Citizen science for disaster risk reduction (DRR) holds huge promise and has demonstrated success in advancing scientific knowledge, providing early warning of hazards, and contributed to the assessment and management of impacts. While many existing studies focus on the performance of specific citizen science examples, this paper goes beyond this approach to present a systematic global mapping of citizen science used for DRR in order to draw out broader insights across diverse methods, initiatives, hazards and country contexts. The systematic mapping analyzed a total of 106 cases of citizen science applied to DRR across all continents. Unlike many existing reviews of citizen science initiatives, relevance to the disaster risk context led us to ‘open up’ our mapping to a broader definition of what might constitute citizen science, including participatory research and narrative-based approaches. By taking a wider view of citizen science and opening up to other disciplinary practices as valid ways of knowing risks and hazards, we also capture these alternative examples and discuss their relevance for aiding effective decision-making around risk reduction. Based on this analysis we draw out lessons for future research and practice of citizen science for DRR including the need to: build interconnections between disparate citizen science methods and practitioners; address multi-dimensionality within and across hazard cycles; and develop principles and frameworks for evaluating citizen science initiatives that not only ensure scientific competence but also attend to questions of equity, responsibility and the empowerment of those most vulnerable to disaster risk.

Abstract:1. Web-based studies of human dimensions are increasing across environmental and socio-ecological disciplines. However, the prevalence of fraud threatens research quality. Increased fraud rates should be expected as surveys move progressively more online, motivated by expanding reach, cost savings, and/or in response to COVID-19. Web-based research must better account for fraud to maintain confidence in findings. Practical diagnostic tools and data quality protocols are required to detect fraud and ensure results quality.2. Drawing on our experience using an online participatory mapping case study, we discuss methods to detect potentially fraudulent responses – and identify some limitations. We begin by reviewing the current state of knowledge on fraudulent responses or “fraudsters” and its relative absence in environmental and socio-ecological disciplines. We then describe our research approach, the indicators and variables we used to detect and assess fraud, and our decision-making process to eliminate suspicious responses without jeopardizing research integrity.3. We found that despite several preventative measures, many fraudulent respondents could provide survey responses and effectively mimicked legitimate respondents at first glance. By assuming each response to be 'potentially fraudulent,' we determined that the complete screening of each respondent, while time-consuming, can limit the prevalence of fraud. We also determined that the most common data consistency checks (e.g., duration, trap questions, straight-liner checks) are unlikely to guarantee valid respondents.4. If not acknowledged and addressed, fraud has the potential to undermine data integrity, discredit research findings, and limit the utility of results for policy. This study contributes to environmental and socio-ecological research by reviewing existing fraudster literature and using our experience with fraud to provide recommendations for researchers to address this problem. We encourage researchers implementing online qualitative research methods to thoroughly assess and report fraud, when possible, to ensure widespread knowledge of this growing threat.

Land tenure and tenure security are among the most important factors determining the viability and success of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives. The premise of the present paper is that territorial conflicts lead to forest loss and compromise the successful implementation of REDD+. Within this context, the main objectives of this paper are to (i) document, relying on participatory methods, the extent to which land conflicts drive deforestation and (ii) reflect on the legal context of REDD+ examining if, from an Indigenous perspective, it offers tools to resolve such conflicts. We used the Upper Bayano Watershed in eastern Panama as a case study of complex land tenure dynamics, and their effects on forest conservation in the context of REDD+. Combining a range of participatory methods including participatory mapping and forest carbon stock assessment, we estimated the consequences of land invasions on forest carbon stocks. Our analysis shows that invasions of Indigenous territories amounted to 27.6% of the total deforestation for the period of 2001–2014. The situation is of paramount concern in the Embera territory of Majé where 95.4% of total deforestation was caused by colonist invaders. Using and validating the maps made freely available by the Global Forest Change initiative of the University of Maryland, we then developed a reference level for the watershed and carried out a back of the envelop estimation of likely REDD+ revenue, showing its potential to bring much needed income to Indigenous communities striving to protect their forest estate. Our analysis of current legislation in Panama highlights confusion and important legal voids and emphasizes the strong links between land tenure, carbon ownership, and territorial invasions. The options and shortcoming of implementing REDD+ in Indigenous territories is discussed in the conclusion taking our legal review into account.

