The Clean Air Institute (CAI) is supporting SEDEMA, the environmental authority of Mexico City, in the design, deployment, and operationalization of the city's first network of low-cost monitors (LCM) for air quality monitoring. The network will complement CDMX's existing regulatory monitoring system (SIMAT) by generating higher-resolution data to strengthen situational analysis, guide territorial interventions, and help reduce air-quality-related health inequalities.

 

The project applies the Integrated Environmental Strategies (IES) methodology developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, combining rigorous technical analysis with participatory processes and institutional capacity building. A Joint Working Group bringing together CAI, SEDEMA, C40, CAF, and the Breathe Cities CDMX team was established from the outset to steer technical validation and strategic decision-making.

 

Key project goals:

 

• Assess the urban, environmental, and institutional conditions for deploying an LCS network in Mexico City, including a regulatory review and lessons learned from other Mexican cities and international best practices (EPA, EU, Breathe Cities network).

• Define and validate the strategic objective and scope of the CDMX low-cost monitor network with SEDEMA and Breathe Cities.

• Develop and validate a full implementation plan, covering technical specifications, site selection, procurement, and a data governance model. 

• Procure, install, and calibrate the monitor network, including co-location with SIMAT reference stations to establish correction factors.

• Test network performance and validate the data generated before full integration into SIMAT's information system.

• Transfer the network to SEDEMA together with an Operation and Maintenance Manual and hands-on technical training for SEDEMA's operational staff.

 

The expected outcome is a scalable model for deploying low-cost monitor networks, aligned with the Breathe Cities vision of reducing air pollution by 30% by 2030. By enabling open-access data and strengthening local institutional capacity, the project will provide actionable insights to inform policies and interventions that improve public health, equity, and climate resilience in Mexico City and beyond.

 

This project is carried out with the support of Breathe Cities, a global initiative to clean the air, cut carbon emissions, and improve public health in cities worldwide.