- Title
- Bringing river health into being with citizen science: River commons co-learning and practice
- Creator
- Mickelsson, Martin, Thifhulufhelwi, Reuben, Mvulane, Paulose, Brownell, Faye, Russell, Charlene, Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Subject
- To be catalogued
- Date
- 2024
- Type
- text
- Type
- article
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480383
- Identifier
- vital:78437
- Identifier
- https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-sajsci-v120-n9-a16
- Description
- Human health and well-being are directly and indirectly dependent on the life of river systems. Life in river systems is increasingly dependent on human actions that bring river health into being. Rather than describing river health as thing, problem or management challenge, this paper explores how river health is brought into being, through the citizen science practices of the Amanzi Ethu Nobuntu project in the upper uMngeni catchment in South Africa. The study draws on focal data produced by citizen science practitioners, as interpreted by them in collaboration with par tners in the catchment, and their reflections on the meaning(s) of river health and how it came into being. Drawing on the concepts of citizen science as a co-learning process, integrative views of One Health, and commoning as activity, the study offers a rich interpretation on how river health comes into being. The study shows the complex interrelated practices involved, including practices of resolving leaks and pollution challenges, social and community engagement, and the co-learning involved in citizen science practices itself. It offers insight into the socialecological and ethical-political ontological dynamics of river health commoning activity, thus offering alternatives to reductionist approaches to bringing river health into being, potentially also enriching tools for river health reporting.
- Format
- 9 pages, pdf
- Language
- English
- Relation
- South African Journal of Science, Mickelsson, M., Thifhulufhelwi, R., Mvulane, P., Brownell, F., Russell, C. and Lotz-Sisitka, H., 2024. Bringing river health into being with citizen science: River commons co-learning and practice. South African Journal of Science, 120(9/10), South African Journal of Science volume 120 number 9-10 1 9 2024 1996-7489
- Rights
- Publisher
- Rights
- Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Sabinet Terms and Conditions Statement (https://www.sabinet.co.za/terms-conditions)
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- Visitors: 3
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Collections
RU DST/NRF SARChI for Global Change Social Learning Systems Development: Transformative Learning and Green Skills Learning (ELRC)
Lotz-Sisitka, Heila (Distinguished Professor)
SDG 03. Good Health and Well-Being
SDG 04. Quality Education
RU Department of Education
SDG 14. Life Below Water
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| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Bringing river health into being with citizen science.pdf | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |