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Short Abstract

Using an app shared over the social network Goodwall, we led a research consortium working with a local NGO, DonateWater, to collect citizen data on water resources in Nigeria. The results compare favourably with official data collected through UNICEF WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) surveys.

Abstract

Monitoring access to water is crucial for implementing policies that increase the number of people using safely managed drinking water services. In this paper, we present results of a project called Yoma Operational Research (Yoma OR) that aims to test whether Citizen Science initiatives developed and led by young Africans can provide data of sufficient quality and coverage to be useful to UNICEF's WASH program in Nigeria. The specific Citizen Science initiative reported here is called DonateWater and was created by a team of young Nigerians through an innovation competition that forms part of a global SDG Olympiad. Partners on the project included the Citizen Science Africa Association, the social network Goodwall, IIASA and University of Geneva's Citizen Cyberlab.