Eco4UA
Basic information
Project Title
Eco4UA
Full project title
Empowering communities’ civic and legal capacities for Ukraine’s post-war environmental recovery
Category
Regaining a sense of belonging
Project Description
The “Eco4UA” project aims to empower Ukrainian communities to regain their natural heritage and socio-environmental wellbeing. By bringing communities in the centre of post-conflict environmental recovery, the project unfolds in a series of co-designed citizen science actions with university students, experts and communities, that transform Ukrainian citizens into advocates of environmental justice and post-war preservation in their country.
Geographical Scope
Cross-border/international
Project Region
CROSS-BORDER/INTERNATIONAL: Greece, Italy, Ukraine
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
Yes
Which funds
ERASMUS
Description of the project
Summary
Overall aim
The Eco4UA project leverages the social and democratic values of active citizenship and civic engagement to empower Ukrainian communities in their struggle for post-conflict environmental recovery. By adopting citizen science as its approach, Eco4UA aims to engage Ukrainian communities together with university students to build a sustainable pathway towards environmental advocacy and justice. In the project, we define “citizen science” as “public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge” (National Geographic, n.d.).
The project will expand work developed by the EU-funded GROMADA project (https://web2learn.eu/portfolio/gromada/) in which Odesa State Environmental University is a partner and will provide valuable expertise in conducting environmental citizen science for post-war recovery in Ukraine.
Target groups
1. Ukrainian communities affected by the war
2. European and Ukrainian universities.
Moreover, policymakers, at national and European levels, will be actively consulted to ensure that the activities and results of Eco4UA align with policy directives and can be effectively integrated into broader environmental and post-conflict rehabilitation strategies.
Specific objectives
Eco4UA has defined two specific objectives:
a) To stimulate upskilling among university staff and students in citizen science for assessing war-induced environmental harm, with a strong emphasis on its legal dimension.
b) To foster civic engagement in environmental recovery in Ukraine through a "citizen science - law - environment" triad that diagnoses environmental harm in war.
Outcomes
What is the future of environmental well-being in Ukraine in the post-war era?
The ECO4UA project is designed to strengthen community-academia collaboration. Eco4UA involves hands-on workshops and citizen science activities organised. The project will provide policy recommendations for supporting citizen science in Ukraine.
The Eco4UA project leverages the social and democratic values of active citizenship and civic engagement to empower Ukrainian communities in their struggle for post-conflict environmental recovery. By adopting citizen science as its approach, Eco4UA aims to engage Ukrainian communities together with university students to build a sustainable pathway towards environmental advocacy and justice. In the project, we define “citizen science” as “public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge” (National Geographic, n.d.).
The project will expand work developed by the EU-funded GROMADA project (https://web2learn.eu/portfolio/gromada/) in which Odesa State Environmental University is a partner and will provide valuable expertise in conducting environmental citizen science for post-war recovery in Ukraine.
Target groups
1. Ukrainian communities affected by the war
2. European and Ukrainian universities.
Moreover, policymakers, at national and European levels, will be actively consulted to ensure that the activities and results of Eco4UA align with policy directives and can be effectively integrated into broader environmental and post-conflict rehabilitation strategies.
Specific objectives
Eco4UA has defined two specific objectives:
a) To stimulate upskilling among university staff and students in citizen science for assessing war-induced environmental harm, with a strong emphasis on its legal dimension.
b) To foster civic engagement in environmental recovery in Ukraine through a "citizen science - law - environment" triad that diagnoses environmental harm in war.
Outcomes
What is the future of environmental well-being in Ukraine in the post-war era?
The ECO4UA project is designed to strengthen community-academia collaboration. Eco4UA involves hands-on workshops and citizen science activities organised. The project will provide policy recommendations for supporting citizen science in Ukraine.
