Introduction

Reliable, timely, comprehensive, and consistent data are critical for measuring progress towards, and ultimately achieving, the SDGs. Yet, often traditional data sources can come up short, and new methods and data sources, such as citizen science, are needed to help fill gaps. In fact, research demonstrates that citizen science data are already contributing to or could contribute to the monitoring of at least one third of the SDG indicators.

About the Project

Motivated by the aforementioned research and systematic review mapping citizen science methodologies to the SDGs, TReNDS’ expert members Dilek Fraisl, Jillian Campbell, and several other stakeholders partnered with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to use citizen science to monitor SDG 14.1.1b (marine litter) in Ghana. The project has proven successful in bringing together the key stakeholders to harmonize approaches and building confidence in the people and methods that produced the data. It has also helped to raise awareness of citizen science and the SDGs in Ghana, as well as the importance of non-traditional data sources to help fill data gaps. As a result of the project, the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the GSS recently validated the data for official SDG reporting of SDG 14.1.1b, making Ghana the first country to report on the indicator 14.1.1b using citizen science data.

Building off of this initial work, TReNDS is continuing to work with the GSS, The Ghana EPA, and other key stakeholders to determine the feasibility of using drones to collect data along the country’s coast, combined with the existing citizen science data collected from past clean-ups (and potentially historical satellite imagery data) to identify marine litter “hotspots” (where there is a significant build-up of plastics and waste) in Ghana. We will use this information to better understand the trajectory of marine litter waste across the country to inform the government’s coastal and marine management plan and Ghana’s Voluntary National Review. 

Resources

Published Materials

Feasibility study on marine litter detection and reporting in Ghana

This report highlights the feasibility of using citizen science, artificial intelligence, and drone imagery to monitor and report on marine litter in Ghana.

Strengthening Measurement of Marine Litter in Ghana

This StoryMap explores how citizen science is helping to measure progress on SDG 14.1.1b.

Mapping Citizen Science Contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

This paper presents an overview of where citizen science is already contributing to or could contribute data to the SDG indicator framework. The results demonstrate that citizen science is already contributing to or could contribute to 33% of SDG indicators.

Presentations and Events

Integrating Citizen Science into the Official SDG Monitoring Mechanisms and Introducing the Global Citizen Science Partnership (GCSP)

A session on citizen science during the 2021 UN World Data Forum.

Integrating Citizen Science into the Official SDG Monitoring Mechanisms and A Proposal to Use Unofficial Statistics for SDG Reporting (to Deal with Crises)

A session on citizen science during the 2020 UN World Data Forum.

For more information on this initiative, contact trends@unsdsn.org.