Systematically organizing participation effects may guide participation-based research designs in rehabilitation. This perspective paper uses existing evidence on Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation (PREP) to showcase the multitude of effects from a single intervention and synthesize the magnitude of these effects. An outcome matrix of participation effects comprising three dimensions (intermediate, instrumental, ultimate) and two levels (transient, enduring) was used to systematically map PREP’s effects. Forest plot demonstrated clinically important changes in the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) across studies. Effect sizes were calculated. The majority of outcomes from 11 studies were mapped to ultimate-transient effects (e.g., changes in participation of self-chosen activities), followed by instrumental-transient effects (e.g., changes in motor body functions). Fewer outcomes were mapped to ultimate-enduring effects (e.g., changes of participation for a longer period or across settings) or intermediate-enduring effects (e.g., therapist-applied knowledge), demonstrating the gaps for investigating enduring effects. COPM changes in most studies (89%) showed clinical significance with small to large effects. Systematic mapping from PREP example guides categorizing multidimensional outcomes. Future participation-based studies can employ individual-based mixed-methods designs to delve into the long-lasting enduring outcomes of youth capacity-building and the transformative process of pursuing meaningful participation goals. Systematically organizing participation effects according to the proposed matrix enhances understanding of multidimentisonal outcomes from a single participation-based intervention.Child/youth-engaging interventions like Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation (PREP) can offer a multitude of benefits that promote outcomes of participation and physical and mental health, enhancing efficient/effective rehabilitation services.It is essential that future intervention designs prioritize long-lasting/enduring effects across broad settings and capture underlying processes and capacity building of children/youth toward sustainable participation outcomes. Systematically organizing participation effects according to the proposed matrix enhances understanding of multidimentisonal outcomes from a single participation-based intervention. Child/youth-engaging interventions like Pathways and Resources for Engagement and Participation (PREP) can offer a multitude of benefits that promote outcomes of participation and physical and mental health, enhancing efficient/effective rehabilitation services. It is essential that future intervention designs prioritize long-lasting/enduring effects across broad settings and capture underlying processes and capacity building of children/youth toward sustainable participation outcomes.

New developments in the natural sciences show the great diversity of microbial life in our bodies, homes and the wider environment. This work requires us to rethink what it means to be human and hygienic. Some germs are risky, but the life in and around us also keeps us healthy. There is a growing interest in ‘probiotic’ approaches to health and hygiene that can differentiate between good and bad germs. We want to bring these scientific developments out of the laboratory to explore how they relate to everyday understandings of domestic life and kitchen hygiene. Using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this project recruited 14 households in Oxford to ask them about their relationship with the microbes in their home, especially in the kitchen. A first round of interviews were carried out in March 2016, and a final round of exit interviews were carried out in July 2017. The project also generated significant amounts of genomic 16S data, which has been deposited in the NCBI Sequence Read Archive.

Humans are riddled with life. Our bodies, homes and cities support myriad microbial biodiversity. These are generally thought of as disease-causing 'germs' that should be eradicated. But recent developments in metagenomics - the sequencing of genetic material taken from the environment - have begun to reveal the ubiquity and functional importance of the 'human microbiome': the microbial life in, on and around us. Metagenomics helps identify extensive changes in these hitherto invisible worlds with possible implications for human health. Some, like allergy, autoimmunity and antibiotic resistance, have been linked to modern hygiene practices.

There is a growing popular and policy interest in the microbiome, and the possibilities of more nuanced or 'probiotic' ways of living with germs. To date however there has been limited public engagement with the science and technology of metagenomics and its potentially transformative means of representing the microbiome. This project will address this gap. Through an in-depth investigation of domestic kitchen practices, it will explore the transformative potential of metagenomics for developing new public understandings of domestic hygiene.