Key objectives for sustainability
Eco4UA serves as a beacon for other post-conflict regions, showcasing how sustainable practices driven by local communities and backed by academic institutions can pave the way for comprehensive recovery. Its unique blend of citizen science, legal advocacy, and environmental focus presents a model approach for holistic, sustainable post-conflict rehabilitation.
At the heart of the Eco4UA project is the understanding that true recovery from conflict not only means rebuilding structures and institutions but also ensuring the holistic restoration of the environment, thereby safeguarding both natural heritage and human livelihoods.
Key objectives in terms of sustainability:
1) promote environmental citizenship - by instilling a sense of environmental stewardship among Ukrainian communities, Eco4UA's primary objective is to ensure that citizens take an active role in safeguarding their natural heritage, even during challenging times;
2) empowerment through citizen science - by providing tools for civic environmental monitoring, the project empowers communities to actively identify and mitigate sources of pollution, fostering a zero-pollution approach at the grassroots level;
3) safeguard biodiversity - through its “citizen science - law - environment” triad, Eco4UA diagnoses environmental harm resulting from conflict, ensuring that steps are taken to prevent further biodiversity loss.
Achievements:
1) Eco4UA's citizen science empowers communities to reduce human impact using NBS;
2) by emphasizing regeneration and lifecycle thinking, Eco4UA promotes sustainable practices that not only restore but enhance the ecological balance, ensuring habitats and species flourish;
3) by producing educational resources and policy guidelines, the project ensures a ripple effect, cultivating a new generation of eco-conscious individuals and influencing sustainable policies at the national level.
At the heart of the Eco4UA project is the understanding that true recovery from conflict not only means rebuilding structures and institutions but also ensuring the holistic restoration of the environment, thereby safeguarding both natural heritage and human livelihoods.
Key objectives in terms of sustainability:
1) promote environmental citizenship - by instilling a sense of environmental stewardship among Ukrainian communities, Eco4UA's primary objective is to ensure that citizens take an active role in safeguarding their natural heritage, even during challenging times;
2) empowerment through citizen science - by providing tools for civic environmental monitoring, the project empowers communities to actively identify and mitigate sources of pollution, fostering a zero-pollution approach at the grassroots level;
3) safeguard biodiversity - through its “citizen science - law - environment” triad, Eco4UA diagnoses environmental harm resulting from conflict, ensuring that steps are taken to prevent further biodiversity loss.
Achievements:
1) Eco4UA's citizen science empowers communities to reduce human impact using NBS;
2) by emphasizing regeneration and lifecycle thinking, Eco4UA promotes sustainable practices that not only restore but enhance the ecological balance, ensuring habitats and species flourish;
3) by producing educational resources and policy guidelines, the project ensures a ripple effect, cultivating a new generation of eco-conscious individuals and influencing sustainable policies at the national level.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
To ensure inclusion and accessibility of Eco4UA’s activities and results, an Ethics committee will be established. Upon the guidelines of the Ethics committee, an inclusivity and diversity checklist will be provided to partners. The checklist will also be aligned with the UN's guidelines on inclusiveness and accessibility (UN, Disability-Inclusive Communications Guidelines, 2022; Guidelines for Gender-Inclusive Language; Disability Inclusive Language Guidelines).
Eco4UA’s results will be available open-access, while key deliverables will also be translated into the Ukrainian, Italian and Greek languages. Furthermore, the Quality Assurance and Risk Prevention Committee of the project will run evaluation questionnaires that will bring participants’ perspectives to the fore on what to improve and how during and after the project’s lifecycle.
What distinguishes Eco4UA is its profound understanding that post-conflict recovery isn’t just about rebuilding, but about reimagining. Through its initiatives, Eco4UA showcases how communities can reclaim their cultural identity, nurture their aesthetic values, and pave a path for a harmonious future.
