scholarly journals Co-Designing a Citizen Science Program for Malaria Control in Rwanda

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (24) ◽  
pp. 7012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domina Asingizwe ◽  
Marilyn Milumbu Murindahabi ◽  
Constantianus J.M. Koenraadt ◽  
P. Marijn Poortvliet ◽  
Arnold J.H. van Vliet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Participatory Design ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Science Program ◽  
Community Members ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Context Specific

Good health and human wellbeing is one of the sustainable development goals. To achieve this goal, many efforts are required to control infectious diseases including malaria which remains a major public health concern in Rwanda. Surveillance of mosquitoes is critical to control the disease, but surveillance rarely includes the participation of citizens. A citizen science approach (CSA) has been applied for mosquito surveillance in developed countries, but it is unknown whether it is feasible in rural African contexts. In this paper, the technical and social components of such a program are described. Participatory design workshops were conducted in Ruhuha, Rwanda. Community members can decide on the technical tools for collecting and reporting mosquito species, mosquito nuisance, and confirmed malaria cases. Community members set up a social structure to gather observations by nominating representatives to collect the reports and send them to the researchers. These results demonstrate that co-designing a citizen science program (CSP) with citizens allows for decision on what to use in reporting observations. The decisions that the citizens took demonstrated that they have context-specific knowledge and skills, and showed that implementing a CSP in a rural area is feasible.

scholarly journals An Open Data and Citizen Science Approach to Building Resilience to Natural Hazards in a Data-Scarce Remote Mountainous Part of Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9448
Author(s):  
Binod Prasad Parajuli ◽  
Prakash Khadka ◽  
Preshika Baskota ◽  
Puja Shakya ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Science Approach ◽  
Distribution Of Resources ◽  
Remote Mapping ◽  
Context Specific

The citizen science approach has gained momentum in recent years. It can enable both experts and citizen scientists to co-create new knowledge. Better understanding of local environmental, social, and geographical contexts can help in designing appropriate plans for sustainable development. However, a lack of geospatial data, especially in the context of developing countries, often precludes context-specific development planning. This study therefore tests an innovative approach of volunteer citizen science and an open mapping platform to build resilience to natural hazards in the remote mountainous parts of western Nepal. In this study, citizen scientists and mapping experts jointly mapped two districts of Nepal (Bajhang and Bajura) using the OpenStreetMap (OSM) platform. Remote mapping based on satellite imagery, capacity building, and mobilization of citizen scientists was performed to collect the data. These data were then uploaded to OSM and later retrieved in ArcGIS to produce a usable map that could be exploited as a reference resource for evidence-based decision-making. The collected data are freely accessible to community members as well as government and humanitarian actors, and can be used for development planning and risk reduction. By piloting in two communities of western Nepal, we found that using open data platforms for collecting and analyzing location-based data has a mutual benefit for researchers and communities. Such data could be vital in understanding the local landscape, environmental risk, and distribution of resources. Furthermore, they enable both researchers and local people to transfer technical knowledge, collect location-specific data, and use them for better decision-making.

scholarly journals At the tip of an iceberg: citizen science and active surveillance collaborating to broaden the known distribution of Aedes japonicus in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Eritja ◽  
Sarah Delacour-Estrella ◽  
Ignacio Ruiz-Arrondo ◽  
Mikel A. González ◽  
Carlos Barceló ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Active Surveillance ◽  
Mosquito Control ◽  
Mosquito Species ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Surveillance Strategy ◽  
Aedes Japonicus ◽  
Invasive Mosquito Species ◽  
Invasive Mosquito

Abstract Background Active surveillance aimed at the early detection of invasive mosquito species is usually focused on seaports and airports as points of entry, and along road networks as dispersion paths. In a number of cases, however, the first detections of colonizing populations are made by citizens, either because the species has already moved beyond the implemented active surveillance sites or because there is no surveillance in place. This was the case of the first detection in 2018 of the Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus, in Asturias (northern Spain) by the citizen science platform Mosquito Alert. Methods The collaboration between Mosquito Alert, the Ministry of Health, local authorities and academic researchers resulted in a multi-source surveillance combining active field sampling with broader temporal and spatial citizen-sourced data, resulting in a more flexible and efficient surveillance strategy. Results Between 2018 and 2020, the joint efforts of administrative bodies, academic teams and citizen-sourced data led to the discovery of this species in northern regions of Spain such as Cantabria and the Basque Country. This raised the estimated area of occurrence of Ae. japonicus from < 900 km2 in 2018 to > 7000 km2 in 2020. Conclusions This population cluster is geographically isolated from any other population in Europe, which raises questions about its origin, path of introduction and dispersal means, while also highlighting the need to enhance surveillance systems by closely combining crowd-sourced surveillance with public health and mosquito control agencies’ efforts, from local to continental scales. This multi-actor approach for surveillance (either passive and active) shows high potential efficiency in the surveillance of other invasive mosquito species, and specifically the major vector Aedes aegypti which is already present in some parts of Europe. Graphical abstract

