A 2023 report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) highlights that air pollution remains a key environmental health risk in mountainous regions like the Alps, where thermal inversions and seasonal tourism can exacerbate exposure to pollutants such as NO₂ and PM2.5.

Source : EEA

AlpAirEO is a 9-month project implemented by DLR (Germany). The project is rooted in ongoing efforts to apply cutting-edge Earth Observation technologies in service of sustainable development and public health in the Alpine region.

Its overarching goal is to enhance the understanding and communication of air quality conditions in the Alps, benefiting both expert users (e.g., policymakers, planners) and the general public.

The project’s current phase has three main aims. First, it focuses on the development and deployment of the Air Quality / Health Risk Index (ARI), which is designed as a cloud-based, on-demand service. Second, it seeks to integrate this ARI service into the ESA Network of Resources (NoR), facilitating broader access and operational sustainability. Finally, AlpAirEO will explore innovative analytical approaches to understand the linkages between air quality data and socio-economic indicators, thereby contributing to more integrated policy frameworks.