CITIZEN SCIENCE AND MOTIVATION: A STUDY OF WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN MPOPHOMENI, KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

Citizen Science is the involvement of ordinary individuals to address real-world problems through scientific data gathering and analysis. As a practice it has been promoted for its numerous benefits such as educational benefits, skills gain and raising citizen awareness on the subject under investigation. The success of these projects depends on understanding volunteer motivation, as it determines the quantity and quality of volunteers, however, there is limited understanding of what motivates and sustains the participation of volunteers in Citizen Science Projects. This thesis examines the potential of Citizen Science as an instrument to motivate, raise awareness and sustain participation in water resource management