Transformative Impact of Citizen Science on Environmental Governance: a systematic analysis of Perspective and Pathways

Collaboration between volunteers and scientists—citizen science (CS)—has gained enormous scientific momentum over the recent decade. Despite this, little systematic evaluation has been conducted on its potential to transform environmental governance, especially in East-European countries. This project will investigate the interface between CS and transformative environmental governance worldwide and in Estonia. We will (1) conduct a thorough systematic review to gather evidence about transformative impact of CS on environmental governance; (2) analyse CS models used in Estonia and their impact on governance; (3) investigate the socio-technological context in which the CS data is situated how it is made available to influence governance; (4) test ideas about needed intervention points for achieving transformative impact and develop recommendations to improve CS impact. This will help to redefine the role of CS to transform environmental governance and improve sustainability of actions.