CiROCCO’s consortium met in Cyprus on the 19th and 20th of October, to conduct its first plenary meeting, and the first workshop aimed at gathering the end-user requirements for CiROCCO’s pilot study in the municipality of Dali.
The island of Cyprus is affected by frequent and sometimes intense sandstorms characterized by high levels of both fine and coarse particles. Climate models predict further increases in temperature and decrease in precipitation, which will lead to prolonged droughts and favorable conditions for the worsening of these phenomena. As the adverse health effects of these phenomena are evident, especially for vulnerable groups such as allergic, asthmatic and cardiovascular disease patients, it is important to have an early warning system in the most affected areas.
Local stakeholders from the municipality of Dali, the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance, and the University of Cyprus, as well as representatives from the EASA – European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and LIFE-MEDEA EU project, attended the workshop to present research findings relating to the effects of Desert Dust Storm events in the region and give feedback that can help optimize CiROCCO’s system.
In Cyprus, CiROCCO’s system will be used to assess the accuracy of the Advisory Warning and Assessment System for Sand and Dust Storm Warning, study the impact of these phenomena on the Municipality of Idalion and provide an early warning system, thus creating a tool that which can be used by local governments everywhere to protect communities threatened by these phenomena.
