Abstract
The empirical findings presented in this paper are for the participatory approaches in sustainable land use planning. The value of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT), sketch and photo-mapping approaches aided by Geographical Information System (GIS) technology is emphasised. Various participants in Hardap region and experts associated with the Land Use Planning (LUP) development in that region provided their insightful knowledges, experiences and opinions on the value of participatory approaches aided by GIS technology in LUP. Combinations of research approaches were applied; these are literature review, the SWOT, sketch and photo mapping. Both positive and negative impacts of the approaches in evaluating the outcomes of the participatory mapping aided by GIS technology were gathered and the results were verified. The research established that the importance, the strengths and opportunities of participatory approaches in LUP are used in Namibia. There is however still a lack of knowledge on participatory methods to support land management programmes in Namibia. Key recommendations include awareness programme and intense studies on the potential value of participatory methods in LUP.
Highlights
Introduction study namely sketch mapping2 and photo-mapping 3
A SWOT analysis was conducted as a means of organizing some of the issues and factors promoting and acting against participatory methods (Carver [3])
The major objective of research was to describe opinions and experiences about participatory mapping approaches aided by Geographical Information System (GIS) for sustainable land use management in Namibia obtained by means of a SWOT analysis
Summary
A SWOT analysis was conducted as a means of organizing some of the issues and factors promoting and acting against participatory methods (Carver [3]). After Namibia’s independence in 1990, the Hardap region was divided into six political constituencies: Gibeon, Mariental Rural, Mariental Urban, Rehoboth Rural, Rehoboth Urban East and Rehoboth Urban West (Government of Namibia [2]). This study was done in the six original Hardap political constituencies. This is because the practical components (SWOT, sketch mapping and photo mapping) of the study were already done before the re-demarcation was implemented and there is still lack of data in the two new constituencies
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