BrantaSae: Sustaining Community-Driven Water Quality Sharing in the Brantas Catchment

Data scarcity and dispersion are pervasive challenges facing water and environmental managers in many contexts. Such is the case in the Brantas River basin in East Java, Indonesia, where water quality monitoring data and information on pollution sources and attendant management solutions has historically been dispersed and, therefore, challenging to apply in both research and policy analysis. In 2022, a multistakeholder project team launched a citizen science campaign and online data platform, BrantaSae, focusing on water quality monitoring in the Brantas catchment (approximately 12.000 km2). We enabled a local university to host this water quality database. Different communities and students of the local university itself were approached to contribute to this database through training sessions on how to upload, share, and oversee their data. In addition to facilitating the exchange of data, the platform allows communities and researchers to share challenges and solutions related to water quality improvement. BrantaSae serves as a potential clearinghouse for future collaboration and continuous learning amogst universities, communities, and other stakeholders including the local governmental agencies, emphasizing knowledge sharing in fostering a collaborative and informed community. As this research project concludes in 2024, it underscores the ongoing importance of BrantaSae in continuing to map water quality to expand our comprehension of the water quality in the catchment.