Over the last few years, numerical prediction and observational products from ground- and satellite platforms have become prominent at several research and operational weather centres due to growing interest from diverse stakeholders, such as solar energy plant managers, health professionals, aviation and policymakers. Current attempts to transfer tailored products to end-users are not coordinated, and the same technological and social obstacles are tackled individually by all different groups, a process that makes the use of data slow and expensive.
InDust (International Network to Encourage the Use of Monitoring and Forecasting Dust Products) is the COST Action CA16202. InDust started in November 2017 and have a duration of four years. Its overall objective is to establish a network involving research institutions, service providers and potential end users of information on airborne dust. Because, airborne dust transport has multi- and trans-disciplinary effects at local, regional and global scales; InDust involves a multidisciplinary group of international experts on aerosol measurements, regional aerosol modelling, stakeholders and social scientists. InDust also searches to coordinate and harmonise the process of transferring dust observation and prediction data to users as well as to assist the diverse socio-economic sectors affected by the presence of high concentrations of airborne mineral dust.
At present, the InDust Management Committee is composed of:
- 28 COST countries: Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Macedonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
- three COST Near-Neighbour Countries: Jordan (University of Jordan), Morocco (Ministry of Health) and Egypt (The Egyptian Meteorological Authority and Cairo University).
- one international organisation: World Meteorological Organization
Moreover, InDust also accounts with the participation of a number of researchers of International Partner Countries from Africa, America and Asia.
InDust website
Reference:
https://sds-was.aemet.es/projects-research/cost-action-ca16202
