This presentation by Aliya Ibraimova was part of OpenCon 2017's Regional Models for Open Research and Open Education panel. Aliya shared the successes and challenges of integrating openness in the Kyrgyz context through the implementation of Kyrgyz Mountains Environmental Education and Citizen Science project (KMEECS) and subsequent projects. KMEECS project applies a transdisciplinary approach to knowledge generation. It combines citizen science on the community level, environmental research and teacher training to foster awareness of and interaction with the local environment. At the same time it aims at generating locally relevant data on the environment in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The project pilots the introduction of low-cost environmental field courses on water monitoring in schools in mountain communities of Kyrgyzstan’s Naryn province. Based on a citizen science approach, students analyse and generate data on their water resources, which are fed into a network of open environmental data.

1. Kyrgyz Mountains Environmental
Education and Citizen Science
project (KMEECS)

2. Kyrgyzstan
200 000 км2
90% are mountain ranges

3. Background
• Collaboration of CAMP Alatoo and UCA for
joint implementation of KMEECS
• Membership in OCSDNet

4. • Citizen science
• Environmental Education
KMEECS

5. Context for openness in Kyrgyzstan
• Few initiatives on openness in Kyrgyzstan
• Soviet legacy and it‘s impact on education and
environmental monitoring
• Understanding Open Science: Perspectives from the
local and national levels

7. Citizens science
and Openness „Sometimes when we send
water samples to
governmental laboratories,
we even think that they mix
the results intentionally to
hide sensitive information.
Our analyses are much
simpler, but at least we are
sure that they are not
manipulated“ Physics
teacher, At-Bashy district.

8. Citizens science
and Openness
„After mapping our
village and the places
where we get our
drinking water it became
visible that the eastern
part of the village is well
provisioned with water
points, while the rest
isn’t. Based on that we
can take action!”

9. Benefits of citizen science
• Improved environmental education level in
remote areas
• Reliable environmental data on a local level
• Informed decision making on village issues
• Promotion of open and collaborative research
principles

10. STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION

11. 1. Selection of schools

12. 2. Defining of research topic, its relevance and
possible benefits
1. Studying of water resources, including water
quality
2. Phenology of plants and climate change

13. 3. Participatory curriculum development

14. Resource packages

15. 4. Collection of data on local level

16. 5. Presentation and sharing of data

17. 5. Presentation and sharing of data
• Local level meetings, workshops
• Exhibitions
• Masters classes, open lessons, fairies
• Round tables, conferences at national and
international levels
• Articles, profiles and blogs

18. 7. Approval of educational materials by
competent bodies
1. Getting recension from scientists
2. Getting approval/recommendation for
further use and dissemination of elaborated
materials in schools from Education &
Methodological Commission under Ministry
of Education

19. Final products
• Educational manual on/with citizen science
activities
• Ebook on the results of exhibition “Through
water”
• Mobile application on water and phenology of
plants

20. Educational projects/components
• Kyrgyz Mountains Environmental Education
and Citizen Science, 2015-2017
• Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate
Change in high mountainous regions of
Central Asia, 2016-2018
• Community based Snow Leopard protection
through pasture and game management plans
integration, 2017-2018

21. Thank you for attention!