scholarly journals Transference of Citizen Science Program Impacts: A Theory Grounded in Public Participation in Scientific Research

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 339
Author(s):  
Louise I. Lynch-O’Brien ◽  
Wayne A. Babchuk ◽  
Jenny M. Dauer ◽  
Tiffany Heng-Moss ◽  
Doug Golick
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Informal Science Education ◽  
Constructivist Grounded Theory ◽  
Science Program ◽  
Program Leaders ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Added Benefit

Citizen science is known for increasing the geographic, spatial, and temporal scale from which scientists can gather data. It is championed for its potential to provide experiential learning opportunities to the public. Documentation of educational outcomes and benefits for citizen scientists continues to grow. This study proposes an added benefit of these collaborations: the transference of program impacts to individuals outside of the program. The experiences of fifteen citizen scientists in entomology citizen science programs were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. We propose the substantive-level theory of transference to describe the social process by which the educational and attitudinal impacts intended by program leaders for the program participants are filtered by citizen scientists and transferred to others. This process involves individual and external phases, each with associated actions. Transference occurred in participants who had maintained a long-term interest in nature, joined a citizen science program, shared science knowledge and experiences, acquired an expert role to others, and influenced change in others. Transference has implications for how citizen scientists are perceived by professional communities, understanding of the broader impacts and contributions of citizen science to wicked problems, program evaluation, and the design of these programs as informal science education opportunities.

scholarly journals Using citizen science data to monitor the Sustainable Development Goals: a bottom-up analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Ballerini ◽  
Sylvia I. Bergh
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Science Data ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Development Goals

AbstractOfficial data are not sufficient for monitoring the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): they do not reach remote locations or marginalized populations and can be manipulated by governments. Citizen science data (CSD), defined as data that citizens voluntarily gather by employing a wide range of technologies and methodologies, could help to tackle these problems and ultimately improve SDG monitoring. However, the link between CSD and the SDGs is still understudied. This article aims to develop an empirical understanding of the CSD-SDG link by focusing on the perspective of projects which employ CSD. Specifically, the article presents primary and secondary qualitative data collected on 30 of these projects and an explorative comparative case study analysis. It finds that projects which use CSD recognize that the SDGs can provide a valuable framework and legitimacy, as well as attract funding, visibility, and partnerships. But, at the same time, the article reveals that these projects also encounter several barriers with respect to the SDGs: a widespread lack of knowledge of the goals, combined with frustration and political resistance towards the UN, may deter these projects from contributing their data to the SDG monitoring apparatus.

scholarly journals Human Rights in the Least Developed Countries of Asia: An Index for Quantifying Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4747
Author(s):  
Karen G. Añaños Bedriñana ◽  
José Antonio Rodríguez Martín ◽  
Fanny T. Añaños
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Least Developed Countries ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Distance Method ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The Impact

This paper aims to measure disparities among the variables associated with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 defined by the United Nations (UN) in the least developed countries (LDCs) of Asia. In the terms of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, LDCs are countries with profound economic and social inequalities. The indicator was constructed using a set of variables associated with SDG3: Good Health and Wellbeing. Applying Pena’s DP2 distance method to the most recent data available (2018) enables regional ordering of Asia’s LDCs based on the values of these variables. The index integrates socioeconomic variables that permit examination of the impact of each individual indicator to determine territorial disparities in terms of the partial indicators of SDG3. “Maternal education,” “Proportion of women who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use, and reproductive health care,” and “Gender parity index in primary education” are the most important variables in explaining spatial disparities in good health and wellbeing in the LDCs of Asia.

scholarly journals Coping Strategies against Peer Victimization: Differences According to Gender, Grade, Victimization Status and Perceived Classroom Social Climate