By prioritizing local involvement, Eco4UA ensures that every initiative is deeply rooted in the cultural context of Ukrainian society. The emphasis on inclusivity ensures this diverse tapestry of the Ukrainian cultural landscape is respected and nurtured. Citizen science initiatives, in particular, give communities a stake in their future, fostering a shared sense of purpose and belonging. Moreover, the open-access and multilingual deliverables ensure that the wisdom and experiences from this project are woven into the broader cultural narrative, cementing the enduring values of unity, resilience, and sustainable growth.
Eco4UA highlights the value of such soft investments, fostering a sense of belonging within communities, thus connecting qualities of a place, and integrating new enduring cultural values.
Eco4UA’s results will be available open-access, while key deliverables will also be translated into the Ukrainian, Italian and Greek languages. Furthermore, the Quality Assurance and Risk Prevention Committee of the project will run evaluation questionnaires that will bring participants’ perspectives to the fore on what to improve and how during and after the project’s lifecycle.
What distinguishes Eco4UA is its profound understanding that post-conflict recovery isn’t just about rebuilding, but about reimagining. Through its initiatives, Eco4UA showcases how communities can reclaim their cultural identity, nurture their aesthetic values, and pave a path for a harmonious future.
By prioritizing local involvement, Eco4UA ensures that every initiative is deeply rooted in the cultural context of Ukrainian society. The emphasis on inclusivity ensures this diverse tapestry of the Ukrainian cultural landscape is respected and nurtured. Citizen science initiatives, in particular, give communities a stake in their future, fostering a shared sense of purpose and belonging. Moreover, the open-access and multilingual deliverables ensure that the wisdom and experiences from this project are woven into the broader cultural narrative, cementing the enduring values of unity, resilience, and sustainable growth.
Eco4UA highlights the value of such soft investments, fostering a sense of belonging within communities, thus connecting qualities of a place, and integrating new enduring cultural values.
Key objectives for inclusion
The Eco4UA project originated as an idea for inclusive communities in Ukraine, focusing on the needs arising from the environmental consequences of the war. In this context, academia-society collaboration plays a fundamental role in fostering inclusive scientific and legal research.
Eco4UA champions 'Design for All' principles, advocating for an inclusive recovery where every individual, regardless of age, background, or ability, has a voice and an active role. Our inclusion objectives are:
- bridging generational divides through intergenerational exchanges, valuing both youthful innovation and seasoned wisdom;
- supporting the vulnerable, ensuring those facing economic hardships, disabilities, and other challenges are not sidelined;
- amplifying social interaction through Eco4UA's events, fostering teamwork, sharing, and communal learning.
Our key achievements include:
1) An inclusivity and accessibility checklist - this tool, overseen by the Ethics committee, ensures every activity is tailored to accommodate and include everyone, irrespective of their backgrounds or abilities;
2) Removing financial barriers, ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to learn, engage, and contribute;
3) The co-design of citizen science projects – by involving students and communities in the design process, Eco4UA ensures that the resultant projects are reflective of the needs and aspirations of all involved;
4) Free workshops and lecture series - making education and engagement opportunities free and open for all underlines Eco4UA's commitment to a truly inclusive recovery process.
The Eoc4UA's comprehensive approach - ensuring everyone, especially the vulnerable, is heard and can contribute - offers a transformative model of community engagement. The emphasis on intergenerational exchanges and spatial integration ensures that the collective wisdom of the community is harnessed, building a resilient, and inclusive society that's prepared for future challenges.
Eco4UA champions 'Design for All' principles, advocating for an inclusive recovery where every individual, regardless of age, background, or ability, has a voice and an active role. Our inclusion objectives are:
- bridging generational divides through intergenerational exchanges, valuing both youthful innovation and seasoned wisdom;
- supporting the vulnerable, ensuring those facing economic hardships, disabilities, and other challenges are not sidelined;
- amplifying social interaction through Eco4UA's events, fostering teamwork, sharing, and communal learning.
