Bringing river health into being with citizen science: River commons co-learning and practice
- Mickelsson, Martin, Thifhulufhelwi, Reuben, Mvulane, Paulose, Brownell, Faye, Russell, Charlene, Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Authors: Mickelsson, Martin , Thifhulufhelwi, Reuben , Mvulane, Paulose , Brownell, Faye , Russell, Charlene , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480383 , vital:78437 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-sajsci-v120-n9-a16
- Description: Human health and well-being are directly and indirectly dependent on the life of river systems. Life in river systems is increasingly dependent on human actions that bring river health into being. Rather than describing river health as thing, problem or management challenge, this paper explores how river health is brought into being, through the citizen science practices of the Amanzi Ethu Nobuntu project in the upper uMngeni catchment in South Africa. The study draws on focal data produced by citizen science practitioners, as interpreted by them in collaboration with par tners in the catchment, and their reflections on the meaning(s) of river health and how it came into being. Drawing on the concepts of citizen science as a co-learning process, integrative views of One Health, and commoning as activity, the study offers a rich interpretation on how river health comes into being. The study shows the complex interrelated practices involved, including practices of resolving leaks and pollution challenges, social and community engagement, and the co-learning involved in citizen science practices itself. It offers insight into the socialecological and ethical-political ontological dynamics of river health commoning activity, thus offering alternatives to reductionist approaches to bringing river health into being, potentially also enriching tools for river health reporting.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024
- Authors: Mickelsson, Martin , Thifhulufhelwi, Reuben , Mvulane, Paulose , Brownell, Faye , Russell, Charlene , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480383 , vital:78437 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-sajsci-v120-n9-a16
- Description: Human health and well-being are directly and indirectly dependent on the life of river systems. Life in river systems is increasingly dependent on human actions that bring river health into being. Rather than describing river health as thing, problem or management challenge, this paper explores how river health is brought into being, through the citizen science practices of the Amanzi Ethu Nobuntu project in the upper uMngeni catchment in South Africa. The study draws on focal data produced by citizen science practitioners, as interpreted by them in collaboration with par tners in the catchment, and their reflections on the meaning(s) of river health and how it came into being. Drawing on the concepts of citizen science as a co-learning process, integrative views of One Health, and commoning as activity, the study offers a rich interpretation on how river health comes into being. The study shows the complex interrelated practices involved, including practices of resolving leaks and pollution challenges, social and community engagement, and the co-learning involved in citizen science practices itself. It offers insight into the socialecological and ethical-political ontological dynamics of river health commoning activity, thus offering alternatives to reductionist approaches to bringing river health into being, potentially also enriching tools for river health reporting.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024
Short Course Handouts Bundle for the Training of Trainers Course: Introductory course to facilitating social learning and stakeholder engagement in natural resource management contexts
- Weaver, Martin, Rosenberg, Eureta, Cockburn, Jessica J, Thifhulufhelwi, Reuben, Chetty, Preven, Mponwana, Maletje, Mvulane, Paulose
- Authors: Weaver, Martin , Rosenberg, Eureta , Cockburn, Jessica J , Thifhulufhelwi, Reuben , Chetty, Preven , Mponwana, Maletje , Mvulane, Paulose
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: Social learning , Stakeholder management , Natural resources Management , Community education
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/338822 , vital:62456 , ISBN
- Description: This document is a compilation of the course handouts (materials) developed and produced for the “Training of Trainers” Short Course – the full title of which is the: “Introductory course to facilitating social learning and stakeholder engagement in natural resource management contexts”.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Weaver, Martin , Rosenberg, Eureta , Cockburn, Jessica J , Thifhulufhelwi, Reuben , Chetty, Preven , Mponwana, Maletje , Mvulane, Paulose
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: Social learning , Stakeholder management , Natural resources Management , Community education
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/338822 , vital:62456 , ISBN
- Description: This document is a compilation of the course handouts (materials) developed and produced for the “Training of Trainers” Short Course – the full title of which is the: “Introductory course to facilitating social learning and stakeholder engagement in natural resource management contexts”.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Using Citizen Science to Protect Natural Untreated Drinking Water Sources: Natural Springs in Rural Catchments and B3 Municipalities in the Eastern Cape
- Mtati, Nosi, Chetty, Preven, Norman, Yondela, Mvulane, Paulose, Libala, Notiswa, Weaver, Matthew J T, Wolff, Margaret M, Cockburn, Jessica J, Mazibuko, Thembalani
- Authors: Mtati, Nosi , Chetty, Preven , Norman, Yondela , Mvulane, Paulose , Libala, Notiswa , Weaver, Matthew J T , Wolff, Margaret M , Cockburn, Jessica J , Mazibuko, Thembalani
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425732 , vital:72279 , ISBN 978-0-6392-0550-2 , https://wrcwebsite.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/3097 final.pdf
- Description: Citizen science is a well-known mechanism used by researchers to col-lect scientific data working together with citizens. It can also be used by interested and concerned citizens (social activists regarding environ-mental threats) to protect natural occurring things like biodiversity, rare species that are threatened extension and much more. It can be a natu-ral occurring process that evolves with time but it can also have some guidelines of how to monitor, collect, analyse and disseminate data. In this project we used participatory action research processes to co-develop tools (co-create being one of the types of citizen science) with local communities, using their knowledge of their area to monitor and protect natural springs. Springs are useful for providing drinking water for people but also for livestock. In rural areas and small towns where service delivery is not reliable, natural occurring water sources become the reliable supply for these communities. Springs also provide ecosys-tem services as they are a keystone ecological infrastructure. These natural water sources can be threatened by pollution, especially that of livestock which is mostly unattended, because they are sometimes shared by people and animals. This poses health risks to the users. This study co-developed the “spring protection and sustainable use” tool/s that can be used to guide communities and local government on how to protect these important water sources. Citizen science also cre-ates opportunities for learning to take place among the participants as well as the researchers involved.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Mtati, Nosi , Chetty, Preven , Norman, Yondela , Mvulane, Paulose , Libala, Notiswa , Weaver, Matthew J T , Wolff, Margaret M , Cockburn, Jessica J , Mazibuko, Thembalani
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425732 , vital:72279 , ISBN 978-0-6392-0550-2 , https://wrcwebsite.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/mdocs/3097 final.pdf
- Description: Citizen science is a well-known mechanism used by researchers to col-lect scientific data working together with citizens. It can also be used by interested and concerned citizens (social activists regarding environ-mental threats) to protect natural occurring things like biodiversity, rare species that are threatened extension and much more. It can be a natu-ral occurring process that evolves with time but it can also have some guidelines of how to monitor, collect, analyse and disseminate data. In this project we used participatory action research processes to co-develop tools (co-create being one of the types of citizen science) with local communities, using their knowledge of their area to monitor and protect natural springs. Springs are useful for providing drinking water for people but also for livestock. In rural areas and small towns where service delivery is not reliable, natural occurring water sources become the reliable supply for these communities. Springs also provide ecosys-tem services as they are a keystone ecological infrastructure. These natural water sources can be threatened by pollution, especially that of livestock which is mostly unattended, because they are sometimes shared by people and animals. This poses health risks to the users. This study co-developed the “spring protection and sustainable use” tool/s that can be used to guide communities and local government on how to protect these important water sources. Citizen science also cre-ates opportunities for learning to take place among the participants as well as the researchers involved.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- «
- ‹
- 1
- ›
- »