Earthwatch co-hosts citizen science knowledge exchange workshop in Kenya
25th September 2025
The workshop, held at United Nations in Nairobi focused on citizen science for water quality monitoring featuring FreshWater Watch
This week, representatives from across Africa are meeting at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi for a two-day workshop focused on the critical role of citizen science in monitoring and reporting on water quality. The Citizen Science and UN Sustainable Development Goals Indicator 6.3.2 Knowledge Exchange Workshop is a collaborative effort by WWQA, Earthwatch Europe, GEMS/Water, supported by GIZ, to empower communities and advance global water sustainability goals.
“We cannot monitor our way out of the crisis facing our fresh waters, but it is an essential prerequisite for sustainable management”
Stuart Warner, UN GEMS/Water, SDG 6.3.2 Lead
The workshop brings together project leads and practitioners from countries including Sierra Leone, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Ethiopia and Uganda. Participants are presenting case studies that highlight how citizen-collected data can be effectively integrated into national reporting for UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Indicator 6.3.2, which measures the proportion of water bodies with good ambient water quality and consider the climate, biodiversity and water nexus.
Attendees have shared experiences and discussed the financial and non-financial benefits of citizen science initiatives. The agenda includes a deep dive into the cost-value analysis of citizen monitoring in Sierra Leone and explores how community-generated data can be a powerful and cost-effective tool for improving water management and informing policy decisions across the continent.
The workshop strengthened regional networks and aims to facilitate the integration of citizen science into mainstream government data collection, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and healthy water future for all.