The project research design will combine ethnographic methods with laboratory techniques, through a year long collaboration with twelve households from an urban neighbourhood. These households will be asked to survey their domestic microbiome once a month for nine months, undertaking nine metaphorical microbial safaris. The focus of these safaris will emerge from a negotiation informed by our participants' interests, relevant academic literatures and the specific concerns and expertise of our project partners. Each month we will collaboratively design a range of safe, 'antibiotic' and 'probiotic' kitchen experiments - for example involving cleaning practices and products, food preparation or sampling possible sources of kitchen microbes (e.g. pets, gardens, groceries or cars). The gathered samples will be sequenced for subsequent participatory analysis and visualisation.

The outcomes and implications of each experiment will be discussed at monthly group meetings, facilitated by members of the project team, alongside project partners and invited experts. This project involves a partnership with the Food Standards Agency and aims to explore the implications of public engagements with the domestic microbiome for a range of stakeholders responsible for or interested in the management of domestic hygiene. Our participatory model will be outlined in a user report and through a practitioners' workshop. The project will deliver an extensive public database of biological and qualitative data on kitchen practices and microbiologies. It will present a range of academic outputs exploring the transformative implications of participatory metagenomics for the social and biological sciences.

Good germs, bad germs will demonstrate the potential of interdisciplinary research and participatory approaches to transform how publics, policy makers and academics perceive, engage with and seek to govern microbial life. While its substantive findings will be of direct relevance to understanding the domestic microbiome, the participatory model developed through the project has great potential for future transformative research into the microbiomes of further elements of the built environment (e.g. hospitals, schools, money, transport infrastructure) as well as the intimate spaces of the human body, like the gut.

Crowdsourced Mapping Platform Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global crowdsourced mapping platform market size was valued at USD 3.2 billion in 2024. The market is poised for robust expansion, projected to reach USD 9.8 billion by 2033, growing at a remarkable CAGR of 13.4% during the forecast period. This growth is primarily fueled by the rising demand for real-time geospatial data, increased adoption of location-based services across industries, and the proliferation of mobile devices enabling mass participation in mapping initiatives. As per our analysis, the market’s upward trajectory is underpinned by technological advancements and growing collaboration among public and private stakeholders.

One of the core growth drivers of the crowdsourced mapping platform market is the exponential increase in mobile device penetration worldwide. The ubiquity of smartphones equipped with GPS and advanced sensors has empowered individuals globally to contribute geospatial data effortlessly. This democratization of mapping data collection has led to the creation of highly dynamic, continuously updated maps, which are invaluable for a range of applications from navigation to urban planning. The rich, real-time datasets generated through crowdsourcing are proving to be more adaptable and accurate than traditional mapping methods, which often suffer from delays and high costs. Moreover, the integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning with crowdsourced mapping platforms is further enhancing data validation, error correction, and predictive analytics capabilities, thereby boosting the reliability and utility of these platforms.

Another significant factor propelling the market is the increasing reliance on crowdsourced mapping platforms by governments, enterprises, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for critical decision-making. These platforms enable rapid data collection and situational awareness during emergencies such as natural disasters, thereby facilitating efficient disaster management and response. In addition, the transportation and logistics sector leverages real-time mapping data to optimize delivery routes, monitor traffic conditions, and enhance fleet management. The tourism industry also benefits from user-generated content, providing travelers with up-to-date information on attractions, routes, and amenities. The collaborative nature of crowdsourced mapping fosters a sense of community ownership and engagement, further encouraging widespread participation and data enrichment.

The growth of the crowdsourced mapping platform market is also driven by the rising emphasis on environmental monitoring and urban planning. Crowdsourced data plays a pivotal role in tracking environmental changes, mapping deforestation, monitoring air and water quality, and identifying areas at risk of natural hazards. Urban planners utilize these platforms to gather granular, localized information on infrastructure, accessibility, and population movement, enabling more informed and sustainable development decisions. The scalability and cost-effectiveness of crowdsourced mapping make it an attractive solution for resource-constrained organizations and regions, further expanding its adoption. As the volume and variety of crowdsourced geospatial data continue to grow, the market is expected to witness the emergence of innovative applications and business models.