Our key achievements include:
1) An inclusivity and accessibility checklist - this tool, overseen by the Ethics committee, ensures every activity is tailored to accommodate and include everyone, irrespective of their backgrounds or abilities;
2) Removing financial barriers, ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to learn, engage, and contribute;
3) The co-design of citizen science projects – by involving students and communities in the design process, Eco4UA ensures that the resultant projects are reflective of the needs and aspirations of all involved;
4) Free workshops and lecture series - making education and engagement opportunities free and open for all underlines Eco4UA's commitment to a truly inclusive recovery process.
The Eoc4UA's comprehensive approach - ensuring everyone, especially the vulnerable, is heard and can contribute - offers a transformative model of community engagement. The emphasis on intergenerational exchanges and spatial integration ensures that the collective wisdom of the community is harnessed, building a resilient, and inclusive society that's prepared for future challenges.
How Citizens benefit
Eco4UA is designed to directly engage Ukrainian citizens as well as European civil society organisations in its activities. Precisely, Eco4UA will organise a series of online seminars for citizens, students and representatives of civil society organisations on “Implementing Citizen Science for War-Induced Environmental Harm in Ukraine”. The seminar will provide hands-on knowledge and competences to participants before they directly engage in citizen science activities on the ground.
Then, Ukrainian citizens, in collaboration with university students and staff, will implement citizen science actions that include the air and water quality monitoring in their surrounding area, as well as the mapping of war-destroyed natural habitats. The results, insights, and experiences gained from the citizen science actions will be detailed in a report accessible to users for consultation.
In both actions, the role of communities, students, and civil society organisations are crucial to the success of the planned activities. Specifically, during the interactive seminars, participants will be called to share their experiences and to forge synergies with relevant stakeholders. Likewise, the co-creative citizen science projects will place Ukrainian citizens at the center of designing environmental citizen science that speaks to their reality and addresses their urgent needs. Thus, their involvement will be not merely as "spectators" but as true agents and advocates for environmental justice and accountability amidst the challenges of war-torn Ukraine.
Then, Ukrainian citizens, in collaboration with university students and staff, will implement citizen science actions that include the air and water quality monitoring in their surrounding area, as well as the mapping of war-destroyed natural habitats. The results, insights, and experiences gained from the citizen science actions will be detailed in a report accessible to users for consultation.
In both actions, the role of communities, students, and civil society organisations are crucial to the success of the planned activities. Specifically, during the interactive seminars, participants will be called to share their experiences and to forge synergies with relevant stakeholders. Likewise, the co-creative citizen science projects will place Ukrainian citizens at the center of designing environmental citizen science that speaks to their reality and addresses their urgent needs. Thus, their involvement will be not merely as "spectators" but as true agents and advocates for environmental justice and accountability amidst the challenges of war-torn Ukraine.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
In times of warfare, individuals and local communities observe the destructive nature of armed conflict and its huge toll on human lives and the environment. To empower the Ukrainian people to seek justice for environmental crimes and to become agents of post-conflict recovery, the Eco4UA project brings together citizen science with legal experts, practitioners, and students.
As a well-known method of open innovation, citizen science unlocks the potential for active citizenship in communities devastated by war.
By engaging local communities, non-governmental organizations, experts, and other stakeholders, the project enables a more detailed understanding of local realities, while forging a more participatory approach to environmental recovery in Ukraine.
The innovativeness of the project is also reflected in the participation of university staff and students, as well as knowledge institutions, assisting Ukrainian communities in enhancing their scientific literacy and knowledge of citizen science and its legal dimension. Thus, the Eco4UA project aims to foster academia-society collaboration in Ukraine, with other European partners acting as supporters and propagators of Ukrainian communities’ rights to advocate for the protection of their natural heritage by contributing environmental information through citizen science.
Furthermore, Eco4UA is based on a cross-country and intersectoral approach that facilitates knowledge-sharing and allows for a review of comparable experiences at European and international levels. As higher education institutions in Ukraine and Europe join forces with citizens and other stakeholders (NGOs, research institutes, businesses, policymakers), to advance the legal understanding and the value of citizen-generated data, it ensures that post-conflict environmental recovery in Ukraine is a concern for all, not just a select few.
As a well-known method of open innovation, citizen science unlocks the potential for active citizenship in communities devastated by war.
By engaging local communities, non-governmental organizations, experts, and other stakeholders, the project enables a more detailed understanding of local realities, while forging a more participatory approach to environmental recovery in Ukraine.
The innovativeness of the project is also reflected in the participation of university staff and students, as well as knowledge institutions, assisting Ukrainian communities in enhancing their scientific literacy and knowledge of citizen science and its legal dimension. Thus, the Eco4UA project aims to foster academia-society collaboration in Ukraine, with other European partners acting as supporters and propagators of Ukrainian communities’ rights to advocate for the protection of their natural heritage by contributing environmental information through citizen science.
Furthermore, Eco4UA is based on a cross-country and intersectoral approach that facilitates knowledge-sharing and allows for a review of comparable experiences at European and international levels. As higher education institutions in Ukraine and Europe join forces with citizens and other stakeholders (NGOs, research institutes, businesses, policymakers), to advance the legal understanding and the value of citizen-generated data, it ensures that post-conflict environmental recovery in Ukraine is a concern for all, not just a select few.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
Eco4UA integrates an interdisciplinary approach that encompasses the knowledge fields of law, environmental studies, and social studies. All three disciplines, which are dimensions within Eco4UA, will see participation from university students and staff, as well as researchers of all three strands in the project’s activities.
Thus, the project is built on the triad "citizen science-law-environment" which is central to all its activities and results. To bring together representatives of these different fields, the project envisages a series of targeted actions that highlight the need for a cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary manner, especially under challenging socio-environmental conditions. These actions include a series of online seminars where these multiple perspectives and approaches will be shared with university students. Additionally, training workshops aim to bring together representatives of academia, civil society organisations, research institutions, and policymakers to explore both barriers to and opportunities for environmental citizen science in Ukraine.
Finally, the 3 mini-citizen science projects with Ukrainian communities will provide a hands-on experience where representatives of various scientific fields join forces to support Ukrainian citizens in their struggle for environmental advocacy and justice in the post-war recovery era.
Thus, the project is built on the triad "citizen science-law-environment" which is central to all its activities and results. To bring together representatives of these different fields, the project envisages a series of targeted actions that highlight the need for a cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary manner, especially under challenging socio-environmental conditions. These actions include a series of online seminars where these multiple perspectives and approaches will be shared with university students. Additionally, training workshops aim to bring together representatives of academia, civil society organisations, research institutions, and policymakers to explore both barriers to and opportunities for environmental citizen science in Ukraine.
Finally, the 3 mini-citizen science projects with Ukrainian communities will provide a hands-on experience where representatives of various scientific fields join forces to support Ukrainian citizens in their struggle for environmental advocacy and justice in the post-war recovery era.
Methodology used
The Eco4UA project is built upon a careful and detailed needs analysis that was coordinated by OSENU, as the Ukrainian partner with direct knowledge and information about local needs and limitations on the ground.
In this context, as all Eco4UA partners have been collaborating with Ukrainian stakeholders for over a year since the outbreak of the war, the consortium has been able to collaboratively develop a project methodology that will meet the needs of its target groups.
Specifically, Eco4UA combines a) the analysis of existing practices for community engagement in environmental citizen science in Ukraine, with b) a series of knowledge and training seminars and workshops for university staff and students, and c) citizen science actions with Ukrainian communities for environmental justice and recovery.
To ensure the sustainability of our approach, a feasibility study will be conducted and published, while open-access policy recommendations will inform decision-makers on supporting and enhancing community engagement and advocacy in environmental citizen science and peacebuilding in Ukraine.
In terms of disseminating the project’s results and outcomes, Eco4UA envisages the organisation of a conference for students, Ukrainian citizens, policymakers, NGOs, and civil society organizations engaged in environmental protection for Ukraine.
