Advancing Air Quality Monitoring in Fez-Meknes
As air pollution emerges as one of the most significant health and environmental challenges globally, the Fez-Meknes region is proactively enhancing its environmental monitoring mechanisms by expanding its air quality measurement network. This initiative aims to mitigate pollution-related risks and improve living conditions in urban and industrial areas. During an extraordinary session held on June 10, the Fez-Meknes Regional Council approved a partnership agreement concerning the implementation of the second phase of the air quality monitoring network enhancement project. This initiative aligns with the National Air Quality Monitoring Program for 2020-2030 and the Regional Development Program for 2022-2027.
The project is set to establish six new air quality monitoring stations, which will increase the total number of stations in the region to 15 by 2030, up from the current nine. Among these, one station was established by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, while the remaining eight were funded by the regional council over the past years. This expansion reflects the region's commitment to building a comprehensive environmental monitoring system that accurately tracks pollution levels and provides scientific data essential for making informed decisions to protect public health and the environment.
The total cost for the second phase of the project is approximately 8 million dirhams, with financial contributions from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development amounting to 4 million dirhams and the Ministry of Interior contributing 3 million dirhams. The Fez-Meknes Regional Council will contribute 1 million dirhams. To ensure the project's sustainability and effectiveness, the National Laboratory for Studies and Pollution Monitoring, under the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, will be responsible for maintaining both the existing and new stations. This will guarantee standardized operational and maintenance criteria, thereby improving the quality of data collected and analyzed. Furthermore, within the framework of the regional development program, financial allocations previously designated for maintaining the stations have been redirected towards acquiring the necessary equipment to enhance monitoring capabilities.
As reported by pressreader.com.