Regionally, North America currently dominates the crowdsourced mapping platform market, accounting for the largest share due to the presence of major technology companies, high digital literacy, and strong government support for geospatial initiatives. However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to register the fastest growth rate during the forecast period, driven by rapid urbanization, increasing smartphone adoption, and rising investments in smart city projects. Europe also represents a significant market, characterized by robust regulatory frameworks and active participation in collaborative mapping projects. Latin America and the Middle East & Africa are emerging as promising regions, fueled by growing awareness of the benefits of crowdsourced mapping and expanding digital infrastructure. The regional landscape of the market is shaped by varying levels of technological maturity, regulatory environments, and socio-economic factors, influencing the pace and nature of adoption.

Component Analysis

The component segment of the crowdsourc

Map Data Crowdsourcing Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global map data crowdsourcing market size reached USD 1.92 billion in 2024, demonstrating robust expansion driven by the proliferation of location-based services and the increasing adoption of real-time mapping solutions. The market is set to grow at a CAGR of 14.7% from 2025 to 2033, with the total value forecasted to reach USD 6.07 billion by 2033. This impressive growth trajectory is underpinned by the rising integration of crowdsourced data in navigation, urban planning, and disaster management applications, as well as the accelerating digitization of mapping ecosystems worldwide.

A primary growth factor for the map data crowdsourcing market is the exponential rise in smartphone penetration and the widespread use of location-enabled applications. With billions of individuals using mobile devices daily, there is an ever-growing pool of real-time data contributors. This surge in user-generated content enhances the granularity, accuracy, and timeliness of digital maps, making them more relevant for navigation, traffic management, and emergency response. Moreover, the democratization of mapping through open-source platforms such as OpenStreetMap has empowered both individuals and organizations to contribute, validate, and update geospatial information, thereby accelerating the pace of innovation and reducing reliance on traditional, labor-intensive mapping techniques.

Another significant driver is the increasing demand for hyper-local and up-to-date mapping data across industries such as transportation, automotive, and urban planning. The evolution of smart mobility solutions, autonomous vehicles, and intelligent transportation systems is heavily reliant on precise, real-time map data. Crowdsourcing offers a scalable and cost-effective approach to capturing nuanced changes in road networks, traffic patterns, and points of interest. This agility is particularly valuable in rapidly urbanizing regions where infrastructure is constantly evolving. Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning with crowdsourced data streams is enhancing the ability to detect anomalies, predict traffic conditions, and optimize routing, further fueling market growth.

The market is also witnessing robust participation from government agencies and public sector organizations, which are leveraging crowdsourced mapping for disaster management, urban development, and public safety initiatives. By harnessing the collective intelligence of citizens, governments can quickly identify hazards, monitor infrastructure conditions, and coordinate emergency responses. This participatory approach not only improves situational awareness but also fosters community engagement and transparency. Furthermore, the growing emphasis on sustainability and smart city initiatives is prompting municipalities to adopt crowdsourced mapping as a tool for resource optimization, environmental monitoring, and citizen-centric planning.

From a regional perspective, North America currently leads the map data crowdsourcing market, accounting for the largest share in 2024, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The high adoption rate of advanced mapping technologies, strong presence of key market players, and supportive regulatory frameworks in these regions are key contributors to their dominance. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is poised for the fastest growth over the forecast period, propelled by rapid urbanization, expanding digital infrastructure, and increasing government investments in smart city projects. Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa are also emerging as promising markets, driven by the need for improved transportation, disaster resilience, and public service delivery.

