COMPAIR, short for Community Observation Measurement & Participation in Air Science, is a European project focused on making local air quality data easier to collect and use. Hosted on wecompair.eu and linked to Digitaal Vlaanderen, the initiative gives citizen scientists access to digital sensors so they can measure air pollution in their own neighbourhoods, monitor changes over time and act on the findings.
The project’s approach combines low-cost sensing technology with public participation. Rather than relying only on official monitoring stations, COMPAIR enables residents to generate hyperlocal measurements and contribute to a broader picture of air quality. The platform is designed to support community-led observation, data collection and engagement, with a practical emphasis on helping people understand what they are measuring and how the data can be used locally.
According to the project materials, COMPAIR operates across the EU and is intended to support citizen science around environmental exposure, especially air quality. Its value lies in bringing together technical tools and public involvement: sensors provide the data, while the participatory framework encourages people to observe conditions in their immediate surroundings and take part in local discussions or actions.
The project page identifies Digitaal Vlaanderen as the main institutional reference. Beyond that, the project’s public-facing description underlines accessibility and usability rather than technical complexity, suggesting a model built for non-specialist users, schools, local communities and civic groups. Up to now, the project’s main result is a working platform that translates air-quality monitoring into a citizen-facing service.