of the European population lives and where health impacts are more pertinent. Integrated assessment in terms of local air quality compliance, must therefore be a bottom-up approach which links decision making, air quality (often non linear) dynamics, source identification and consequent health impacts in a customised but consistent way to suit the capability and needs of each local situation.

This is the rational for the MAPLIA project: to analyze the feasibility of an IA bottom-up approach for air quality planning, tailored to the local features, for which the policies defined at European or country level constitute an overarching policy constraint. The specific objectives of MAPLIA are:

i. to perform an overall review of the methodologies, from simple (e.g. scenario approach) to more comprehensive ones (e.g. full cost-benefit analysis), used in different EMS to address and assess the impact of local and regional air quality plans and their health implications. As part of the review special attention will be given to Portuguese PPs and a particular PP will be selected and characterised as MAPLIA case study.

ii. to select, characterise and adapt an integrated assessment model (IAM) to be applied locally.

iii. to test the designed tool to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of different scenarios/measures to improve the air quality.

iv. to communicate with key stakeholders, and in particular to policy-makers state of the art scientific knowledge on emission abatement assessment.

CESAM members on this project

Maria Alexandra Castelo Sobral Monteiro

Ana Isabel Miranda

Carla Maria dos Santos Gama da Silva

Carlos Borrego

Carlos Silveira

Diogo José Sousa Lopes

Hélder Alexandre Relvas Paulo

Helena Martins

Joana Ferreira

Myriam Nunes Lopes

Peter Cornelis Roebeling