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Community monitoring can track environmental phenomena, resource use, and natural resource management processes of concern to community members. It can also contribute to planning and decision-making and empower community members in resource management. While community monitoring that addresses the environmental crisis is growing, it also gathers data on other global challenges: climate change, social welfare, and health. Some environmental community monitoring programs are challenged by limited collective action and community participation, insufficient state responsiveness to data and proposals, and lack of sustainability over time. Additionally, community members monitoring the environment are increasingly harassed and sometimes killed. Community monitoring is more effective with improved data collection, improved data management and sharing, andstronger efforts to meet community information needs, enable conflict resolution, and strengthen self-determination. Other promising areas for development are further incorporating governance issues, embracing integrated approaches at the community level, and establishing stronger links to national and global frameworks.

Community monitoring is believed to be successful only where there is sustained funding, legislation for communities to enforce rules, clear tenure rights, and an enabling environment created by the state. Against this backdrop, we present the case of an autonomous grassroots-monitoring network that took the initiative to protect their forest, in a context, where no external incentives and rule enforcement power were provided. The aim was to analyze the socio-demographic and economic backgrounds, motivations and achievements of forest monitors, compared to non-monitors in the same communities. A total of 137 interviews were conducted in four villages bordering Prey Lang forest in Cambodia. We used binary logit models to identify the factors that influenced the likelihood of being a monitor. Results show that there were few (22%, n = 30) active monitors. Active monitors were intrinsically motivated forest-users, and not specifically associated with a particular gender, ethnicity, or residence-time in that area. The most common interventions were with illegal loggers, and the monitors had a general feeling of success in stopping the illegal activities. Most (73%, n = 22) of them had been threatened by higher authorities and loggers. Our results show that despite the lack of power to enforce rules, absence of external funding and land-ownership rights, and enduring threats of violence and conflicts, autonomous community monitoring may take place when community members are sufficiently motivated by the risk of losing their resources. Community monitoring is believed to be successful only where there is sustained funding, legislation for communities to enforce rules, clear tenure rights, and an enabling environment created by the state. Against this backdrop, we present the case of an autonomous grassroots-monitoring network that took the initiative to protect their forest, in a context, where no external incentives and rule enforcement power were provided. The aim was to analyze the socio-demographic and economic backgrounds, motivations and achievements of forest monitors, compared to non-monitors in the same communities. A total of 137 interviews were conducted in four villages bordering Prey Lang forest in Cambodia. We used binary logit models to identify the factors that influenced the likelihood of being a monitor. Results show that there were few (22%, n = 30) active monitors. Active monitors were intrinsically motivated forest-users, and not specifically associated with a particular gender, ethnicity, or residence-time in that area. The most common interventions were with illegal loggers, and the monitors had a general feeling of success in stopping the illegal activities. Most (73%, n = 22) of them had been threatened by higher authorities and loggers. Our results show that despite the lack of power to enforce rules, absence of external funding and land-ownership rights, and enduring threats of violence and conflicts, autonomous community monitoring may take place when community members are sufficiently motivated by the risk of losing their resources.

In order to define an in vitro integrated testing strategy (ITS) for estrogenicity, a set of 23 reference compounds representing diverse chemical classes were tested in a series of in vitro assays including proliferation and reporter gene assays. Outcomes of these assays were combined with published results for estrogen receptor (ER) binding assays and the OECD validated BG1Luc ER transcriptional activation (TA) assay and compared with the outcomes of the in vivo uterotrophic assay to investigate which assays most accurately predict the in vivo uterotrophic effect and to identify discrepancies between the in vitro assays and the in vivo uterotrophic assay. All in vitro assays used revealed a reasonable to good correlation (R2?=?0.62–0.87) with the in vivo uterotrophic assay but the combination of the yeast estrogen bioassay with the U2OS ERa-CALUX assay seems most promising for an ITS for in vitro estrogenicity testing. The main outliers identified when correlating data from the different in vitro assays and the in vivo uterotrophic assay were 4-hydroxytamoxifen, testosterone and to a lesser extent apigenin, tamoxifen and kepone. Based on the modes of action possibly underlying these discrepancies it becomes evident that to further improve the ITS and ultimately replace animal testing for (anti-)estrogenic effects, the selected bioassays have to be combined with other types of in vitro assays, including for instance in vitro models for digestion, bioavailability and metabolism of the compounds under investigation

