Citizen science and the right to research: building local knowledge of climate change impacts

The escalating climate crisis, driven by human activities, is causing widespread environmental and societal impacts, leading to increased disaster events like floods and droughts. While mitigation and adaptation strategies are crucial, effective responses remain limited across governmental, private, and community levels. Disaster risk management often prioritizes post-disaster recovery over prevention. Scientific knowledge is essential for informed decision-making; however, accessing relevant data and fostering social appropriation of this knowledge remains a challenge. Participatory and community-based approaches, particularly citizen science, offer promising avenues for addressing these issues. This research project aims to contribute theoretically and empirically to participatory citizen science methods for mapping climate change disaster risks. It emphasizes the "right to research," a concept advocating for knowledge production by common people, especially in vulnerable situations, as a means of empowering them and promoting democratic participation in scientific processes.

The literature review examines key concepts and perspectives related to participatory citizen science, highlighting the growing debate on open science, particularly regarding open research data and citizen science initiatives. While open data enhances research speed and quality, it doesn't guarantee social production and appropriation of data. The review emphasizes the need to value experiential knowledge and foster citizen innovation. Citizen science, traditionally involving volunteer collaboration in data collection and interpretation, is increasingly facilitated by digital tools and platforms, linking big and small data. However, criticisms highlight the exclusion of marginalized communities from many citizen science initiatives, leading to calls for "extreme" citizen science to involve any community globally. The review connects the concept of the "right to research," coined by Arjun Appadurai, which emphasizes the right of ordinary citizens to systematically increase their knowledge for survival and citizenship, linking this to the capacity to aspire and to engage in counter-hegemonic action. The review also discusses the integration of participatory mapping methods, particularly social cartography and Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS), to effectively engage communities in disaster risk management.

The study employed an action-research methodology, involving three coastal communities in Brazil: Morro do Algodão (Caraguatatuba), Ubatumirim (Ubatuba), and Quilombo Campinho (Paraty). The methodology comprised three phases. Phase I involved GIS mapping of flood and landslide risks using existing data. Phase II engaged local communities through CoAdapta working groups. These groups participated in participatory action research, including social cartography workshops using QGIS to map risks and vulnerabilities based on their experiences and knowledge. Semi-structured interviews with community members (n=46), focusing on their perceptions of climate change impacts and adaptation strategies, were conducted by community researchers. Phase III integrated knowledge from the different sources (local knowledge, official risk maps) and disseminated findings to the communities through GIS workshops. The snowball sampling method was utilized to recruit interview participants based on the networks of community leaders. Selection criteria included age (over 60), length of residence, and disaster experience. Social cartography activities incorporated both satellite imagery and community-drawn maps, combining technical and local perspectives on risk areas. Interviews explored changes in the landscape, risk perception, adaptation strategies, and communication of knowledge. The integration of different maps and scales helped broaden community understanding of watershed boundaries and specific risks.

The study integrated different maps and scales, illustrating the possibilities of integrating local knowledge with scientific knowledge to expand the possibilities for mapping risk areas and adaptation strategies. The overlapping of social cartography maps with official risk maps (1:25,000 scale versus 1:1,000 to 1:10,000 scale) revealed that social cartography provided more detailed local perspectives on risk areas. The maps highlighted specific risks: flash floods in Morro do Algodão, exacerbated by gas leaks; coastal erosion affecting beach infrastructure and fishing activities; strong winds impacting agriculture; and drought in 2015. Interviews revealed the temporality, seasonality, frequency, and duration of these risks. The study also showcased the integration of social cartography findings with the Cemaden-Educacao platform, an interactive citizen science platform for disaster risk reduction. The participatory mapping process helped communities develop their own strategies for risk identification and mitigation, including designing evacuation routes and identifying areas of high vulnerability. Partnerships with local schools further enhanced the project's reach and impact through activities like constructing rain gauges, conducting social cartography workshops, and training students in using QGIS.

The findings demonstrate the potential of integrating scientific and local knowledge in climate change risk mapping and adaptation. The combined use of social cartography and official risk maps provided a more comprehensive understanding of risk areas and vulnerabilities. The participatory process empowered communities, enabling them to design their own adaptation strategies. The study highlights the challenges of integrating different knowledge systems, demonstrating the need for more systematic approaches. While the study leveraged digital platforms, challenges remain in ensuring digital inclusion and access, particularly in remote areas. The research emphasized building trust between researchers and communities, fostering two-way learning and enhancing participatory action research methodologies.

This study demonstrates the efficacy of combining citizen science, action research, and social cartography to empower communities in addressing climate change impacts. The "right to research" framework enhanced the democratic perspective of citizen science by recognizing local knowledge and enabling community participation in all research phases. Future directions include expanding partnerships with schools, improving data communication strategies, strengthening agroforestry systems, and developing more robust methods for recording and integrating local observations into risk assessment. Transparency and data justice are crucial considerations for future projects to ensure the benefits of citizen science are shared equitably.

The study's temporal scope (one year) limited the long-term assessment of the impact of the interventions. Uneven access to technology and internet connectivity in some communities posed challenges. While the study provided a valuable case study, its generalizability might be limited to similar contexts. The study focused on three communities, limiting broader geographic representation.