Data sharing in international transboundary contexts: The Vietnamese perspective on data sharing in the Lower Mekong Basin

SummaryTransboundary data sharing is widely recognised as a necessary element in the successful handling of water-related climate change issues, as it is a means towards integrated water resources management (IWRM). However, in practice it is often a challenge to achieve it. The Mekong River Commission (MRC), an inter-governmental agency established by Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam, has adopted IWRM in its water strategy plan in order to properly manage the transboundary waters of the Mekong River. In this context, data sharing procedures were institutionalised and have been officially implemented by the four member countries since 2001. This paper uses a systematic approach to identify the extent of data sharing and the factors influencing the willingness of key individuals in the Vietnam National Mekong Committee and its Primary Custodians to share data. We find that the initial objectives of the Procedures for Data and Information Exchange and Sharing (PDIES) have not been fully achieved and, further, that Vietnam has much to gain and little to lose by engaging in data sharing in the MRC context. The primary motivation for data sharing stems from the desire to protect national benefits and to prevent upstream countries from overexploiting the shared water resources. However, data sharing is hindered by a lack of national regulations in the Vietnam context concerning data sharing between state agencies and outdated information management systems

Knowledge transfer dynamics and innovation: Behaviour, interactions and aggregated outcomes

AbstractInnovation systems theory stresses the central importance of knowledge and the transfer of knowledge between the different actors of an innovation system, yet there are no methodological tools to systematically analyse the dynamics of such relationships. In this paper, we propose a multi-disciplinary approach drawing on social psychology to integrate innovation systems and knowledge transfer theory. We focus the empirical efforts for validating this approach in the water sector. Although Water Operator Partnerships are conceptualised to share best practices via knowledge transfer, our findings based on empirical evidence indicate clear points of consensus as well as issues of conflict in the dynamics of knowledge transfer between water operators engaged in such partnerships. The results indicate qualitative differences in goals of knowledge transfer as well as sources of differences and asymmetries in motivations, pressures and capabilities in the knowledge transfer process

Stakeholder engagement in water governance as social learning: lessons from practice

The OECD Principles on Water Governance set out various requirements for stakeholder engagement. Coupled with conceptualizations of social learning, this article asks how we define and enact stakeholder engagement and explores the actual practice of engagement of stakeholders in three fields of water governance. The results suggest that a key consideration is the purpose of the stakeholder engagement, requiring consideration of its ethics, process, roles and expected outcomes. While facilitators cannot be held accountable if stakeholder engagement ‘fails’ in terms of social learning, they are responsible for ensuring that the enabling conditions for social learning are met

