The Orihuela City Council, through the Department of Tourism, has put into operation its new environmental and acoustic monitoring network. This action has been 100% financed by the European Union through the Next Generation EU funds. With the installation and activation of three pioneering static measurement nodes, the municipality takes a definitive step towards its consolidation as a Smart Tourist Destination (DTI).

In this sense, the Councilor for Tourism, Gonzalo Montoya, stressed that "adequate levels of air quality and environmental noise also contribute to making our municipality a more pleasant place for our visitors and neighbors".

The three compact design environmental sensors located at strategic points are already in operation: the urban area (Glorieta Gabriel Miró, Avenida Teodomiro, 10) and the Orihuela Costa area (Plaza del Oriol next to the City Hall and Calle Jade). This equipment, installed in public lighting and characterised by its energy efficiency, allows the constant monitoring of noise pollution and up to 11 different air quality parameters simultaneously.

Specifically, the sensors analyse in real time the presence of gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, tropospheric ozone... They also evaluate suspended particles (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10) using optical laser technology. They record meteorological variables (temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure) and measure wind speed and direction using an advanced ultrasonic anemometer. In addition to this complete atmospheric reading, there is a sound level meter with an accuracy equivalent to Class 1, which monitors ambient noise levels during the day, afternoon and night periods.

All the information captured by the network is transmitted uninterruptedly via 4G to a software platform that is already available to municipal staff. Beyond generating maps and statistics on the "health" of the municipality, the great advantage of this system is its prevention capacity: the tool incorporates an intelligent early warning system that issues automatic warnings immediately if any of the parameters resumes values above the safety thresholds set by European regulations.

With the culmination and switching on of this network, the Department of Tourism materializes the leap towards the Smart Orihuela model, transforming the municipality into a friendlier, safer and more transparent environment for both the citizen and the thousands of visitors it receives every year.