How Networks of Citizen Observatories Can Increase the Quality and Quantity of Citizen-Science-Generated Data Used to Monitor SDG Indicators

Special Issue Citizen Science Projects for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Development Goals.-- 17 pages, 2 pages, 1 figure.-- Data Availability Statement: Not applicable

There is a growing acknowledgement that citizen observatories, and other forms of citizen-generated data, have a significant role in tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. This is evident in the increasing number of Sustainable Development Goals’ indicators for which such data are already being used and in the high-level recognition of the potential role that citizen science can play. In this article, we argue that networks of citizen observatories will help realise this potential. Drawing on the Cos4Cloud project as an example, we highlight how such networks can make citizen-generated data more interoperable and accessible (among other qualities), increasing their impact and usefulness. Furthermore, we highlight other, perhaps overlooked, advantages of citizen observatories and citizen-generated data: educating and informing citizen scientists about the Sustainable Development Goals and co-creating solutions to the global challenges they address

The research described in this paper was funded by the European Commission via the Cos4Cloud and MICS projects, which have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements 863463 and 824711. ICM-CSIC authors acknowledge the institutional support of the “Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence” accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)

Peer reviewed