Webinar Series

We host regular webinars- our September 2026 webinar will be announced soon! Watch this space for announcements. 

Our most recent webinar (25th June 2026) explored Best Practices for Calibrating Low-Cost Sensors in Resource Constrained Environments. Led by Dr John Richard Hizon, our speakers Dr Iq Mead and Dr Emil Varghese shared their expertise and best practice for ensuring data quality from small sensors. 
You can view recordings of past webinars on topics such as community engagement and integrating sensor data into wider air quality monitoring on our youtube channel. 

Join Allin Wayra at AGU

After the success of our session at  European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna in May 2026,  Allin Wayra will at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting in San Francisco, 7-11th December 2026. If you work with small sensors for atmospheric science, why not submit an abstract to our session? We'd love to have you join us. 

Research spotlight: Is there a place for sensors in atmospheric chemistry science?

 Two years ago at the IGAC Conference in Manchester, UK, we launched a survey asking: "Is there a place for sensors in atmospheric chemistry science?". This research seeks to understand how perceptions may have evolved within our community on the role of sensors. Currently our team is exploring the responses and aims to produce a publication summarizing the results very shortly. 

Why not follow us on LinkedIn? We regularly post updates on our activities and upcoming events. 

The Community Scoping Workshop Summary

We hosted a Community Scoping Workshop on March 26, 2024 (8:30-11:00 UTC or 14:30-17:00 UTC) to get input from the community on what Allin Wayra should be doing in the coming years. It was also an opportunity for participants to network with colleagues also working with or interested in small sensors. A summary of the workshop can be found here. Thank you to everyone who participated!!

Particulate matter and air sensors: the citizen scientists' guide to air pollution monitoring using small sensors

In partnership with the Citizen Science Global Partnership , we developed a new resource document aimed at new users of small sensors. One of the most common questions asked by communities looking to start their own air quality monitoring projects is “What sensors should we buy?”. This is not a straightforward question and potentially has many “correct” answers. There is a growing market of air quality sensor manufacturers, providers and services and they all have pros and cons. The main questions perhaps that should be asked are: What do you want the air quality data to be used for and how can sensors help address this?  This document aims to promote best practices and highlight the questions that need to be addressed when planning effective air quality monitoring, with a focus on PM2.5. 

Available in Spanish and English, you can now access the document here.

Better Air Quality Conference, Bangkok 2026

Steering committee member, Eliani Ezani, presented the work of Allin Wayra to policy makers and the scientific community at the Better Air Quality Conference in Bangkok in March 2026 in Bangkok. 

Allin Wayra at EGU

Allin Wayra has hosted conference sessions, splinter meetings and dinners at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 conference. In 2026, alongside a popular poster and oral session on the use of small sensors for air quality, we bought together our community through a two splinter meetings to derive workings groups that inform our upcoming activities and plans. These groups identified new topics for our webinar series, ideas for a perspective paper drawing from our communities expertise and new leaders joining our steering committee! The community came together over a wonderful dinner and many new connections and ideas were formed. We would like to thank our sponsors IGAC Project, Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), World Meteorological Organization, and OpenAQ Inc for their support with the 2026 activities. 

Allin Wayra Side Meeting at iCACGP-IGAC 2024

Allin Wayra held a Side Meeting at iCACGP-IGAC where participants could learn more about Allin Wayra and join in discussions about the activities we are scoping and/or share ideas for where we should be going. This took place on Sept. 10, 17:30-19:00; it was an in person only event.

We also conducted a follow-up survey. Participation in the survey was open to everyone in the community and conducted online. Two years ago at the IGAC Conference in Manchester, UK, we launched a survey asking: "Is there a place for sensors in atmospheric chemistry science?" Now, we aim to revisit this question and understand how perceptions may have evolved within our community. The survey results will be shared in a publication that is currently in preparation. 

What is Allin Wayra?

Allin-Wayra, which can be interpreted as “good air” or “winds of change” in Quechua (Runasimi, or "people's language") a pre-colonial South American native tongue, is the new IGAC Activity on small sensors. 

Motivation (Why do we want to do it?)

After consulting with small sensor users in the atmospheric science community, it has become clear that there are many researchers and research groups using small sensors. We would like to connect the dots with some of the current activities on small sensors and more deeply engage researchers in atmospheric science. 

Mission (What do we do?)

Our mission is to foster a diverse and inclusive global small sensor community of practice - with a particular focus on regions lacking air quality measurements -  and advance knowledge of sensor use for air quality and atmospheric science through collaborative initiatives that address critical issues, build capacity, and promote accessibility.

Vision (Where are we going?)

Our vision is a world where small sensor technology is accessible and widely used in a transparent and equitable manner, contributing to an improved understanding of air quality and atmospheric science to foster planetary health and strive for environmental justice.

Preliminary Objectives*:

*These objectives are suggestions and we would like to shape and expand on these preliminary objectives with your input.

1. Publish an initial commentary paper to raise awareness about the importance of small sensor technology in research, with a specific focus highlighting the challenges and opportunities related to air pollution and environmental justice in Global South countries.
2. Engage the community through an inclusive workshop, ensuring that different perspectives and voices are represented in shaping the scope, direction, and goals of Allin Wayra.
3. Identify and/or adapt a collaborative, user-based, open-access, repository on small sensor resources to promote transparency, accessibility, and collaboration among researchers and practitioners, while addressing the need for equity in the distribution of resources and knowledge.
4. After 4-5 years of Allin Wayra, write a community-authored article to share the collective knowledge, experiences, and insights gained through Allin Wayra's collaborative efforts (further topic/specific focus to be determined) for air quality and atmospheric science in regions where measurements are lacking.

Get involved!

We are looking to engage a broad, diverse community that is truly global. Please sign up for our mailing list if you are interested or connect with us on LinkedIn to see our latest updates. 

We welcome your input in developing these plans! Contact us at allin.wayra@igacproject.org to contribute your ideas. 

Meet our steering committee: