A Self-Assessment of European Citizen Science Projects on Their Contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Nicola Moczek, Silke L. Voigt-Heucke, Kim G. Mortega, Claudia Fabó Cartas and Jörn Knobloch
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Nicola Moczek: Museum für Naturkunde, Science Programme Society and Nature, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Silke L. Voigt-Heucke: Museum für Naturkunde, Science Programme Society and Nature, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Kim G. Mortega: Museum für Naturkunde, Science Programme Society and Nature, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Claudia Fabó Cartas: Museum für Naturkunde, Science Programme Society and Nature, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Jörn Knobloch: Museum für Naturkunde, Science Programme Society and Nature, 10115 Berlin, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: In theoretical frameworks, it is often assumed that citizen science projects contribute to the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) because of their participatory character and the potential for social transformation. To bring a practical perspective into the dialogue, we designed a survey to obtain direct assessments of the contribution of citizen science to the SDGs by European project participants. We launched the survey across European science networks in 2020 and evaluated 125 questionnaires. Participants reported contributing most to three of the SDGs: ‘Good health and well-being’, ‘Quality education’, and Life on Land’. Additionally, our results provide evidence that, with ongoing advocacy, citizen science projects in Europe could support all SDGs in the future. Seventy-two percent of participants indicated that their projects are involved in data acquisition and 30% stated to report data, but 19% do not pass on data at all. Our findings indicate further that European citizen science projects lack infrastructures and institutional support to facilitate data sharing. We recommend a focus on the promotion or creation of interfaces, for example, between projects and UN databases. Finally, we advise that citizen science projects, some of which operate with little funding, should not be overburdened with inflated expectations as a means of implementing the SDGs.

Keywords: citizen science; public participation in science; sustainable development goals (SDGs); sustainability; SDG indicators; partnerships (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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