Component Analysis

The map data crowdsourcing market is segmented by component into software and services. The software segment encompasses platforms and applications that facilitate the collection, validation, and integration of crowdsourced map data. These solutions are central to the market’s expansion, as they provide the technological backbone for aggregating vast amounts of geospatial information from diverse sources. Advanced mapping software is increasingly incorporating features such as real-time data processing, AI-driven anomaly detection, and intuitive user interfaces, making it easier for individuals and organizations to contribute and consume mapping data. As the demand for dynamic and int

This dataset consists of collections of satellite image composites (Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8) that are created from manually curated image dates for a range of projects. These images are typically prepared for subsequent analysis or testing of analysis algorithms as part of other projects. This dataset acts as a repository of reproducible test sets of images processed from Google Earth Engine using a standardised workflow.

Details of the algorithms used to produce the imagery are described in the GEE code and code repository available on GitHub (https://github.com/eatlas/World_AIMS_Marine-satellite-imagery).


Project test image sets:

As new projects are added to this dataset, their details will be described here:

- NESP MaC 2.3 Benthic reflection estimation (projects/CS_NESP-MaC-2-3_AIMS_Benth-reflect):
This collection consists of six Sentinel 2 image composites in the Coral Sea and GBR for the purpose of testing a method of determining benthic reflectance of deep lagoonal areas of coral atolls. These image composites are in GeoTiff format, using 16-bit encoding and LZW compression. These images do not have internal image pyramids to save on space.
[Status: final and available for download]

- NESP MaC 2.3 Oceanic Vegetation (projects/CS_NESP-MaC-2-3_AIMS_Oceanic-veg):
This project is focused on mapping vegetation on the bottom of coral atolls in the Coral Sea. This collection consists of additional images of Ashmore Reef. The lagoonal area of Ashmore has low visibility due to coloured dissolved organic matter, making it very hard to distinguish areas that are covered in vegetation. These images were manually curated to best show the vegetation. While these are the best images in the Sentinel 2 series up to 2023, they are still not very good. Probably 80 - 90% of the lagoonal benthos is not visible.
[Status: final and available for download]

- NESP MaC 3.17 Australian reef mapping (projects/AU_NESP-MaC-3-17_AIMS_Reef-mapping):
This collection of test images was prepared to determine if creating a composite from manually curated image dates (corresponding to images with the clearest water) would produce a better composite than a fully automated composite based on cloud filtering. The automated composites are described in https://doi.org/10.26274/HD2Z-KM55. This test set also includes composites from low tide imagery. The images in this collection are not yet available for download as the collection of images that will be used in the analysis has not been finalised.
[Status: under development, code is available, but not rendered images]

- Capricorn Regional Map (projects/CapBunk_AIMS_Regional-map): This collection was developed for making a set of maps for the region to facilitate participatory mapping and reef restoration field work planning.
[Status: final and available for download]

- Default (project/default): This collection of manual selected scenes are those that were prepared for the Coral Sea and global areas to test the algorithms used in the developing of the original Google Earth Engine workflow. This can be a good starting point for new test sets. Note that the images described in the default project are not rendered and made available for download to save on storage space.
[Status: for reference, code is available, but not rendered images]


Filename conventions:

The images in this dataset are all named using a naming convention. An example file name is Wld_AIMS_Marine-sat-img_S2_NoSGC_Raw-B1-B4_54LZP.tif. The name is made up of:
- Dataset name (Wld_AIMS_Marine-sat-img), short for World, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Marine Satellite Imagery.
- Satellite source: L8 for Landsat 8 or S2 for Sentinel 2.
- Additional information or purpose: NoSGC - No sun glint correction, R1 best reference imagery set or R2 second reference imagery.
- Colour and contrast enhancement applied (DeepFalse, TrueColour,Shallow,Depth5m,Depth10m,Depth20m,Raw-B1-B4),
- Image tile (example: Sentinel 2 54LZP, Landsat 8 091086)


Limitations:

Only simple atmospheric correction is applied to land areas and as a result the imagery only approximates the bottom of atmosphere reflectance.

For the sentinel 2 imagery the sun glint correction algorithm transitions between different correction levels from deep water (B8) to shallow water (B11) and a fixed atmospheric correction for land (bright B8 areas). Slight errors in the tuning of these transitions can result in unnatural tonal steps in the transitions between these areas, particularly in very shallow areas.

