Deliverable 4.3 Lessons learned on community-based observing parameters

In the Arctic, it is a priority of governments and Indigenous peoples’ organizations to increase the spatial and temporal coverage of environmental observations. One solution is to enhance community-based and citizen science observations. We piloted a series of people-based observing activities in Disko Bay, Greenland, and in Svalbard. Our aims were to examine the feasibility of specific community-based and citizen science observing and networking activities and, at the same time, to assess their potential for wider use. We assessed the observing activities against six criteria: (1) the cost, (2) the need for expertise, (3) the ability to detect trends, (4) the ability to support decision-making, (5) the potential for enhancing local stakeholder capacity, and (6) the capacity to inform international monitoring. The results of our tests are presented and discussed in this report. The key findings are summarized below. In Disko Bay, fishing and hunting are the most important livelihoods whereas, in Svalbard, it is tourism and science. In both areas, the susceptibility to natural disasters is increasing, and landslides and earthquakes have recently led to loss of lives. Through dialogue with civil society organizations, research institutions and the local authorities, we identified five community-based and citizen science observing and networking activities which we co-facilitated with many partners in Disko Bay and Svalbard between 2016 and 2019: − Garage-type geophone devices to observe natural hazard events − Expedition cruise operator-based observing − Focus group discussions with fishermen and hunters − Interviews and workshop dialogues to inform urban development − Linking social science climate research with the needs of the decision-makers. Citizen seismology. We tested the use of four garage-type geophone devices, two in each area, over two years. We compared the citizen-generated seismic data from the geophones with existing scientist-executed seismic sensors. In Disko Bay, the citizen geophones enabled the location of 23 events and improved the location of 209 events, thus significantly improving our understanding of the cryo-generated and tectonic events that occurred in the area whereas, in Svalbard, it was impossible to find suitable locations for the instruments. Citizen seismology may be useful in Arctic communities where the buildings are constructed on bedrock and trusted relationships exist between government agencies, scientists and the local residents. If seismic events detected by the geophones are discussed with the communities and the authorities, citizen seismology may help build community awareness of natural hazards and contribute to improved decisions on safety. Expedition cruise operator-based observing. Cruise guests already make observations of the environment in the Arctic but the number of attributes observed and the volume of records are limited and very few of the observations are used by decision-makers. We initiated a dialogue about coordinated expedition cruise operator-based observing with the expedition cruise industry, scientists, and the authorities. Together, we tested the use of six citizen science programs among six cruise operators in Disko Bay and Svalbard for one cruise season. A total of 165 people contributed observations, mostly bird checklists to eBird and marine mammal encounters with photos to Happywhale. Cruise guests and cruise guides can contribute large volumes of observations from areas visited by expedition cruises during the Arctic cruise season, April to September. Enabling factors may include: (1) equipping cruise vessels with tablets that allow for easy upload of records, (2) prompt feedback to observers and decision-makers directly from the citizen science programs through the use of digital platforms, and (3) a well-funded intermediate organization facilitating communication. Further work is necessary to fully understand the feasibility and potential of coordinated expedition cruise operator based environmental observing in the Arctic. Focus group discussions with resource users. In Disko Bay, we tested focus group discussions with fishermen and hunters for monitoring and managing living resources as part of the PISUNA program (Piniakkanik Sumiiffinni Nalunaarsuineq). A total of 30 fishermen and hunters summarized observations, from 4,287 field trips, of 33 attributes, including sea-ice and climate/weather, plus 10 fish, 11 mammal and 10 bird taxa, over four years. The community members used the observations as a basis for submitting 197 management proposals to the local and central authorities. Focus group discussions with resource users are useful where community members depend on living resources for their livelihood and where government policies are supportive of collaborative resource management. To achieve their full potential, focus group discussions require government staff time and funds to be prioritized for supervising the fishermen’s and hunters’ monitoring and for making decisions and taking action on the basis of the management proposals. Networking for people-based observing. In Svalbard, we initiated a dialogue with local actors on environmental observing so as to build trust and long-term collaboration while addressing both ethical, democratic and cultural dimensions. We facilitated interviews and organized workshop dialogues to inform urban development. We also co-established a digital platform for linking social science climate research with the needs of the decision-makers, thereby promoting experience exchange, coordination and communication. The initiatives contributed to important community dialogues during the Covid-19 crisis in Svalbard. From observation to action. The three piloted activities that involved field-based data-gathering in Disko Bay and Svalbard represent approaches with varying levels of participant and scientist involvement and with different linkages to decision processes and action. The geophones case is an example of automated data collection with Arctic residents. The role of the participants is limited to installing the geophones and providing electricity and Internet. The expedition cruise operator-based observing is an example of human production of data by visitors to the Arctic. The observers are cruise guests and guides, and their role is limited to making observations and taking measurements and photos. In both cases, if the data is to inform decision-making, it will need to be interpreted and analyzed by scientists and the findings made available to the appropriate decision-making bodies. In the third tested field-based data-gathering activity, the focus group discussions with resource users, the participants not only submit records to scientists but they also themselves interpret and discuss their records, and propose management interventions to the authorities. In this case, communicating findings and proposing decisions are in-built components of the monitoring process.