After a full three years of the D-NOSES project, it is time to take a look back on the work done and results so far. Delays caused by the pandemic have forced the extension of the project for 6 months, and we will be spending that time wrapping up the work and presenting the achievements to all stakeholders.
This initiative was born from the lack of a unified proper response to odour issues, and the need to fill in this perceived regulatory gap. After all, odours are the cause of the second most common environmental complaint after noise, at least in Europe, and our experience outside of Europe has so far shown that it tends to be the same worldwide.
There are reasons why regulation has tended to be insufficient. Odours are difficult to measure and have some subjective characteristics. The impact on people exposed to them depends on real-life conditions and can be more significant than the commonly accepted mere nuisance. The D-NOSES project answers the need for a reliable way to measure odour impact, which can pave the way towards better and more common-sense regulation.
In the project we stress common sense and common solutions. D-NOSES was created to empower citizens to participate in decisions for their own environment. This means that they are able to join with other stakeholders and have a constructive debate, helping them to co-create compromise solutions that can satisfy the needs of all stakeholders.
The D-NOSES journey comes to an end in September 2021. In the coming months we will provide you with an overview of what the D-NOSES project stands for, its successes and what we have learnt. We will also go into all of the details of what the pilots worldwide have achieved with the D-NOSES quadruple-helix stakeholder approach to tackle odour issues and improve the quality of life of affected communities.
Part of the legacy of the project will be the people we have helped tackle their own odour issues across Europe and the world. But the main legacy will be the International Odour Observatory, a resource that will outlive the project and maintain itself as a guide and collection of tools for anyone to replicate the methods and learn about the complex issue of odours.