Accepted Poster
Poster Short Abstract
The current work illustrates the barriers and challenges that inhibit the interaction between citizen science and biodiveristy policy making. It aims to show how can Citizen Science be an integral part of the Science Service for Biodiversity being developed by the Horizon project BioAgora.
Poster Abstract
Citizen science (CS) is a well-established topic in biodiversity, nonetheless its policy impact remains inconsistent across scales, local to EU level. The BioAgora project aims to connect biodiversity research with the needs of policy making through the development of fair and functional Science Service. In doing so, it aims to integrate citizen science as a vital component of biodiversity decision making and governance. This poster explores how citizen science initiatives contribute to transformative biodiversity action by engaging local communities, generating high-quality environmental data, and what can foster and hinder the interaction with policy process. Drawing on empirical insights from ongoing project BioAgora’s task on citizen science, we illustrate the linkage between citizen science and policy in domains such as marine, freshwater, pollination, nature-based solutions and agroecology. In doing so, mapping of CS projects and infrastructures were carried out. In addition, criteria were developed to assess the policy interaction and impact of the citizen science projects. Based on the criteria, semi structured interviews and online survey was developed and administered.
In our findings, we discuss barriers and opportunities for scaling up citizen science to maximize its impact on biodiversity decision-making. By positioning citizen science as a key enabler of transformative change, this work advances discussions on how participatory approaches can drive more effective and inclusive biodiversity policymaking and support in bridging the gap between science policy and society.
Poster Session