COBWEB project enables ‘citizen science’ in UNESCO Biospheres
The €8.5m, four-year, COBWEB (Citizen Observatory Web) project will develop an “observatory framework” that will make it easier for citizens to collect environmental data suitable for use in research, decision making, and policy formation. The project is built around UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), with test areas in Biosphere Reserves within the UK, Germany, and Greece.
COBWEB Project Coordinator Chris Higgins, of EDINA, said:
“Biosphere reserves are beautiful areas with people living in them who want to keep them that way. Using smartphone technology to get citizens more involved in decision making is a hot research area. Empowering people and improving information flow is vital to addressing a range of environmental issues.”
The COBWEB project is led by EDINA, which put together a consortium of 13 partners from five European countries: UK, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, and Ireland. Funding comes from the EU’s FP 7 Programme, which is designed to respond to Europe’s employment needs, competitiveness, and quality of life.
The infrastructure developed will explore the possibilities of crowd-sourcing techniques around the concept of “people as sensors”, particularly the use of mobile devices for data collection and geographic information.
COBWEB seeks to increase the value and interoperability of crowd-sourcing technology to policy makers by enabling the fusion of citizen-sourced data with reference data from a range of sources, including that published by public authorities. This will be achieved through implementation of the European Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) Directive, compliant national Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs), and the Global Earth Organisation System of Systems (GEOSS).
Concentrating initially on the Welsh Dyfi Biosphere Reserve, the project aims to leverage the WNBR and the enthusiasm of local Biosphere Reserve communities for improved environmental decision making to help develop technology that will eventually be more widely applicable.
The UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) is part of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme which promotes North-South and South-South collaboration. The programme seeks to ensure environmental, economic, and social sustainability through work across a network of 610 Biospheres in 117 countries across the world.
More information can be found on the UNESCO website
As well as the initial trial in the Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere Reserve in Wales, additional testing will also take place in Greek and German Biospheres, which provide alternative cultural and environmental contexts in which to trial the approach.
Peter Burnhill, Director of EDINA, added:
“This work aims to enable the citizen to use the Mobile Internet to benefit the Earth in a direct and obvious way, locally and therefore globally. The project allows EDINA and the University of Edinburgh to build on previous experience in EU projects in geo-spatial research and development. Undoubtedly a significant challenge, it is also an opportunity to provide leadership for international experts drawn from universities in five other countries, and from organisations across Government, NGO and the commercial sectors – all committed to assist environmental sustainability.”