Fostering Inclusive Development with Citizen Science and Geospatial Technologies

Science and technology are crucial for solving problems and improving the well-being of human societies. With climate change, increasing natural disasters, economic slowdown, and rising conflicts, the need for science and technology interventions has increased manifolds. However, in densely populated and highly diverse countries such as India, often, science and technology development is concentrated in urban centers, while rural and remote areas rarely benefit from such development. Some of the most marginalized and vulnerable communities, which are found in such areas, especially in the Asia Pacific region, lag far behind. A more inclusive and equitable approach to science, technology, and innovation policy is essential for the progress of such marginalized and vulnerable communities and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Geospatial technologies and citizen science can be vital for recognizing the challenges of such communities and providing sustainable solutions for their upliftment. Geospatial technologies have provided powerful tools and solutions to access data from rural or remote regions, many of which remain underdeveloped due to difficult or inaccessible terrain. In the last few years, field-based tools including mobile-based apps have emerged, which, when combined with satellite imagery and other large datasets, support in-depth analysis of ground-level issues. And the citizen science-based approach ensures community participation, knowledge exchange, and sustainability of the planned interventions. Integrating such technologies and approaches encourages grass-root level innovation and participation in addressing community needs. Moreover, it helps in connecting the end users or stakeholders with appropriate service providers and facilitates feedback for improvement. In this context, the role of geospatial technologies and citizen science in bringing inclusion and equity to science and technology development is presented. We highlight various approaches for using geospatial technologies and citizen science using case studies. We discuss the current challenges in using such technologies and provide recommendations for effective implementation for achieving sustainable development goals.