Community-Based Monitoring in Response to Local Concerns: Creating Usable Knowledge for Water Management in Rural Land

Abstract

Water resources around the world are being affected by increasing demand for human consumption as well as by industrial and agricultural use. Water quality has an impact on our quality of life, so effective monitoring provides the necessary data to allow decision makers to address critical water-related issues. This study (1) analyzes water knowledge generated by a community-based water monitoring (CBWM) network within a world heritage site; (2) discusses the extent to which monitoring responds to community concerns about water; and (3) indicates challenges in the generation of local usable knowledge. Using information generated over 6.5 years by a local monitoring network, we calculated a water quality index (WQI) and generated a time-series analysis using the breaks for additive season and trend (Bfast) algorithm. Results were grouped by specific community and institutional concerns about water. Springs under good management practices had low pollution levels, while others used for drinking and recreation had high fecal bacterial counts. Monitoring provided data about Escherichia coli counts exceeding legal limits, and about conditions of alkalinity and dissolved oxygen that represent a risk for the freshwater ecosystems. This study demonstrates how CBWM schemes can be a means of generating knowledge of water resources that can enhance the understanding of water dynamics and inform users’ decisions at local–regional levels.