Citizens observatories for effective Earth observations: the WeSenseIt approach

Tese de doutoramento em Biociências, no ramo de Ecologia Marinha, apresentada ao Departamento de Ciências da Vida da Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de CoimbraIn the face of the current non-linear and abrupt changes in ecosystems around the world, a systematic impact has arisen to the environmental dynamics of the coastal systems. At their essential intermediate trophic level in the marine system, sardines are recognized for being highly susceptible to the deregulation of their stocks when subjected to intensive exploitation. Given this, there are significant difficulties of management and participatory coastal management of the species of sardines in the Atlantic Ocean. In this way, local ecological knowledge (LEK) emerges as an auxiliary tool that seeks to extract specific information about an individual about the environment as well as to understand the attitudes of local individuals regarding a resource as a way to improve biodiversity conservation practices. Therefore, the present thesis sought to evaluate and share local ecological knowledge (LEK) and attitudes for the conservation of European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) and Brazilian sardine (Sardinella brasiliensis) in two fishing villages (Peniche, District of Leiria, Portugal and Arraial do Cabo, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). This study was based on 221 semi-structured interviews conducted with fishermen from Peniche (N = 87) about European sardines, and with fishers from Arraial do Cabo (N = 134) about Brazilian sardine. The data extracted from the interviews were qualitatively and quantitatively analysed, and the LEK made available was compared with the literature following an emic-etic approach. Additives knowledge indicators and attitudes about sardines were created for comparison purposes. The classification adopted to evaluate the LEK, and the attitudes respected the premises of the three-point Likert scale. It was also sought to investigate possible correlations between LEK, attitudes and the profile of fishers from both communities. The statistical treatments performed were calculated using program R version 3.3.2. The profiles of the interviewees of the studied communities were investigated and measured succinctly. Informants shared detailed informal knowledge of the significant biological and ecological aspects of the clupeoids in question. Taboos and food aversions were present inexpressively and were not related to conservation measures. Fishers from both Atlantic communities presented moderate local ecological knowledge about sardines when compared to the biological data already published of this small pelagic species. Attitudes towards conservation of sardines were classified as positive in Peniche, while in the Brazilian community analyzed, they were moderate. In Peniche, attitudes showed to be a predictor of LEK, age and educational level of informants. Otherwise, in Arraial do Cabo the variables of the fisher´s profile (source of income, educational level, boat ownership, association with fishing colony and occupation) showed a correlation with LEK and with conservationist attitudes. Encouraging the continuation of regular educational training of informants and the inclusion of environmental education programs with the sharing of information on sardine conservation. This ethnobiological study reported comparable results with other studies examining LEK and local community attitudes about a natural resource, which reaffirms the importance of this socio-ecological tool for environmental management. Informal knowledge not compatible with the literature should not be discarded. This type of information can be further analysed and used in the formulation of testable hypotheses for future investigations of the species studied. The next step would be to include the LEK provided by the surveyed communities for analysis at meetings between all actors directly involved with the fishing resource. This procedure can collaborate and promote greater social inclusion of the less favored in the fisheries management decision-making in the Portuguese and Brazilian communities verified. A discussion with the participation of all the interested parties, without preconceived privileges to any of those involved, becomes of extreme importance because it enables reliability among the participants of these assemblies. This process, if well conducted, still can generate a better understanding of the predisposition of these communities to conserve the environmental resource. Also, this participatory management strategy may also provide an opportunity for local populations to acquire reliable and more scientific knowledge about this depleting fishing resource. Finally, a continuous exchange of information between ecologists and ethnobiologists is suggested on possible gaps in knowledge that may arise about fish stocks in both Atlantic systems.Em virtude das actuais mudanças não-lineares e abruptas nos ecossistemas em todo o planeta, a dinâmica ambiental dos sistemas costeiros tem sido bastante modificada. Por ocuparem o nível trófico intermediário essencial no sistema marinho, as sardinhas são reconhecidas por serem altamente susceptíveis a grandes alterações dos seus efectivos populacionais quando submetidas à exploração intensiva. Diante de tal cenário, observam-se grandes dificuldades na gestão costeira (que se quer participativa) das espécies de sardinhas no oceano Atlântico. Desse modo, o conhecimento ecológico local (CEL) surge como uma ferramenta auxiliar que busca extrair informações específicas de um indivíduo em relação ao meio ambiente como também compreender as atitudes de indivíduos locais no que tange a um recurso em particular, como forma de melhorar as práticas de conservação da biodiversidade. Por conseguinte, a presente tese tentou avaliar o conhecimento ecológico local (CEL), bem como as atitudes para a conservação da sardinha europeia (Sardina pilchardus) e da sardinha brasileira (Sardinella brasiliensis) em duas aldeias piscatórias (Peniche, Distrito de Leiria, Portugal; e Arraial do Cabo, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil). Este estudo baseou-se em 221 entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas aleatoriamente com pescadores de Peniche (N = 87) acerca da sardinha europeia, e com pescadores de Arraial do Cabo (N = 134) sobre a sardinha brasileira. Os dados extraídos das entrevistas foram analisados de modo qualitativo e quantitativo e o CEL disponibilizado foi comparado com a literatura através da utilização das abordagens êmica e ética. Foram criados índices para medir o CEL e as atitudes dos pescadores em relação à conservação das espécies de sardinhas. A classificação adotada para avaliar o CEL e as atitudes respeitou as premissas da escala de três pontos de Likert. Por último, também foram investigadas as possíveis correlações entre CEL, atitudes e o perfil dos pescadores de ambas as comunidades. Os tratamentos estatísticos realizados foram calculados por meio do programa R versão 3.3.2. Os perfis dos entrevistados das comunidades estudadas foram investigados e analisados sucintamente. Os entrevistados compartilharam conhecimentos informais detalhados dos principais aspectos biológicos e ecológicos dos clupeóides em questão. Os tabus e aversões alimentares estiveram presentes de forma inexpressiva e não foram relacionados com medidas conservacionistas. Os pescadores de ambas as comunidades Atlânticas apresentaram um conhecimento ecológico local moderado acerca das sardinhas quando comparados aos dados biológicos já publicados dessas pequenas espécies pelágicas. Em Peniche, houve a correlação entre as atitudes e o CEL, a idade e o nível educacional dos informantes respectivamente. Por outro lado, em Arraial do Cabo as variáveis do perfil dos pescadores (fonte de renda, nível educacional, propriedade de embarcação, associação à colónia de pescadores e ocupação) mostraram correlação com o CEL e com as atitudes conservacionistas. O incentivo à continuação da formação educacional convencional dos informantes (pescadores) e a inserção de programas de educação ambiental acompanhados de informações acerca da conservação da sardinha nas aldeias de pescadores investigadas são essenciais para estabelecer e melhorar as atitudes conservacionistas. Este estudo etnobiológico reportou resultados comparáveis com outros estudos que investigam o LEK e atitudes de comunidades locais acerca de um determinado recurso natural, o que reafirma a importância desta ferramenta sócio-ecológica para a gestão ambiental. O conhecimento informal não compatível com a literatura não deve ser totalmente descartado. Esse tipo de informação pode ainda ser analisado minuciosamente e utilizado na formulação de hipóteses para futuras investigações acerca da espécie estudada. O próximo passo seria incluir o CEL fornecido pelas comunidades estudadas para análises em reuniões entre todos os atores envolvidos directamente com o recurso pesqueiro. Esse procedimento pode promover uma maior inclusão social dos menos favorecidos nas decisões relativas à gestão dos stocks pesqueiros nas comunidades portuguesa e brasileira. Uma discussão com a participação de todos os interessados, sem privilégios preconcebidos a nenhum dos envolvidos, torna- se de extrema importância pois aumenta a confiança entre todos os envolvidos. Este processo, se bem conduzido, ainda tem a capacidade de gerar um melhor entendimento da predisposição dessas comunidades em conservar o recurso ambiental. Além disso, esta estratégia de gestão participativa também pode proporcionar uma oportunidade das populações locais adquirirem conhecimentos mais científicos sobre esse recurso pesqueiro em questão. Por fim, sugere-se ainda uma contínua troca de informações entre ecólogos e etnobiólogos sobre as possíveis lacunas de informações que possam surgir relativamente aos stocks pesqueiros em ambos os sistemas Atlânticos.Centre for Functional Ecology - CFE, Department of life Sciences, University of Coimbra, PortugalProject ReNATURE - Valorization of the Natural Endogenous Resources of the Centro Region (Centro 2020, Centro-01-0145-FEDER-000007)CAPES Foundation – Ministry of Education of Brazil for financial support (BEX: 8926/13-1

