Co-sponsored by the International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE)
Citizen science presents an opportunity for environmental agencies to obtain data that they can use for regulatory, enforcement and management decision-making. However, while programs such as volunteer water monitoring have existed for many years, broader agency strategies for making use of such information are still emerging. Some agencies have developed guidelines and frameworks to support citizen science initiatives, but most are still learning how to make use of data that comes from unconventional sources.
For the fifth session of INECE’s webinar series on citizen science and environmental enforcement, we will be joined by environmental agency representatives from different countries who will describe what their governments are doing to utilize and encourage citizen science, and the extent to which those strategies are being adopted by their environmental agencies. During the session, we will showcase these examples and explore successes, opportunities, barriers, limitations, challenges, and future possibilities for agency use of citizen science.
Speakers:
George Wyeth, ELI, Moderator
Jay Benforado, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Cynthia Barzuna, SETENA Costa Rica
John Kennedy, Director, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Office of Ecology