Participatory mapping of hydro-meteorological hazard-prone locations

Abstract

Community concepts and terms often appear in policies and programs related to environmental issues and community participation. During this time, the concept of community uses the location of residence as the basis for its determination. The assumption is that those who live in these locations are the most familiar with their surroundings. The high displacement of urban residents causes some of them do not always know the place of their residence. This condition can affect the success of development programs that involve the community. To help implementing the program successfully, training on community participation-based map development is needed. The objective of this paper is to offers a way to find out people’s perceptions of where they live, so that they have a collective awareness of their environment through map development. Researchers conducted training of 15 residents who were members of the Kancil community. Kancil community located in a settlement on the edge of Ci Liwung, Depok City, West Java. Data of the environment is collected by mapping the location of a settlement area by several methods. The results of the mapping with the theme of hydro-meteorological disaster sensitivity were integrated subsequently into the form collaborative mapping. This participatory mapping produced a map showing the boundaries of flooded areas, areas prone to clean water scarcity, and locations prone to landslides. Community participation-based map development shows the people’s perception of their environment. Individu with high travel pattern shows knowledge and awareness on their environment. The mental map has a positive influence to their knowledge.