MultiPart: A Novel Approach for Improving Health and Well-being in Anthropogenically Perturbed Environments Based on Multi-Participatory Research

In areas where people are exposed to various types of pollution, a number of health and social problems can arise, affecting the physical and mental health of the population. One such example is the area of the municipality of Kanal ob Soči, where asbestos contamination existed in the past, but now cement production and waste co-incineration take place. This has led to health, environmental and well-being concerns in the local community.
The MultiPart project is dedicated to investigating the impact of pollutants on the health and well-being of the population and to assessing the actual exposure to these pollutants.
Within this project, the Anton Melik Geographical Institute of ZRC SAZU is leading Work Package 2, which promotes cooperation between local communities, researchers and other relevant stakeholders (e.g. NGOs, public administrations, businesses) using the principles of citizen science. This is the only way we can work together, based on the principles of fairness, ethics and democracy, to bring about positive change in areas particularly affected by pollution.

Our work is organized around four key activities:
1.    Stakeholder mapping and analysis: Identification and ranking of individuals and organizations (from the NGO sector, public administration, business and research) that need to be informed or actively involved in the research.
2.    First workshop in the community of Kanal ob Soči: The aim is to focus the research and the expectations of the local community and to gain local knowledge about the environment, health and well-being, as the best solutions can only be found with the participation of local stakeholders.
3.    General survey of adult male and female citizens: anonymous collection of opinions on health, environment and well-being in the community. The aim is to measure satisfaction with the research process, the level of trust in the community and between different stakeholders (e.g. between citizens and industry).
4.    Final workshop: Presentation of the main findings of the whole project. Based on these results, a discussion on concrete actions to improve the health, environment and general well-being of the area can be initiated.

By involving all stakeholders and through open and honest dialogue, we aim to create conditions that will enable the people of Kanal ob Soči to enjoy a better quality of life and a healthier living environment.