GroundTruth 2.0 - Horizon 2020 Citizen Science
Citizen science is on the increase. Using their own observations and mobile devices, citizens can provide a new data stream of local information about their environment, complementing existing systems and data sources.
Ground Truth 2.0 is a 3-year EC funded project that is setting up and validating six citizen observatories in real conditions, in four European and two African demonstration cases. The project is demonstrating that such observatories are technologically feasible, can be implemented sustainably and that they have many societal and economic benefits. The ultimate objective is the global market uptake of the concept and the enabling technologies.
Dutch demo case
In the Netherlands, climate change leads to excessive local rainfall. This causes pluvial flooding, especially in urban areas. At the same time, citizens tend to turn their gardens from green spaces into paved, partially roof-covered outdoor living areas. This counteracts measures taken by authorities to increase the water storage capacity in urban areas. In order to reduce the impact of pluvial flooding, measures need to be taken by both authorities and citizens.
Within the area of water board Rivierenland, the Altena region has experienced two pluvial flooding events with serious damage in the last five years. Together with the water board and local stakeholders in Altena, Ground Truth 2.0 has set up the Citizen Observatory Grip op water Altena. The aim of the Observatory is to reduce the impact of future heavy rainfall events in Altena.
On the online platform of Grip op water Altena, citizens and authorities can share information about the weather and water system through interactive maps. Stakeholders can share their knowledge on the implementation of measures and inspire others to generate water storage areas. Social media are used for awareness raising and for communication between stakeholders. As a result, stakeholders can engage in co-operative urban planning and flooding can be prevented.
The role of HydroLogic and HydroNET
HydroLogic is the demo case leader of this Ground Truth 2.0 demonstration case. HydroLogic is in direct contact with the stakeholders in the demo case and organizes the stakeholder meetings for Grip op water Altena. Next to the social dimensions, HydroLogic created and maintains the website for Grip op water Altena and applies HydroNET tools in the Dutch demo case. HydroLogic is also involved in creating business models for all citizen observatories and the tools developed in the project and contributes to the project communication and dissemination activities.
More information:
Grip op Water Altena (in Dutch)
GroundTruth 2.0
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No. 689744.
