Citizen Science for Conservation: Towards a Cleaner, Greener China

Miriam R Aczel,Karen Makuch,David Cao

doi:10.5070/g314650055

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.

Highlights

China currently contends with well-documented environmental problems, ranging from pollution and contamination, to biodiversity and habitat loss that adversely affect the health of the Chinese population (Lu et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2021; Xiong & Xu, 2021; Zhang et al, 2021), and negatively impact the national economy with direct annual economic losses of over 64 billion CNY (Bao et al, 2017)
It is likely that citizen science projects in China are often isolated from the global citizen science community, cutting off a potential source of support and capacity building
We argue here that citizen science can benefit Chinese environmental policy, but challenges need to be overcome, those posed by traditional cultural values

Summary

Introduction

China currently contends with well-documented environmental problems, ranging from pollution and contamination, to biodiversity and habitat loss that adversely affect the health of the Chinese population (Lu et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2021; Xiong & Xu, 2021; Zhang et al, 2021), and negatively impact the national economy with direct annual economic losses of over 64 billion CNY (Bao et al, 2017). Revisions to China’s 2014 Environmental Protection Law (in effect since 1 January 2015) gave local government officials greater power and responsibility to hold polluters accountable for violating pollution limits and crucially provides for greater citizen participation in environmental protection (China Dialogue, 2014; Ker & Logan, 2014). Government legislation such as the 2014 “Guidance Opinion on Promoting Public Participation in Environmental Protection” and the 2015 “Measures for Public Participation in Environmental Protection” aim to ensure that the public has access to “information to hold polluters accountable” (Hsu, Weinfurter, & Yan, 2017). Article 53, Chapter V on Information Disclosure and Public Participation of the 2014 Environmental Protection Law is explicit on the role of citizens in environmental protection:

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Conclusion