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South African students combat eco-anxiety with the help of water tests

South Africa has high levels of pollution in its water

Citizen water-testing spreads across country

Environmental anxiety can be addressed by citizen science

By Kim Harrisberg

They are part a growing group of citizen scientists who collect water samples throughout the country in order to monitor pollution, and brainstorm on what can be done.

Zeenat RAMDHARIE, 19, is a student of environmental science, geography, and development studies at Independent Institute of Education (IIE MSA), a private institution where the testing initiative has been launched.

She said, "When more people join together to find these (environmental issues), things can be achieved." As she stood on the bank of the Wilgespruit River, a tributary of a transboundary, shared river by South Africa Botswana, and Mozambique.

IIE MSA launched its Water Quality Monitoring Initiative (late May) to provide students in South Africa with the necessary tools and training to monitor freshwater ecosystems.

IIE researchers say South Africa's rivers and waterways are threatened by pollution from mining, agriculture, industries, and poor wastewater management. All of these things harm biodiversity.

According to the United Nations, about one-third (33%) of rivers in Africa and Latin America, as well as Asia, are severely polluted, which threatens human health, food safety, and ecosystems.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, climate change affects water through flooding, droughts, and increasing temperatures that heat up water bodies and encourage harmful algae growth.

Students can win cash prizes by participating in the IIE MSA Water-Monitoring Initiative, which runs for three months. The initiative encourages students to collect and analyze data to determine how to maintain or improve water quality.

Vanessa Stippel is a lecturer at IIE MSA in environmental science. She said, "We're interested in how citizen-science can lead to advocacy or action."

She said that when people feel invested in the project, they will be more inclined to want to share their knowledge with others.

FIGHTING ECO ANGST

According to a policy paper by Earthwatch Europe, low-cost monitoring tools are able to help citizen scientists collect information, especially when government monitoring is absent.

Kyle Kumst is a student at IIE MSA studying environmental science, geography and development studies. He said that the water testing allows him to "connect with nature once again".

Stippel is aware of how citizen science helps combat climate anxiety and apathy in her students.

"Climate Change is such a huge concept that you feel powerless." "We don't even know where to begin," she said.

A report released in May by the U.N. Children's Agency UNICEF and consulting firm Capgemini found that more than two thirds of youth worldwide are worried about climate change.

Stippel said, "Anytime you get out in nature, the problems become more granular and you can take action."

In a study published in Frontiers in Environmental Science in Feburary, 48% of participants in citizen science environmental projects reported less stress and anxiety than before they participated.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Linda Downsborough is the head of environmental sciences at IIE MSA. She slowly wade up the Wilgespruit River with a large net before finding shallow water. She then turned her back on the river flow, stomped the gumboots and continued her journey.

Downsborough said, "You want whatever you kick up by stomping to flow into the net."

After two minutes Downsborough looked into her net.

She pointed out small sluglike creatures.

After returning to the riverbank, Downsborough collected her findings and poured them into a container with her students to help identify the macroinvertebrates.

The miniSASS (miniStream Assessment Scoring System) assigned a score to each organism in order to determine the quality of the water. The results will be displayed on an online map in order to identify polluted areas.

Downsborough, along with her team, encourages citizen scientists to test other water-testing kits such as Freshwater Watch or WaterCAN. These tests can detect a variety of pollutants like excess nitrates and excessive phosphates.

Activists can use the findings to mobilize for government action by uploading them online.

WaterCAN and other civil society organizations released a report in April on the Umbilo River, revealing pollution including high levels E. coli bacteria.

Based on their findings, they called for urgent repairs to infrastructure.

The report stated that "Civil Society must continue to push accountability, create awareness within communities and build actions through citizen science."

The eThekwini Municipal Water and Sanitation Department in Durban acknowledged receiving questions about the report but had not responded to a comment request by publication time.

GroundTruth, a consulting firm that developed the miniSASS kit and trains citizen scientists, including more than 1,000 young people in KwaZulu Natal, is a company that helps train environmental consultants.

Early June, Downsborough and Stippel gave a presentation on their research about public participation at the Citizen Science for Water Quality Conference held in the Netherlands. The IIE MSA initiative for water monitoring will be expanded across schools and campuses next year.

(source: Reuters)