Citizen Science in Conflict Zones for Community Empowerment
Nov 27, 2023
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Katerina Zourou and Stefania Oikonomou
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Armed conflicts continue to populate (unfortunately!) the columns of news websites and social media feeds. From Afghanistan to Ukraine and the Middle East, communities are faced with war-induced humanitarian and environmental consequences.
Armed conflicts and wars pose a serious threat to biodiversity and natural heritage of communities. The direct impacts to the environment are usually followed by indirect effects, such as illegal deforestation, that continue harming an already fragile ecosystem (Schulte to Bühne, H., Weir, D. 2022). Despite these critical conditions, being aware of the magnitude and severity of war-induced environmental damages is indispensable either for communities on the ground or the international community, especially researchers and experts.How can citizens leverage the potential of citizen science to demand environmental justice in the post-war era?