FreshWater Watch and the promise of UNEA-6

A call for cleaner water

Freshwater is the lifeblood of our planet, essential for functioning ecosystems and human flourishing. It is also transboundary, demanding international cooperation to ensure its effective and sustainable management.

The Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6)—the world’s highest environmental decision-making body—brought multilateralism into sharp focus. Held at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, from 26 February to 1 March 2024, and with the deadline for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development looming large, the gathering provided much-needed impetus for collaborative action on the planetary crisis.

UNEA resolutions influence national policies by setting global environmental standards, guiding legislation, encouraging international cooperation, and providing direction and resources for environmental governance.

One of the 15 resolutions adopted at UNEA-6 issues a clarion call for cleaner water, specifically, “Effective and inclusive solutions for strengthening water policies.” Recognizing water's essential role in sustaining life and the dire state of water resources globally, this Resolution calls on Member States and relevant stakeholders to accelerate towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) on Clean Water and Sanitation, which, by current trajectories, lies perilously out of reach.

To this end, the Resolution implores a range of measures, notably including, "Enhance the collection and monitoring of reliable, up-to-date water-related data in accordance with national laws and policies, including on water quality and quantity, and increase their use for evidence-based decision-making across sectors…" This underscores the imperative to bridge the vast data chasms hindering our progress toward a thriving water-secure future.

A civic wellspring

Citizen science occurs when non-professional scientists and members of the general public actively participate in scientific research activities. Harnessing public curiosity and accessible technology, citizen science enriches our understanding of the natural world. It featured prominently in UNEA-6, not least in the Science and Technology Major Group’s opening statement, as read by Stephen Stec:

Citizen science is one practical and sustainable avenue for integrating the voices of Indigenous Peoples, and communities, and represents a social innovation in the way scientific work is undertaken.

At the forefront of this movement stands Earthwatch Europe's FreshWater Watch (FWW), a platform that has redefined how we engage with and understand our rivers, lakes and wetlands. Since its inception in 2012, this global initiative has trained and equipped thousands of citizen scientists to contribute more than 40,000 data sets on parameters such as nitrates, phosphates, turbidity, flow rate, vegetation, litter and microplastics.

Whether in bustling cities or remote wilderness, the FWW monitoring kit enables onsite sampling and rapid results, thereby bypassing expensive laboratory analysis. Painting a detailed picture of water quality across diverse biomes and tracking changes over time, this data is made freely accessible online to support education, research and decision-making.

With over a decade of proven success across more than 40 countries, FWW is poised for further expansion, ready to engage thousands more communities. In the spirit of the Resolution and pursuit of SDG6, FWW stands to offer the following contributions:

1. Enhanced data coverage and granularity: In countries such as Sierra Leone, scores of local communities have been mobilised to collect and publish river water quality data via FWW. Their government now uses this to cost-effectively extend regulatory monitoring and track progress towards SDG6. Such efforts can be readily emulated in other countries and at a global scale, answering the Resolution's call for enhanced, up-to-date and reliable data.
2. Engaged and empowered stakeholders: The Resolution advocates for inclusive solutions involving all stakeholders. FWW excels at engaging and empowering local communities, equipping them with the tools and training necessary to monitor local water bodies. A case in point is the use of FWW toolkits by British Rowing athletes to infer valuable insights on water safety.
3. Evidence-based policy and practice: The Resolution calls for evidence-based decision-making. Here too, FWW has form. In Zambia, a collaboration between Earthwatch Europe, WWF and local authorities has infused water management policy and practice with reliable data derived from citizen science. Such data is informing Zambia’s national water quality assessments.
4. Innovation and investment: Working in partnership with Tate & Lyle, Earthwatch Europe worked in China to help stevia farmers monitor the aquatic impacts of agricultural innovations. This demonstrates the potential for FWW to mobilise private sector investments and drive innovation towards integrated water management.
5. Mainstreaming and capacity-building: The Resolution calls for the mainstreaming of sustainable water management into national and local development strategies, and for capacity-building in data provision. By virtue of the ProBleu Project, FWW is being mainstreamed across the European education sector to enhance the freshwater literacy of young people and educators.
6. A more connected world: The Resolution stresses the importance of international collaboration in tackling water challenges. FWW facilitates the exchange of data and best practices among a global network of citizen scientists, policymakers and researchers, fostering collective responses to water quality problems. FWW’s contributions to the United Nations Global Environment Monitoring System (UN GEMS) exemplify how collaboration can amplify the environmental impact.

Streamlined solutions

Water is an increasingly critical natural resource, the fate of which will shape the future of humanity. We must employ every available tool to better understand the health of our wetlands, lakes and rivers, and turn every lever to ensure their sustainable management. With sufficient investment, citizen science can help galvanise a global movement to monitor, protect and restore these vital ecosystems, bridging science, policy and action.

The Resolution has charted a bold course for water policies, emphasizing the need for comprehensive data, community engagement, evidence-based decision-making and integrated management. In this vein, Earthwatch Europe—with its leading global citizen science platform, FWW, and experienced team of scientists and practitioners—stands ready to assist governments, businesses and civil society in securing a thriving freshwater future for generations to come.