How can bottom-up citizen science restore public trust in environmental governance and sciences? Recommendations from three case studies

• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103854
• Publication Date: 2024-08-01T15:21:05Z
• Authors: Artemis Skarlatidou; Muki Haklay; Simon Hoyte; Michiel van Oudhe...; Isabel J. Bishop
• Keywords: Citizen Science; Distrust; Environmental Governance; Public Participation; Popularity; Public Engagement

Citizen science is currently at the forefront of environmental scientific research and public policy for its potential to improve governance, restore epistemic trust help address some most stressing challenges. Although citizen gaining increasing popularity, there little empirical evidence support these claims demonstrate how bottom-up shapes in governance science. In this paper we reflect on three grassroot initiatives Cameroon, Japan, UK identify present an instrumental framework which includes trustee attributes conditions that influence shaped, should inform other participatory practices. We explain approach enables political processes through construction well-informed techno-scientific arguments, expose deficit assumptions about public's ability participate knowledge co-production process. To avoid repeating failures past risk amplifying issues distrust further, provide suggestions built around key can be incorporated practices urge needs create clear frameworks enable generation actionable data, especially when such approaches are initiated implemented as participation methods.