In the current situation, information about the state of the air and the possible presence of hazardous substances or increased radiation is crucial for Ukrainians. Our colleagues have seen this for themselves. In October, they visited their Ukrainian partners in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Kyiv to give them material aid and plan further joint activities.
We have been working to improve the air quality in Ukraine since 2017 and are continuing our work despite the ongoing war. A key task for the coming period is the renewal and expansion of the EcoCity network of air quality monitoring stations. If there are air alerts, fires, or accidents, it is an important source of this information and essentially the only one for the people of Ukraine. Soon, we will launch a chatbot called Smog Alarm, which will alert residents via Telegram when critical pollution levels are reached.
We have also recently launched the “100 stations for cleaner air in Ukraine” challenge. Would you like to help us revive citizen monitoring of air quality in Ukraine and take the opportunity to name a monitoring station? Donate HERE!
Our colleagues were convinced of the importance of a functional and reliable network of monitoring stations during the airstrikes they experienced during their stay in Kyiv. “Especially on days when there were explosions nearby, it was important for us to be able to look at the EcoCity map and check what the air situation was like. I felt relieved to see that the radiation was not elevated and there were no hazardous substances in the air,” says Marcela Černochová, Arnika’s project coordinator in Ukraine.
Our Ukrainian partners also saw the meetings in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Kyiv as symbolic support. During these meetings, we agreed that it is important to continue our joint activities. You, too, can contribute together with us to a safer and more peaceful life for Ukrainian citizens by donating funds or symbolically purchasing a monitoring station.
“The network of citizen monitoring stations is an investment that will pay off for Ukraine in the future. We want the country's reconstruction to be built on clean technologies, and the network data will help us promote this vision. I would like to thank all the people who contribute to the renewal of the monitoring, as this will help bring Ukraine closer to European standards,” says Oleksiy Angurets, our colleague from the Clean Air for Ukraine project.
