Citizen science for conservation: towards a cleaner, greener China
File(s)
Published version
OA Location
Author(s)
Aczel, Miriam
Cao, David
Makuch, Karen
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Citizen science (CS) is the practice where amateurs without formal scientific training collect data to contribute to the scientific observations available to scientists and decision makers (Bonney, et al., 2009). Citizen science is increasingly utilized for environmental protection and conservation as well as related purposes such as education, access to nature, access to justice, inclusion, civics and equality or other ‘social goods’ (Mor Barak, 2020; Makuch & Aczel, 2020). Several eco-citizen science projects are developing in China (Chen, et al., 2020; Hsu, Yeo & Weinfurter, 2020), though little research has evaluated their effectiveness in facilitating environmental protection or advancing social goods. This paper aims to identify the role and potential benefits of environmental citizen science in China to promote environmental and social objectives within the context of what has been called “authoritarian environmentalism” (Beeson, 2018).
Through semi-structured interviews and a review of the (limited) available literature, we identify three key areas in which citizen science could potentially benefit environmental protection and promote social good in China: (1) fostering education to inform society and encourage environmental advocacy; (2) facilitating effective environmental governance through monitoring and litigation; and (3) improving data collection for biodiversity and conservation research.
Through semi-structured interviews and a review of the (limited) available literature, we identify three key areas in which citizen science could potentially benefit environmental protection and promote social good in China: (1) fostering education to inform society and encourage environmental advocacy; (2) facilitating effective environmental governance through monitoring and litigation; and (3) improving data collection for biodiversity and conservation research.
Date Issued
2022-02-01
Date Acceptance
2022-01-18
Citation
Electronic Green Journal: professional journal on international environmental information, 2022, 1 (46), pp.1-26
ISSN
1076-7975
Publisher
University of California
Start Page
1
End Page
26
Journal / Book Title
Electronic Green Journal: professional journal on international environmental information
Volume
1
Issue
46
Copyright Statement
© 2022 by the author(s). Learn more. This work is published under CC BY licence.
License URL
Identifier
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3v08w9sh
Subjects
0502 Environmental Science and Management
1604 Human Geography
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-02-01