Air Quality Management on the island of Crete: A Collaborative Initiative Between Academia and Regional Authorities

In recent decades, substantial progress has been made in reducing emissions of major regulated air pollutants across Europe. Nevertheless, despite overall improvements in air quality, current EU standards are still not met, with approximately 96% of the urban population exposed to unsafe levels of fine particulate matter. In response to the World Health Organization’s more stringent air quality guidelines, the EU has adopted a revised Ambient Air Quality Directive with more ambitious standards, which is scheduled to enter into force in 2030 ((EU) 2024/2881).

Robust Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMSs) are essential for evaluating the effectiveness of air quality legislation. These stations provide reliable, real-time data needed to track pollution levels, support warning systems, identify long-term trends, and assess whether implemented policies achieve their intended objectives. On the island of Crete, a joint Action Plan for Addressing Air Pollution in the Region of Crete (ACAP-Crete) has been developed through close collaboration between academic institutions-the University of Crete (UOC) and the Technical University of Crete (TUC)-and regional authorities, namely the Region of Crete. A network of AQMSs has been established that currently comprises five AQMSs: two newly established urban/traffic stations in the major cities of Heraklion and Chania; two urban background stations (one newly established at Voutes-UOC and the Akrotiri station operated by TUC); and one regional background station (the Finokalia station operated by UOC). Three additional stations are planned to be established by 2026. The ACAP-Crete network is complemented by the development of low-cost sensor networks across the island.

In anticipation of the requirements of Directive (EU) 2024/2881, the ACAP-Crete network is preparing to monitor newly regulated pollutants, including Black Carbon (BC), Ultrafine Particles (UFP), ammonia (NH₃), as well as the chemical composition of PM₁. Meanwhile, the transport sector on the island is undergoing rapid transformation due to the construction of a new international airport and the island’s primary motorway. These developments are expected to substantially alter air pollutant emission patterns and their associated impacts, thereby increasing the need for comprehensive and adaptive air quality monitoring. ACAP-Crete contributes to transparency and public awareness by making air quality data accessible to both citizens and decision-makers. The official web platform (airquality.crete.gov.gr) was recently launched to support this objective.

Overall, the AQMS network on Crete represents a successful example of cooperation between academia and regional authorities, providing a distributed air quality monitoring infrastructure that addresses current challenges while proactively preparing for future regulatory and environmental requirements.

 Financial support from Region of Crete through the project “Action Plan for Addressing Air Pollution in the Region of Crete” is greatly acknowledged. We acknowledge support by Horizon Europe project Net4Cities Contract No. 101138405