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Amador-Castro F, González-López ME, Lopez-Gonzalez G, Garcia-Gonzalez A, Díaz-Torres O, Carbajal-Espinosa O, Gradilla-Hernández MS. Internet of Things and citizen science as alternative water quality monitoring approaches and the importance of effective water quality communication. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 352:119959. [PMID: 38194871 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
The increasing demand for water and worsening climate change place significant pressure on this vital resource, making its preservation a global priority. Water quality monitoring programs are essential for effectively managing this resource. Current programs rely on traditional monitoring approaches, leading to limitations such as low spatiotemporal resolution and high operational costs. Despite the adoption of novel monitoring approaches that enable better data resolution, the public's comprehension of water quality matters remains low, primarily due to communication process deficiencies. This study explores the advantages and challenges of using Internet of Things (IoT) and citizen science as alternative monitoring approaches, emphasizing the need for enhancing public communication of water quality data. Through a systematic review of studies implemented on-field, we identify and propose strategies to address five key challenges that IoT and citizen science monitoring approaches must overcome to mature into robust sources of water quality information. Additionally, we highlight three fundamental problems affecting the water quality communication process and outline strategies to convey this topic effectively to the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Amador-Castro
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
| | - Martín Esteban González-López
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
| | - Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez
- Water@leeds, School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK; School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Alejandro Garcia-Gonzalez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de La Salud, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
| | - Osiris Díaz-Torres
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
| | - Oscar Carbajal-Espinosa
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Av. General Ramon Corona No. 2514, 45201, Zapopan, Jal., Mexico
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A Novel Calendar-Based Method for Visualizing Water Quality Change: The Case of the Yangtze River 2006–2015. WATER 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/w9090708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Dunn G, Bakker K, Harris L. Drinking Water Quality Guidelines across Canadian provinces and territories: jurisdictional variation in the context of decentralized water governance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2014; 11:4634-51. [PMID: 24776725 PMCID: PMC4053895 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph110504634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2014] [Accepted: 04/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This article presents the first comprehensive review and analysis of the uptake of the Canadian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines (CDWQG) across Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. This review is significant given that Canada’s approach to drinking water governance is: (i) highly decentralized and (ii) discretionary. Canada is (along with Australia) only one of two Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member states that does not comply with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation that all countries have national, legally binding drinking water quality standards. Our review identifies key differences in the regulatory approaches to drinking water quality across Canada’s 13 jurisdictions. Only 16 of the 94 CDWQG are consistently applied across all 13 jurisdictions; five jurisdictions use voluntary guidelines, whereas eight use mandatory standards. The analysis explores three questions of central importance for water managers and public health officials: (i) should standards be uniform or variable; (ii) should compliance be voluntary or legally binding; and (iii) should regulation and oversight be harmonized or delegated? We conclude with recommendations for further research, with particular reference to the relevance of our findings given the high degree of variability in drinking water management and oversight capacity between urban and rural areas in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Dunn
- Program on Water Governance, University of British Columbia, 439-2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Karen Bakker
- Program on Water Governance, University of British Columbia, 439-2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Leila Harris
- Program on Water Governance, University of British Columbia, 439-2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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