Improving citizen science data quality for water management

The Netherlands currently ranks last among all EU member states for water quality. Water management organizations are under pressure to meet the standards of the EU Water Framework Directive – and innovative solutions are urgently needed.

Goal of the project

By combining the new possibilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the proven success of the citizen science platform Waterdiertjes.nl, this project aims to help water boards face this challenge head-on. Waterdiertjes.nl is a Dutch citizen science initiative that enables volunteers to assess water quality by capturing, identifying, and recording macroinvertebrates – small aquatic creatures that are key indicators of ecological health. Over the years, it has become the national standard in this field, with a steadily growing user base. Citizen researchers often monitor small water bodies that official water managers rarely check, providing valuable additional insights.

The potential of AI

Despite its success, there’s still untapped potential. Many water management organizations are reluctant to use citizen science data because of concerns about data quality and consistency. By integrating AI-powered photo recognition using the Naturalis Identification API, we can:

• Improve identification accuracy of macroinvertebrates
• Enhance the user experience for citizen scientists
• Increase the volume and reliability of collected data

More information

Waterdiertjes

Executive project partners

• Globe Netherlands

• Wageningen University, Department of Environmental Sciences

• TAUW

• Waarnemingen.nl

• Semblis Foundation

• Drents Overijsselse Delta Water Board

• Aa en Maas Water Board

• STOWA

• Naturalis