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We are supporting 3 community groups (c. 90 volunteers in total) that want to monitor and restore the health of the River Thames in Thame, River Wey across South East England, and River Esk in Scotland. We need funding to provide water testing kits and our expert guidance to identify pollutants and take action.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
The government’s latest Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) report revealed a ‘chemical cocktail’ polluting all UK rivers, with fertiliser and pesticides in agriculture and untreated sewage released by water companies as the main culprits. Pollution levels are not being reported accurately by the agricultural or water industries to the Environment Agency, making it impossible to monitor the situation. The EAC recommends incorporating citizen science to help accurately monitor pollutants.
Solution
Earthwatch provides the tools and expertise needed for communities to become citizen scientists, measuring and monitoring water quality through our FreshWater Watch programme. Our water testing kits and expert guidance enable members to identify harmful pollutants, collect visual evidence of pollution and track data over time. Since 2012, we have supported 14,000 citizen scientists across Europe and Africa. Through empowerment and mobilisation, we have helped protect 1,200 waterbodies worldwide
