Transforming Local Socio-Political Relations through Citizen Science in South Africa

South Africa, the most unequal country in the world, has experienced a rapid rise in service delivery protests over the last decade. When municipal engagement through existing channels fails, water users often use protest to gain attention to their water and sanitation problems. However a creative form of engagement that includes elements of protest merits greater attention: citizen science. People exert their agency by gathering data, which gives them power to challenge environmental injustices. While the literature on citizen science focuses on its role in protecting natural resources, this research explores how the practice of citizen science can—at the same time-- promote socio-political transformation at the local level. It examines this issue in the context of citizen monitoring of water quality of the Vaal River, one of South Africa’s largest rivers that is in crisis due to pollution from waste water works, acid mine drainage and industry. Here two non-profit organisations gather data that they then use in a variety of ways to hold polluters to account. Based on key informant interviews with citizens from both organisations, this paper seeks to understand how the dramatically different class and racial backgrounds and interests of the two groups interact and transform each other as they work together around a common aim—to protect their water resources.