Colombian Students Build Environmental Monitoring Network

Researchers at Universidad Industrial de Santander in Colombia developed Red Ambiental Ciudadana de Monitoreo (RACiMo), a citizen science network that trains students to monitor local climate and air quality. The project began as a school-based hardware program and grew into a regional network integrating meteorological and air quality data.

Students from diverse communities, urban, rural, and páramo, learn to collect, analyze, and interpret environmental data using tools like Python and Jupyter notebooks. The initiative now spans five municipalities and focuses on issues like freight traffic and industrial activity.

Researchers emphasize the importance of not only data collection but also critical understanding and application of that data for effective climate adaptation. The project evolved from students building their own sensors to using commercial instruments, balancing openness with data reliability and sustainability.