Impact Assessment of Citizen Science:State of the Art and Guiding Principles for a Consolidated Approach

Over the past decade, citizen science has experienced growth and popularity as a scientific practice and as a new form of stakeholder engagement and public participation in science or in the generation of new knowledge. One of the key requirements for realising the potential of citizen science is evidence and demonstration of its impact and value. Yet the actual changes resulting from citizen science interventions are often assumed, ignored or speculated about. Based on a systematic review of 77 publications, combined with empirical insights from 10 past and ongoing projects in the field of citizen science, this paper presents guidelines for a consolidated Citizen Science Impact Assessment framework to help overcome the dispersion of approaches in assessing citizen science impacts; this comprehensive framework enhances the ease and consistency with which impacts can be captured, as well as the comparability of evolving results across projects. Our review is framed according to five distinct, yet interlinked, impact domains (society, economy, environment, science and technology, and governance). Existing citizen science impact assessment approaches provide assessment guidelines unevenly across the five impact domains, and with only a small number providing concrete indicator-level conceptualisations. The analysis of the results generates a number of salient insights which we combine in a set of guiding principles for a consolidated impact assessment framework for citizen science initiatives. These guiding principles pertain to the purpose of citizen science impact assessments, the conceptualisation of data collection methods and information sources, the distinction between relative versus absolute impact, the comparison of impact assessment results across citizen science projects, and the incremental refinement of the organising framework over time

Citizens observatories for effective Earth observations: the WeSenseIt approach

The WeSenseIt project defines citizen observatories as “A method, an environment and an infrastructure supporting an information ecosystem for communities and citizens, as well as emergency operators and policymakers, for discussion, monitoring and intervention on situations, places and events” . A collaborative approach has been taken to develop solutions that involve an exchange of information and expertise from all participants and where the focus is on arriving at practical solutions with a clear vision and direction. This has created a shared ownership scheme, and shifts power to the process itself rather than remaining within authorities, developers or decision-makers. The project’s emphasis is on delivering highly innovative technologies to support citizens, communities and authorities in developing a real-time situation awareness while ensuring all stakeholders play their part. Implementation has been through a combination of crowdsourcing, custom applications and dedicated web portals designed to foster collaboration, and which has created a shared knowledge base that facilitates decision-making processes and engages with communities. Data is captured via innovative sensors that are used directly by citizens, crowdsourcing from social networks (or by collective intelligence)

Coordinator perceptions when assessing the impact of citizen science towards sustainable development goals

Tracking progress towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires high-quality, timely, and accessible data, often in areas where data are rarely available. Problems exist due to socioeconomic variations between countries and the qualitative nature of certain indicators in their definition. Citizen science has the potential to contribute to several SDGs. However, whilst citizen science’s potential to contribute towards SDGs is well documented, limitations exist when measuring the impact that citizen science has made toward SDG progress. To better understand the issues and prospective solutions surrounding impact assessment towards SDG progress, this work presents the outcomes of semi-structured interviews with citizen science project coordinators. They reveal the complex nature of impact assessment within a citizen science context. Coordinators demonstrate greater confidence when the project is easier to relate to the SDGs, and the project methodology can objectively measure indicators. Issues exist, however, when considering SDGs with a broader, global context, those more difficult to link to project goals and when the project’s impact on them happens at timescales beyond the funding period. If the full potential of citizen-science contributions to the SDGs is to be realised, approaches are needed to fully consider practitioners’ needs and motivations

Onto new horizons:Insights from the WeObserve project to strengthen the awareness, acceptability and sustainability of Citizen Observatories in Europe

WeObserve delivered the first European-wide Citizen Observatory (CO) knowledge platform to share best practices, to address challenges and to inform practitioners, policy makers and funders of COs. We present key insights from WeObserve activities into leveraging challenges to create interlinked solutions, connecting with international frameworks and groups, advancing the field through communities of practice and practitioner networks, and fostering an enabling environment for COs. We also discuss how the new Horizon Europe funding programme can help to further advance the CO concept, and vice versa, how COs can provide a suitable mechanism to support the ambitions of Horizon Europe