The Mexican Research and Development Network
on Air Quality in Large Cities (RED)
The Mexican Research
and Development Network on Air Quality in Large Cities (Red de Desarrollo
e Investigación de la Calidad del Aire en Grandes Ciudades, or
RED) was created in 2000 following an agreement between the Integrated
Program on Urban, Regional, and Global Air Pollution based at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, and the Consejo Nacional para la Ciencia y la
Tecnología (CONACYT, the Mexican Science and Technology Council),
with initial funding provided by the two institutions. The purpose was
to provide support for the activities of the US-Mexico Binational Group
on Mexico City's Air Quality, led by Drs. Mario and Luisa Molina. RED
currently supports a number of research projects in Mexico that are complementary
to the Integrated Program, organizes periodic meetings to promote collaboration
and discussions on air pollution issues, and maintains a
website to facilitate the exchange of data and references between
the academic and public communities.
Although initially focused on the MCMA, RED is currently expanding
its efforts to other large Mexican cities. Activities during this phase
will focus on education, capacity building, exchange of research ideas,
and air quality management. Support for academic, governmental, and non-governmental
institutions for air quality research and management is being planned,
mainly in large cities in the northern border, central and gulf regions,
as well as urban areas with severe air pollution problems.
Within this framework, RED is proposing various activities to reinforce
the impact of scientific and technical progress resulting from the scientific
research produced within the US-Mexico Binational Group on Mexico City's
Air Quality and unveil the scientific contributions. Three activities
are planned at a regional level:
1. Conference on the Importance of Air Quality Management: Progress
In Research and Emerging Issues
Goal: Bring inter- and multidisciplinary perspectives to bear
on air pollution problems, its causes and consequences.
Benefits: Unveil scientific progress in governmental and civil
research institutes and link them to regional institutions and strengthen
the relation among them at a national level.
Integration: Scientific research institutions focused on air
quality would be invited. Environmental planning efforts that have or
need resources and collaboration would be highlighted for better human
and technical resources.
2. Seminars on Different Aspects of Air Pollution
Goal: Discuss on how to improve air quality
programs that support the formation and consolidation of initiatives
with a scientific and technical background linked to regional academic
institutions.
Benefits: The linkages between research groups
will create a discussion on how to detect problems and issues yet to
be analyzed.
Integration: Create networks with academic institutions involved
in the formation of management specialists, in the states in the central,
gulf and northern border region.
3. Workshops on Air Quality Research and Management
Goal: Train local authorities on air quality
planning, measuring and monitoring tasks.
Benefits: Research groups involved in subjects
related to the US-Mexico Binational Group on Mexico City's Air Quality,
headed by Dr. Mario Molina, will be invited to train specialists and
strengthen expert groups that have an influence at the state level.
Integration: Participate in the collaboration, which means linking
the research tasks to decision-making. The
Network will publish a biannual Newsletter to announce its achievement.
This publication will include proposals developed by the people who
attended this meetings and also articles on scientific findings stemming
from the research of the Network members. It is expected to involve
all Network members in this kind of collaboration.
Contact information
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