Over the past 11 months, Zdibi has managed to plant over 15,000 trees and shrubs in 21 selected locations in the village. The measures to improve air quality were based on extensive measurements that identified traffic and local heating plants as the main sources of pollution in the village. Therefore, in addition to planting greenery, Zdiby also focused on additional air quality measurements in the most affected locations.
The planting of greenery is being carried out within the framework of grant projects supported by Norwegian funds. In addition to the aesthetic benefits, the greenery filters pollutants from the air, improves the microclimate, retains water in the landscape, promotes biodiversity and reduces traffic noise. Part of the planting is concentrated in the built-up areas of the village, specifically along the main road in Zdiby, where it will have the greatest benefit. Another part of the planting forms a buffer ring around the village, which will insulate Zdibi from air pollution and noise from surrounding traffic.
By planting, the municipality is not only solving existing problems, but also trying to prevent future ones. "At present, the biggest burden is traffic, mainly from the D8 motorway, but also from regional through roads. In the future, the situation will be exacerbated by the planned trans-European transit motorway D0. In 2030, the air pollution limits are to be halved, and the current completion plan does not take this into account. The construction of the D0 means an increased traffic load for Zdiby and it will be unrealistic to meet the limits," says the mayor of Zdiby, Eva Slavíková.
In parallel with the planting, the municipality continues to monitor air quality thoroughly within the KORIDOR D8 association in cooperation with the Mining University - Technical University of Ostrava. Data from a total of 36 sensors in the most congested locations of 12 municipalities along the D8 motorway are transmitted in real time to a publicly accessible database www.smartenvi.eu.
The measured data - concentrations of PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 - are immediately interpreted in the database using green, orange and red smileys. A frowning red smiley indicates when it is not advisable to leave the home or ventilate. The data will be further interpreted by a university team led by Jiří Bílek, who will develop a set of recommendations for municipalities to improve air quality. "The current data reflect an acceptable situation compared to national parameters. The situation is not optimal, but the pollution does not threaten the health of the population more than usual, but the level of pollution is far from corresponding to the planned tightening of the immission limits to half, which is to come in 2030. The need to implement further measures at pollution sources to meet the limits is already evident," Bílek said.
The planting of greenery in Zdiby will improve air quality in the future. At the same time, its monitoring will provide the municipality with important data for future decision-making processes, which must take into account stricter immission limits and the impact of the completion of the Prague ring road on air quality in Zdiby.
Contact:
Daniel Glaser
PR Officer
650 339 803
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