Workshop "Citizen Science for Water Quality: shaping action"

VUB campus - Jun 02, 2025

Workshop Programme

Citizen Science for Water Quality: Shaping Action

Date: June 2, 2025

Location: Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium Room I 0.03

Overview

This workshop aims to explore the role of citizen science in water quality monitoring and its potential to drive local action. It will bring together researchers and practitioners from Belgium, Kenya, South Africa, Bolivia, and Cuba to share experiences and insights.

Detailed Schedule

·        13:00 – 13:10 | Opening Remarks, Afnan Agramont, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Welcome and introduction to the workshop's objectives.

·        13:10 – 13:50 | First Session CS4Water Platform Presentation & Case Studies

o   Presentation of the Citizen Science for Water (CS4Water) platform, Karen Verstraelen Scivil – Belgium (10 min)

o   Tracking ecological health through citizen science water quality assessment by young guardians of river Yala basin, John Nyongesah, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Kenya (10 min)

o   Environmental justice advocacy through citizen science, Leonardo Villafuerte, Universidad Católica Boliviana (UCB), Bolivia (10 min)

o   Q&A 10 min

·       13:50 – 14:20 | Second Session Case Studies

o   Diamonds on the Soles of our Feet: a pedagogy with a heartbeat, Jaqueline Goldin, University of the Western Cape (10 min)

o   "Leaving No-One Behind: Towards Equitable and Inclusive Citizen Science, Franz-Ferdinand Rothe, SMIT VUB (10 min)

o   Q&A 10 minutes

·        14:30 – 15:30 | Parallel Sessions

- Hands-on Workshop: Fesh Water Watch water quality methodology. Facilitator, Analy Baltodano Martinez
- Group Discussion: From Citizen Science to Engaging Communities and Inspiring Action. Moderator, Leonardo Villafuerte 

·        15:30 – 15:45 | Closing Remarks

Summarization of key takeaways and concluding thoughts.