For the Landsat 8 image processing land areas appear as black from the sun glint correction, which doesn't separately mask out the land. The code for the Landsat 8 imagery is less developed than for the Sentinel 2 imagery.

The depth contours are estimated using satellite derived bathymetry that is subject to errors caused by cloud artefacts, substrate darkness, water clarity, calibration issues and uncorrected tides. They were tuned in the clear waters of the Coral Sea. The depth contours in this dataset are RAW and contain many false positives due to clouds. They should not be used without additional dataset cleanup.



Change log:

As changes are made to the dataset, or additional image collections are added to the dataset then those changes will be recorded here.

2nd Edition, 2024-06-22: CapBunk_AIMS_Regional-map
1st Edition, 2024-03-18: Initial publication of the dataset, with CS_NESP-MaC-2-3_AIMS_Benth-reflect, CS_NESP-MaC-2-3_AIMS_Oceanic-veg and code for AU_NESP-MaC-3-17_AIMS_Reef-mapping and Default projects.


Data Format:

GeoTiff images with LZW compression. Most images do not have internal image pyramids to save on storage space. This makes rendering these images very slow in a desktop GIS. Pyramids should be added to improve performance.

Data Location:

This dataset is filed in the eAtlas enduring data repository at: data\custodian\2020-2029-AIMS\Wld-AIMS-Marine-sat-img

Work Package 1: Tracking Sanitary Promises and Investments A consolidated collection of data from the cities of Beira, Freetown and Mwanza containing information about infrastructure, promises, and configurations of actors who make and maintain sanitation across the cities, this was placed along timelines. Interviews with “memory holders”, were conducted to document the gaps and explore the hypotheses from the sanitation timelines. Maps were collected and produced based on the information collected from local institutions and online sources. Work Package 2: Situated Sanitation Experiences and Practices A consolidated collection of data from the 3 case study settlements in each of the cities of Beira, Freetown and Mwanza containing information both on the perspective of situated experiences (what sanitation and for whom) and of situated practices (what type of practices and by whom). Departing from a scoping analysis based on information gathered through Work Package 1, Work Package 2 builds on participant observation, interviews, participatory mapping techniques, and ethnographic methods. This data includes documentation of quotidian routines of sanitation workers (shadowing), community produced sanitation profiles (transect walks, community workshops, settlement timelines), the range of off-grid practices and investments (trajectories), and a catalogue of sanitation worker collectives.

OVERDUE interrogates infrastructural trajectories and possible pathways to tackle the sanitation taboo across African cities, a task at the core of the Open Defecation Free campaign and the 2030 SDGs, especially SDGs 6 and 11. Sanitation is critical for urban life,yet it continues to be invisibilised, avoided, systematically un-tackled or at best reduced to a 'cultural, technical or financial problem'. Disposing safely of human waste has long been recognised as a human right, yet we witness a persistent, exculpated and prevailing everyday right violation endured by the vast majority of the urban poor in Africa and worldwide.

With the grid narratives aspirating to reproduce the 19th Century sanitary revolution of the urban global North and the incremental coping mechanisms of the urban poor, most African cities just get by, skirting around the sanitation taboo. OVERDUE aims to provide fresh insights into the 'urban sanitation crisis' by decolonising the way it is framed and tackled. This involves a critical interrogation of urban sanitation trajectories and the links emerging across the sanitation continuum between large-scale infrastructural investments in grid systems vis a vis collective and individual incremental investments by the urban poor in off-grid coping mechanisms.

A sanitary revolution across urban Africa requires a new perspective on the gaps and synergies between grid and off-grid efforts and the spectrum of practices and interventions in between, which reads the sanitary metabolism of a city as a highly complex system- of pipes, energy, matter and social relations - which can produce illness or health, poverty or prosperity, suffering or well-being, stigma or respect for the different women, men, girls and boys engaged in the management of sanitation. Focusing on three fast growing cities - Freetown (Sierra Leone), Mwanza (Tanzania) and Beira (Mozambique) - OVERDUE examines the sanitation taboo across contrasting colonial legacies, with links to the experiences of Francophone urban Africa.

