Rivers Project: a citizen science approach for water quality measurement

By project RIWET

Published on 01 April 2025

Spain

About this good practice

The Rivers Project is an ecological quality monitoring project focused on freshwater ecosystems. The project started back in the late 90’s and its methodology is nowadays based in standard physicochemical and biological indexes. This specialized methodology has been adapted to be performed by citizens using simpler tools and materials.

Limne, the leading organization in the Valencia Region, provides methodology training, basic tools and permanent support to all participants. All the data collected are saved in the project’s database and contribute to research sharing our datasets with researchers and public administration as well as participating in research topics such as usability and precision of citizen science data and its potential role in water management.

Citizen scientists can meaningfully contribute by monitoring water quality in a nearby water course, identifying potential sources of pollution in their local and regional watersheds. This can significantly increase the amount of water quality data available to government agencies for bodies of water that may otherwise go unassessed. In fact, a network of citizen scientists can potentially monitor an entire watershed.

The provided data can lead to restoration projects and through the commitment with the project, participants ultimately contribute to protecting a crucial habitat for multiple species. The project also meets the requirements of the Water Framework Directive in terms of public participation.

Expert opinion

Citizen science is any activity that involves the public in scientific research. The Rivers Project is an example of how citizens can directly support environmental monitoring, generating valuable data for research and policy, and helping to foster environmental stewardship in a participative way. Key to the success of the practice is the capacity building provided to volunteers, which relies on in-person trainings and accessible tools and methodologies. Thanks to the army of volunteers that have been recruited, a large amount of valuable data can be collected at a very modest cost. A knock-on impact is the increased awareness and ownership among participants about their local rivers and ecosystems. The project directly supports the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive and contributes to the requirements related to public participation. Other regions can replicate this model by adapting scientific protocols for public use and investing in volunteer engagement.

James Ling

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

The Project involves >1,000 groups of citizens all over Spain, mainly in 5 Autonomous Communities
The economic requirements depend on the size of the basin, the number of activities or people involved. Resources to cover the needs of all volunteers in a Spanish autonomous community is 160,000€/year

Evidence of success

Through local partnerships, municipalities, schools, NGOs and citizens are involved nationwide
Within 20 years, >60,000 participants volunteered to join the project and together face the environmental challenge of water pollution. Over all these years they collected samples of rivers, mapped their water quality, analyzed the impact on concerned ecosystems and how they evolve over time. Also, early warning networks for invasive plants have been launched, as well as riverbank restoration projects.

Potential for learning or transfer

The Rivers Project has had significant impacts in Spain, monitoring thousands of kilometers of watercourses and involving municipalities, citizens, teachers, and students in monitoring campaigns and educational activities. This raises awareness and fosters collaboration in river management.

The project aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including Clean Water and Sanitation, Quality Education, and Life on Land. It promotes environmental education, community participation, and partnerships for sustainable development, aiming to meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive and Water Law. It also aligns with the Earth Charter and the Treaty of Environmental Education for Sustainable and Global Responsibility.

By implementing this project, we aim to address the issue of river quality deterioration and the lack of public involvement in water resource management, both nationally and globally.