Strategic noise mapping of the main railway axes in Wallonia according to Directive 2002/49/EC - 2022 reporting

This series of data relates to the strategic noise mapping of railway axes supporting more than 30,000 train crossings per year in Wallonia. The data layers that make up the different noise maps are derived from the European Directive 2002/49/EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise. For the purposes of the Directive, environmental noise is defined as "unwanted or harmful external sound resulting from human activities, including noise emitted by means of transport, road, rail or air traffic and originating from sites of industrial activity such as those defined in Annex I to Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control". The Directive was adopted and transposed in the Walloon Region by the Order of the Walloon Government of 13 May 2004 on the assessment and management of environmental noise. The aim of the Noise Directive is to prevent and reduce exposure to public noise and sets out a common approach to environmental noise management in all Member States. In this context, the actions to be implemented are as follows: - determination of exposure to environmental noise through noise mapping, using assessment methods common to the Member States; - informing the public about environmental noise and its effects; - the adoption by Member States of action plans based on the results of noise mapping in order to prevent and reduce, where necessary, environmental noise, in particular where exposure levels may lead to harmful effects on human health, and to preserve the quality of the noise environment where it is satisfactory. In this context, the Directive provides for the development of strategic noise maps emanating from railway axes supporting more than 30000 train crossings per year. The area to be mapped covers the railway sections delimited by the AGW of 16/07/2020. This series brings together several layers of surface vector data, namely: - The average noise level from the main rail routes concerned according to the Lden index: The Lden (L=level, d=day, e=evening, n=night) is an indicator of the overall noise level during a day (day, evening and night), averaged over a whole year. It represents the total noise exposure level and is used to describe the discomfort associated with this exposure; - The average noise level from the main roads concerned according to the Lnight index: The Lnight (or Ln - Level Night) represents the average noise level of the night period, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., outdoors without correction. It makes it possible to assess sleep disturbances; - Synthesis of exposure information at different noise levels; - The territorial unit of aggregation used for the synthesis of exposure information. The Lden and Lnight levels are expressed in A-weighted decibels (dBA), which is the unit that best corresponds to the actual sensitivity of the human ear. They are represented by steps of 5 dB(A), in accordance with the Directive. The results obtained relate only to the noise source "rail traffic". In real exposure situations, other sources of noise are added (traffic on roads, noise from various activities, noise from animals, etc.), so that the noise levels to which residents living along roads are actually exposed may be higher than those considered here. The information was reported to the European Environment Agency in 2023. More information is available in the individual fact sheets for each data layer.