Our aim is to produce fresh outlooks and robust evidence for effective pathways to equitable sanitation across urban Africa's diversity, through three work packages (WPs). The first two WPs offer a reframed diagnosis of sanitation trajectories in Mwanza, Beira and Freetown, unveiling their spatial and social configurations and the historical and contemporary taboos that undermine equitable pathways. WP1 tracks down past, ongoing and projected infrastructural investments in the cities, scrutinising their political economy and approach to 'sanitation deficits' often through the expansion of sewer systems without secondary treatment. WP2 traces existing off-grid sanitation practices and investment flows by informal dwellers, assessing their outcomes and implications. WP3 expands our critical and propositive enquiry to a wider context to document, debate and evaluate emerging sanitation arrangements that could bridge grid and off-grid arrangements at scale across Francophone, Lusophone and Anglophone urban Africa. The ultimate aim is to contribute to visions for "bridging" policy measures (how do we do it) and practical solutions (what is working best), for whom and why.

We argue that sanitation 'deficits' and 'solutions' need to be de-colonised for the right to sanitation to be realised across African cities. Adopting a post-colonial perspective, we aim to provide fresh insights into how contrasting colonial legacies are imbricated in contemporary urban systems to produce different sanitation trajectories. We draw on intersectionality scholarship to shed light into how people's experiences and opportunities differ depending on gender and other social identities and their diverse, multi-layered and intersecting relations.

Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems are thought to be essential for effective carbon accounting and joint REDD+ carbon, conservation, and social development goals. Community participation in MRV (PMRV) has been shown to be both cost effective and accurate, as well as a method to potentially advance stakeholder empowerment and perceptions of legitimacy. Recognizing land tenure as a long-standing point of tension in REDD+ planning, we argue that its engagement also has a key role to play in developing a legitimate PMRV. Using household surveys, key informant interviews, and participatory mapping exercises, we present three ‘lived’ land tenure contexts in Indonesia to highlight their socially and ecologically situated natures and to consider the role of tenure pluralism in shaping PMRV. We then raise and interrogate three questions for incorporating lived land tenure contexts into a legitimate PMRV system: 1) Who holds the right to conduct PMRV activities?; 2) How are the impacts of PMRV differentially distributed within local communities?; and 3) What is the relationship between tenure security and motivation to participate in PMRV? We conclude with implementation lessons for REDD+ practitioners, including the benefits of collaborative practices, and point to critical areas for further research.

This collection includes files related to fieldwork activities under Phase 2 ‘Community Participation through Action Research’. The collection involves data in the form of photos, transcripts of focus group discussion and interviews with community members and external stakeholders from eThekwini municipality, spreadsheets to map anonymised responses from community events. Previous studies on in-situ upgrade of informal settlements in Durban had explored the impact of community participation on local inhabitants using case study research and ethnographic data. Phase 2, however, sought to lay the foundation for an evidence base of integrated environmental and construction management strategies (technical know-how) through engaging with community stakeholders (participatory design). Phase 2 (data in this collection) adopted a novel action research based methodology to enable participatory activities using mixed methods. This strategy ensured that the research maps the key role of community stakeholders in driving urban transformation taking into account the diversity inherent in all communities and the differences arising from age, gender, association and power differentials within them. Action research participants were community stakeholders, which include: local inhabitants; community leaders; community organisations; support NGOs; and local authorities. These actors participated in individual and group activities to discuss their experience of bottom-up upgrading strategies. Another unique aspect of the adopted methodology compared to previous studies was that it sought to empower community actors to become direct beneficiaries of the developed upgrading mechanisms, once the research is completed. Local inhabitants were not be just objects of study but acted as grassroots co-researchers, co-investigators and key agents for self-reliance co-producing knowledge and involved throughout the research process, which ultimately led to their technical, management and communication skills being enhanced.

