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Short Abstract

This proposal discusses lessons learned in balancing methodological consistency with local adaptability within the EU-funded OneAquaHealth project, which guides citizen science activities across five European cities while fostering digital innovation and ethical sustainability.

Abstract

Citizen science can play a transformative role when designed as an equitable and reciprocal partnership between communities and researchers. The complexity and multilevel nature of citizen science require careful planning and design. A key challenge is moving beyond mere contributory models towards co-created knowledge practices that strengthen environmental stewardship and inform urban policy.

The EU-funded OneAquaHealth (OAH) project engages citizens in monitoring urban aquatic ecosystems through a co-created framework that integrates ecological indicators with human health and well-being. Across five European cities – Coimbra (Portugal), Benevento (Italy), Ghent (Belgium), Oslo (Norway) and Toulouse (France) – Local Alliances of stakeholders are bringing together citizens, policymakers, non-governmental-organizations, and researchers to co-design digital tools, and reflect on local environmental priorities. By actively contributing to monitoring, citizens are empowered to recognize ecological changes and take actions to mitigate environmental degradation in their own communities.

The project developed a structured, adaptable framework comprising 22 guidelines on recruitment, training, data collection, quality assurance, and communication, to guide citizen science across contexts. Central to this approach is the Citizen Science App, which allows participants not only to submit environmental observations but also to share perceptions of well-being, thereby linking ecosystem conditions to human health. By embedding inclusive recruitment strategies and context-sensitive adaptation, the resulting framework addresses issues of data, communication and long-term engagement.

This contribution reflects on lessons learned in balancing methodological consistency with local adaptability of the framework and on how digital and participatory innovations can foster the co-creation of knowledge and ethical sustainability.