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2605
Author(s):  
María-Jesús Cava ◽  
Ester Ayllón ◽  
Inés Tomás
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Peer Victimization ◽  
Classroom Climate ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Social Climate ◽  
Intervention Programs ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
School Grades ◽  
Teacher Student

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include “Good Health and Well-being” (SDG3) and “Quality Education” (SDG4). Nevertheless, many students cannot achieve these goals if they suffer peer victimization at their schools, and intervention programs to reduce it are necessary. These programs should consider the possible differences in the coping strategies preferred by students according to some personal (e.g., gender, grade, victimization status) and contextual (e.g., perceived classroom social climate) factors to be more effective. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the possible differences in the coping strategies preferred by students (ask a friend for help, ask a teacher for help, ask parents for help, not ask anyone for help, fighting back, avoid the aggressor and ask the aggressor why) to handle situations of relational, physical and verbal peer victimization according to their gender, school grade, victimization status and perceived classroom social climate. The sample comprised 479 students (52.2% boys, 47.8% girls) aged from 9 to 14 years (M = 11.21, SD = 1.52). The results showed that girls chose the strategies of asking friends or adults for help and asking the aggressor why more than boys, while boys chose the strategies of fighting back and not ask anyone for help more than girls. The coping strategy of asking a teacher for help was preferred more by students of lower school grades and by students with a positive perception of the classroom climate. Victimized students preferred the strategy of not asking anyone for help. These results may be useful for developing more effective intervention programs. These programs should aim to enhance the teacher–student relationship in upper school grades, help victimized students to inform about peer aggression situations and improve perceived classroom social climate.

Quanitification of sustainable hydropower potential in the Upper Indus basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanita Dhaubanjar ◽  
Arthur F. Lutz ◽  
David Gernaat ◽  
Santosh Nepal ◽  
Saurav Pradhananga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indus Basin ◽  
Hydropower Development ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Upper Indus Basin ◽  
Water Demands ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Hydropower Potential ◽  
Economic Preferences ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Diverse Context

&lt;p&gt;Considering the lack of a comprehensive assessement of hydropower potential in the Upper Indus basin, we developed and implemented a systematic framework to explore four different classes of hydropower potential. Our framework uses high-resolution discharge generated by a coupled cryosphere-hydrology model as the bio-physical boundary conditions to estimate theoretical potential. Thereafter, diverse context-specific constraints are implemented stepwise to estimate the technical, economic and sustainable hydropower potential. The successive classes of hydropower potential integrate considerations for various water demands under the water-energy-food nexus, multiple geo-hazard risks, climate change, environmental protection, and socio-economic preferences. We demonstrate that the nearly two thousand Terawatt-hour of theoretical potential available annualy in the upper Indus can be misleading because a majority of this is technically and economically not viable. Even smaller potential remains if we account for the various sustainability constraints that vary spatially. Our concept of the sustainable hydropower potential enables decision makers to look beyond the energy sector when selecting hydropower projects for development to achieveenergy security under the Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7).The generated portfolio of sustainable hydropower projects is superior to the current portfolio based on outdated studies because our method looks beyond theoretical possibilities and excludes projects that conflict with management objectives under other SDGs. The spatial maps with potential and the cost curves for hydropower production provide a science-based knowledge base for hydropower development in the Indus basin. Our method could similarly be adapted to inform hydropower development in other basins across the globe.&lt;/p&gt;

Implementing and evaluating a citizen-science program to support wildlife management: MI-MAST

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 518-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander K. Killion ◽  
Gary J. Roloff ◽  
Sarah Mayhew ◽  
Henry Campa ◽  
Scott Winterstein
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Wildlife Management ◽  
Science Program

scholarly journals Sexual Harassment at African Higher Education Institutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 94 ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Dranzoa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Gender Policy ◽  
Gender Based

In most African states, joining higher education institutions (HEIs) is, for students, an investment in their own economic progress. Yet, HEIs are sites where sexual harassment and gender-based violence (GBV) occur, increasing the vulnerability of newly enrolled female students and of women in general. A strong gender policy environment, a clear stand by senior management at HEIs, and the empowerment ofmen with respect to gender equity issues are remedies to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), goal 4 (Quality Education), goal 5 (Gender Equality), and goal 10 (Reduced Inequality).

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