This project focuses on 'informal settlements' in South Africa (SA), which are often characterised by the lack of basic services and infrastructure (eg safe sanitation, reliable electricity), poorly performing building materials (eg wood, cardboard, metal sheets, mud) without any building plans approved and often on illegally-accessed and hazardous land. The idea that the communities in informal settlements should be involved in improving their homes and neighbourhoods is often discussed in the international development community. However, the tools and processes needed to ensure a successful upgrade of environmental and construction management are poorly understood, and top-down policies used by central and local government in SA have not been successful to date. If communities can improve their neighbourhoods through participatory techniques, enhancing construction skills and using available materials, then there could be local, regional and national environmental, social and economic benefits. The research seeks to explore the underpinning barriers and enabling drivers for communities to upgrade their informal settlements in SA. The central question for this research is how can participatory approaches be utilised in an environmental and construction management strategy to achieve self-reliance in informal settlements in Durban. This question will be investigated under six discrete project phases. Phase 1: Local Context and Gap Analysis (UKZN) -Examining factors that have helped communities in Durban upgrade their housing and communities, and barriers to upgrading. Phase 2: Mapping Urban Transitions through Community Participation (Westminster) Through a participatory action-research methodology, the project team will produce findings on bottom-up construction and environmental management in Namibia Stop 8 (NS8) with the involvement of the community living there. NS8 is a good practice case study in Inanda, Durban. Phase 3: Integrated Closed-Loop Environmental Management Systems (UCL with UKZN) - Exploring the potential of closed-loop systems where wastewater generated from NS8 can be reused for agriculture. - Investigating the processes, partnership models and business models required to ensure resilient infrastructure is provided. Phase 4: Skills Enhancement in Construction (Westminster) - Mapping the skills developed and enhanced through the 'self-build' approach adopted in NS8. - Transferring lessons from the UK Government Construction 2025 Strategy. Phase 5: Developing and Testing an Integrated Collaborative Toolkit (Westminster and UKZN) - Bringing together the key findings of individual Phases 1 to 4, this toolkit will take the form of a dynamic decision-making model, which will map potential ways for communities, businesses, and policymakers to collaborate. It will also identify the resources required, skills developed, and the business models created for mobilising private sector involvement and economic growth. Phase 6: Project Management, Communication and Dissemination (Westminster with UKZN)

Uncertainties about the magnitude of bycatch in poorly assessed fisheries impede effective conservation management. In northern Peru, small-scale fisheries (SSF) bycatch negatively impacts marine megafauna populations and the livelihoods of fishers which is further elevated by the under-reporting of incidents. Within the last decade, accounts of entangled humpback whales (HBW) (Megaptera novaeangliae) off the northern coast of Peru have increased, while Eastern Pacific leatherback turtles (LBT) (Dermochelys coriacea) have seen over a 90% decline in nesting populations related in large part to bycatch mortality. By leveraging the experience and knowledge of local fishers, our research objectives were to use a low-cost public participation mapping approach to provide a spatio-temporal assessment of bycatch risk for HBW and LBT off two Peruvian fishing ports. We used an open-source, geographic information systems (GIS) model, the Bycatch Risk Assessment (ByRA), as our platform. Broadly, ByRA identifies high bycatch risk areas by estimating the intersection of fishing areas (i.e., stressors) with species habitat and evaluating the exposure and consequence of possible interaction between the two. ByRA outputs provided risk maps and gear risk percentages categorized as high, medium, and low for the study area and seven subzones for HBW in the austral winter and LBT in the austral summer. Overall, the highest bycatch risk for both species was identified within gillnet fisheries near the coast. Bycatch risk for most gear types decreased with distance from the coast. When we separated the ByRA model by port, our map outputs indicate that bycatch management should be port specific, following seasonal and spatial variations for HBW, and specific fishing gear impacts for HBW and LBT. Combined with direct bycatch mitigation techniques, ByRA can be a supportive and informative tool for addressing specific bycatch threats and marine megafauna conservation goals. ByRA supports a participatory framework offering rapid visual information via risk maps and replicable methods for areas with limited resources and data on fisheries and species habitat.