In this context, as all Eco4UA partners have been collaborating with Ukrainian stakeholders for over a year since the outbreak of the war, the consortium has been able to collaboratively develop a project methodology that will meet the needs of its target groups.
Specifically, Eco4UA combines a) the analysis of existing practices for community engagement in environmental citizen science in Ukraine, with b) a series of knowledge and training seminars and workshops for university staff and students, and c) citizen science actions with Ukrainian communities for environmental justice and recovery.
To ensure the sustainability of our approach, a feasibility study will be conducted and published, while open-access policy recommendations will inform decision-makers on supporting and enhancing community engagement and advocacy in environmental citizen science and peacebuilding in Ukraine.
In terms of disseminating the project’s results and outcomes, Eco4UA envisages the organisation of a conference for students, Ukrainian citizens, policymakers, NGOs, and civil society organizations engaged in environmental protection for Ukraine.
How stakeholders are engaged
In Eco4UA, we have engaged key stakeholders from the ideation and design stages of the project proposal. Specifically, to address the needs of Ukrainian communities and to understand the status of war-induced environmental harm, we conducted a series of online interviews with representatives from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Odesa State Environmental University. Thus, Eco4UA partners, together with these Ukrainian stakeholders and two community members from the city of Odesa, worked on the project’s objectives, activities and results, following a collaborative project design process. Below is a detailed mapping of the stakeholders we will engage.
At national level: the Institute of Market and Economic-Ecological Researches of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), the Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Ecology of the Sea, the Institute of Marine Biology of the NASU, the Plant Breeding and Genetic Institute - National Center for Seed Science and Varietal Research, and the Human Rights International Corner (HRIC) network. Additionally, the Research Unit on Everyday Bioethics and Ethics of Science at the Florence University and the Politecnico of Milan are a few of the examples of institutions that will commit to maximizing Eco4UA’s impact at the national level.
At European level: the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), the EU Scientific,
Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).
At the international level: the Environmental Peacebuilding Association, the European Society of International Law, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Group on Earth Observations.
We distinguish the added value of these stakeholders by a) providing expertise and good practices in the legal dimension of environmental citizen science during war, and by b) engaging with communities, facilitated by Ukrainian stakeholders.
At national level: the Institute of Market and Economic-Ecological Researches of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), the Ukrainian Scientific Centre of Ecology of the Sea, the Institute of Marine Biology of the NASU, the Plant Breeding and Genetic Institute - National Center for Seed Science and Varietal Research, and the Human Rights International Corner (HRIC) network. Additionally, the Research Unit on Everyday Bioethics and Ethics of Science at the Florence University and the Politecnico of Milan are a few of the examples of institutions that will commit to maximizing Eco4UA’s impact at the national level.
At European level: the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), the EU Scientific,
Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).
At the international level: the Environmental Peacebuilding Association, the European Society of International Law, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Group on Earth Observations.
We distinguish the added value of these stakeholders by a) providing expertise and good practices in the legal dimension of environmental citizen science during war, and by b) engaging with communities, facilitated by Ukrainian stakeholders.
Global challenges
Although the project is designed to address the needs of Ukrainian citizens who face the dire consequences of the war, we cannot claim that Eco4UA is meant to solve this global challenge, nor that it has the capacity to stop the environmental catastrophe that has hit the Ukrainian natural heritage.
However, by giving Ukrainian citizens the knowledge and tools to monitor environmental damage in their areas, as well as providing university students with the skills to expand research in this field with and for conflict-affected communities, Eco4UA will have a significant impact on the post-conflict recovery of Ukraine.
Specifically, citizen science initiatives focused on war-induced environmental harm in Ukraine will equip national and European research institutions, universities, policymakers, and decision-makers with up-to-date data that can then be studied and used for legal and judicial purposes in the post-war era. Moreover, by raising awareness of environmental justice issues during conflict and the role of citizens in safeguarding their heritage, as well as demanding that those responsible for this damage are held accountable in court, Eco4UA will set an example on an unprecedented scale of how knowledge institutions can collaborate with communities in their struggle for justice. This is especially important in the post-conflict period when national institutions and assistance centres will need the contributions of citizens to tackle local and global challenges such as climate change, health and wellbeing, and conflict reparations.
