Barriers and opportunities for implementing citizen science projects in mining communities of Andes, Antioquia, Colombia

Abstract

Since the early 2000s, citizen science has grown in popularity throughout the world as a tool in both grassroots movements and professional research. There are many citizen science environmental monitoring projects that have been conducted in Latin America as a method for communities to learn about their environments and expand capacities. Despite its widespread use, there is a significant gap in literature about citizen science in the mining sector throughout Latin America, especially as it relates to environmental contamination stemming from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). Drawing on literature review, archival research, and interviews with experts and community members in Medellin and Andes, this thesis identifies barriers and opportunities for implementing citizen science monitoring projects in the mining communities of Andes, Antioquia, Colombia. This research underlines the potential usefulness of already existing local civic engagement structures for citizen science. It also highlights the need to analyze the exclusion of marginalized stakeholder groups from existing civic engagement structures, as their everyday work demands make it difficult for them to participate in the very community initiatives that could benefit them.