Can Citizen Science Help Indigenous Communities Defend Their Right to Clean Water?

In the highlands of Bolivia, the Katari River basin feeds Lake Titicaca, a vital resource for local populations. Yet, its waters are severely polluted by mining waste, urban discharges, and upstream agricultural activities. The Aymara communities, located downstream, bear the brunt of this contamination. They see their access to clean water threatened, along with their food security and traditions. Faced with this environmental imbalance, a participatory approach was tested: citizen science.

For four months, community members—mostly young people—collected and analyzed water samples using simple and low-cost methods. The results are alarming. Levels of dissolved solids, phosphates, and turbidity regularly exceed national standards, especially in the Katari River. These findings were discussed in local workshops, where participants could compare them with their daily observations. For them, water degradation is not just a technical issue, but an injustice that affects their health, crops, and way of life.

This initiative strengthened local knowledge about pollution and its causes. Participants learned to measure water quality and understand the links between this pollution, the disappearance of fish, diseases, and reduced harvests. The workshops also encouraged intergenerational exchanges, with elders sharing memories of a once clean and fish-rich river. Younger generations, often less aware of this degradation, became conscious of the problem’s scale and its impact on their future.

However, while citizen science has enlightened communities about their rights and the risks they face, it has not been enough to prompt institutional action. Participants expressed frustration at the lack of response from authorities and the absence of mechanisms to translate this data into concrete actions. Without legal support and political will, their demands remain unheeded.

The study shows that water pollution is not just an environmental issue. It is closely linked to food security, health, and cultural preservation. Indigenous communities, although recognized by Bolivian law, struggle to assert their rights against upstream industrial and urban activities. For them, citizen science is a valuable tool for documenting problems, but its effectiveness will depend on its integration into broader legal and political frameworks.

This experience highlights the importance of combining local knowledge with scientific data. It also reveals the limits of a purely technical approach: without legal support and public commitment, communities remain vulnerable. Their fight for clean water and a healthy environment requires genuine recognition of their rights and more inclusive governance.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00550-026-00588-2

Title: Indigenous community-based approaches to environmental justice through citizen science

Journal: Sustainability Nexus Forum

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Afnan Agramont; Analy Baltodano Martinez; Mohammad Gharesifard; Leonardo Villafuerte Philippsborn; Liliana Lizarazo-Rodriguez; Stuart Warner; Ann van Griensven