Community-based water quality monitoring: From data collection to sustainable management of water resources

The following is an account of how a rural community in the Philippines worked side by side with researchers, nongovernmental and governmental workers over a five-year period to develop science-based indicators of water quality that proved relevant for developing environmental policy. The case primarily focused on the early stages of implementing a municipal-level, natural resource management plan in Lantapan. The setting and background of the project are briefly described, followed by the nature of specific indicators and how they were chosen and refined. Next, the process by which these indicators influenced policy are documented, concluding with lessons learned throughout the process.