The use of smartphones for data collection has opened up new opportunities for communities wishing to engage in community-based monitoring. While information and communication technology (ICT) is able to systematize data collection, complex functions and observation types can present challenges for community members. ICT also may skew community participation towards young men, as they are sometimes more comfortable using smartphones.This study investigates the success and cost-effectiveness of having local forest monitors use ICT to collect data on forest crimes and forest resources in Prey Lang, Cambodia. A workshop was held with the Prey Lang Community Network to identify the resources and illegal activities to be monitored. Guided by the community members, a smartphone app was subsequently developed and a total of 36 community members were trained in its use. We examined the extent to which the capacity of community members to collect data was dependent upon the complexity of the ICT and on their age and gender. We also assessed the costs of the monitoring program over a two-year period.The community members were able to collect large amounts of data regardless of their gender or age. They made 10,842 entries of data on illegal logging and forest resources. Increased complexity of the app had no impact on the proportion of quality data collected. The cost of monitoring resembled other community-based monitoring programs but was notably less than for monitoring by professional foresters. Our findings suggest that local communities with little formal education are able to monitor forest crimes and forest resources cost-effectively using ICT; however, while the documentation collected was highly valuable, software and hardware maintenance, along with the digital data validation process, will continue to require external support. The use of smartphones for data collection has opened up new opportunities for communities wishing to engage in community-based monitoring. While information and communication technology (ICT) is able to systematize data collection, complex functions and observation types can present challenges for community members. ICT also may skew community participation towards young men, as they are sometimes more comfortable using smartphones.This study investigates the success and cost-effectiveness of having local forest monitors use ICT to collect data on forest crimes and forest resources in Prey Lang, Cambodia. A workshop was held with the Prey Lang Community Network to identify the resources and illegal activities to be monitored. Guided by the community members, a smartphone app was subsequently developed and a total of 36 community members were trained in its use. We examined the extent to which the capacity of community members to collect data was dependent upon the complexity of the ICT and on their age and gender. We also assessed the costs of the monitoring program over a two-year period.The community members were able to collect large amounts of data regardless of their gender or age. They made 10,842 entries of data on illegal logging and forest resources. Increased complexity of the app had no impact on the proportion of quality data collected. The cost of monitoring resembled other community-based monitoring programs but was notably less than for monitoring by professional foresters. Our findings suggest that local communities with little formal education are able to monitor forest crimes and forest resources cost-effectively using ICT; however, while the documentation collected was highly valuable, software and hardware maintenance, along with the digital data validation process, will continue to require external support.

In order to define an in vitro integrated testing strategy (ITS) for estrogenicity, a set of 23 reference compounds representing diverse chemical classes were tested in a series of in vitro assays including proliferation and reporter gene assays. Outcomes of these assays were combined with published results for estrogen receptor (ER) binding assays and the OECD validated BG1Luc ER transcriptional activation (TA) assay and compared with the outcomes of the in vivo uterotrophic assay to investigate which assays most accurately predict the in vivo uterotrophic effect and to identify discrepancies between the in vitro assays and the in vivo uterotrophic assay. All in vitro assays used revealed a reasonable to good correlation (R(2) = 0.62-0.87) with the in vivo uterotrophic assay but the combination of the yeast estrogen bioassay with the U2OS ERα-CALUX assay seems most promising for an ITS for in vitro estrogenicity testing. The main outliers identified when correlating data from the different in vitro assays and the in vivo uterotrophic assay were 4-hydroxytamoxifen, testosterone and to a lesser extent apigenin, tamoxifen and kepone. Based on the modes of action possibly underlying these discrepancies it becomes evident that to further improve the ITS and ultimately replace animal testing for (anti-)estrogenic effects, the selected bioassays have to be combined with other types of in vitro assays, including for instance in vitro models for digestion, bioavailability and metabolism of the compounds under investigation.