However, by giving Ukrainian citizens the knowledge and tools to monitor environmental damage in their areas, as well as providing university students with the skills to expand research in this field with and for conflict-affected communities, Eco4UA will have a significant impact on the post-conflict recovery of Ukraine.
Specifically, citizen science initiatives focused on war-induced environmental harm in Ukraine will equip national and European research institutions, universities, policymakers, and decision-makers with up-to-date data that can then be studied and used for legal and judicial purposes in the post-war era. Moreover, by raising awareness of environmental justice issues during conflict and the role of citizens in safeguarding their heritage, as well as demanding that those responsible for this damage are held accountable in court, Eco4UA will set an example on an unprecedented scale of how knowledge institutions can collaborate with communities in their struggle for justice. This is especially important in the post-conflict period when national institutions and assistance centres will need the contributions of citizens to tackle local and global challenges such as climate change, health and wellbeing, and conflict reparations.
Learning transferred to other parties
The Eco4UA project brings with it true transferability and replicability potential as it is designed to analyse and expand knowledge and good practices on environmental citizen science and its legal dimension for communities in conflict zones. By taking Ukraine as a case study, the project aims to provide useful insights and produce deliverables that will allow and enhance the replicability of its methodology to relevant socio-environmental contexts.
In particular, we can divide in two categories the elements that can be transferred and replicated:
A) Publications and educational materials
A publication on practices for community engagement in environmental citizen science in Ukraine will retrieve useful insights for other relevant contexts, as armed conflicts pose similar threats to communities worldwide. Likewise, the policy recommendations on supporting community-led environmental citizen science in Ukraine will comprise in-depth analysis that will nurture understanding and expertise of social actors engaged with conflict-affected communities for environmental protection and recovery.
B) Online seminars, workshops and citizen science activities
The project is based on a methodology that places communities, university staff and students as well as wider social actors (NGOs, business, etc.) to the centre of its activities. Thus, the 3 mini-citizen science projects – including air and water quality monitoring as well as mapping of war-destroyed natural habitats, with communities – represent major activities and outcomes that can be replicated by other stakeholders who aim to engage citizens in scientific research for post-conflict socio-environmental recovery. Additionally, the online seminars will provide insights and knowledge on how university staff and students can foster academia’s and research institutes’ social mission. Finally, the workshops aim to stimulate discussion and engage a broader audience of citizens and experts.
In particular, we can divide in two categories the elements that can be transferred and replicated:
A) Publications and educational materials
A publication on practices for community engagement in environmental citizen science in Ukraine will retrieve useful insights for other relevant contexts, as armed conflicts pose similar threats to communities worldwide. Likewise, the policy recommendations on supporting community-led environmental citizen science in Ukraine will comprise in-depth analysis that will nurture understanding and expertise of social actors engaged with conflict-affected communities for environmental protection and recovery.
B) Online seminars, workshops and citizen science activities
The project is based on a methodology that places communities, university staff and students as well as wider social actors (NGOs, business, etc.) to the centre of its activities. Thus, the 3 mini-citizen science projects – including air and water quality monitoring as well as mapping of war-destroyed natural habitats, with communities – represent major activities and outcomes that can be replicated by other stakeholders who aim to engage citizens in scientific research for post-conflict socio-environmental recovery. Additionally, the online seminars will provide insights and knowledge on how university staff and students can foster academia’s and research institutes’ social mission. Finally, the workshops aim to stimulate discussion and engage a broader audience of citizens and experts.
Keywords
Citizen Science
Human Rights and Rule of Law
Community Building
Environment
Disaster prevention and regenerative processes
