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| Titel |
Demonstrating the viability and value of community-based monitoring schemes
in catchment science |
| VerfasserIn |
Eleanor Starkey, Geoff Parkin, Paul Quinn, Andy Large |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2016
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
en
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 18 (2016) |
| Datensatznummer |
250129822
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2016-9986.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Hydrological catchments are complex systems which need to be monitored over
time in order to characterise their behaviour on a local level, model, implement
mitigation measures and meet policy targets. Despite hydrometric monitoring techniques
being well developed, data is often inadequate within rural areas. Local knowledge
and experiences are also vital sources of information in this sector but they are
not routinely harvested. Long-term evidence is required to provide stakeholders
with confidence and innovation is required to fully engage with and inform the
public.
Citizen science and volunteered geographical information (VGI) projects are encouraging
volunteers to participate in crowdsourcing activities and generate new knowledge, but they
have not been fully investigated within catchment science. A citizen science approach has
therefore been implemented within the 42km2 Haltwhistle Burn catchment (northern
England) using effective engagement techniques. This catchment responds rapidly,
experiences flash flood events, and like many, it does not benefit from any traditional
monitoring equipment.
Participation levels confirm that members of the public do want to monitor their local
water environment, with flooding being a key driver. Regular ‘River Watch’ volunteers and
passers-by are sharing their knowledge and monitoring rainfall, river levels, water quality
parameters, sediment issues, flood events and performance of flood risk management
features. This has enabled a variety of low-cost data collection and submission tools to be
tested over a two year period. Training has encouraged good quality data to be collected and
volunteers are ready to capture meaningful information during unexpected flood events.
Although volunteers are capable of collecting quantitative information, photographs and
videos are submitted more readily. Twitter has also been used to share real-time observations
successfully. A traditional monitoring network has been running in parallel for the
purpose of assessing the quality of citizen science observations. It has been found
that citizen science observations are essential for capturing localised convective
storms.
Citizen scientists want their observations to be used to gain meaningful information and
tackle local issues. Data has therefore been utilised to build, calibrate and validate
hydrological models and support a range of catchment management applications.
This has further demonstrated the value of citizen science, along with the social
benefits it has to offer. Other communities are also beginning to source funding and
implement their own monitoring schemes, indicating that they are both capable and
self-motivated.
Citizen science makes use of evolving and more readily available technology, providing
catchment stakeholders with vital information. Although these types of observations present
various challenges, it is argued that a citizen science approach is not intending to replace
traditional techniques, rather they can be used to complement them, fill the gaps
and/or provide an indication of catchment behaviour across space and through time. |
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