Participatory Mapping Process Research Articles

CARTOGRAFIA SOCIAL DA INJUSTIÇA AMBIENTAL NA CHAPADA DO APODI, CEARÁ

Chapada do Apodi, in the state of Ceará, is an expansion area for cotton agribusiness, producing environmental injustice against peasant communities. The study reveals the potential of social maps created through participatory mapping to expose environmental injustice caused by agribusiness. The research aims to demonstrate the environmental injustice triggered by the territorialization of agribusiness in the region through social cartography. A qualitative approach, participatory research, and social cartography are the core procedures for the investigation. The results show that it was possible to demonstrate increased deforestation, areas with a "smell of poison," the incorporation of former goat breeding areas, the deactivation of apiaries and bee deaths, the destruction of social technologies, and the possible contamination of storage tanks for household water. Furthermore, it is evident that environmental injustice can be revealed through participatory mapping processes based on social cartography. Keywords: Social cartography; Environmental injustice; Agribusiness; Chapada do Apodi.

Participatory mapping in exploratory scenario planning: Necessity or luxury?

Exploratory scenarios based on participatory approaches proved helpful in dealing with uncertainty and complexity in urban and transport systems. Such scenarios usually create coherent and manageable narratives that capture broad patterns and trends at global scales. However, significant difficulties exist in bridging exploratory scenario narratives with spatial and local realities, which is crucial for guiding policymaking in urban, regional, and mobility planning. This paper explores whether and how exploratory scenario narratives and participatory mapping processes can establish a reciprocal relationship, wherein narrative-based maps contribute to spatially shaping scenario narratives. It uses an experimental approach involving three participatory workshops with experts and local stakeholders specifically tailored to the mapping of land use and transportation-related scenario narratives for the year 2050 in the Henares Corridor (Madrid, Spain). The spatial transformations mapped during workshops have indicated that participatory mapping processes have an impact on scenario narratives in different ways, enabling the identification of three categories of mapping episodes with different meanings: (i) complementing narratives, (ii) expanding narratives, and (iii) modifying narratives. The paper closes by examining the implications of the obtained findings for policymaking, including a reflection on the research’s limitations and potential for application in real-world planning processes.

Interpreting stakeholder ecosystems through relational stakeholder theory: The case of a highly contested megaproject

AbstractManaging stakeholders' concerns in megaprojects with an inclusive and ethical vision is a current open challenge. To overcome company‐centered stakeholder‐management practices, an ecosystem view, (i.e., one based on the network of relationships among involved stakeholders), should be adopted by designing bottom‐up participatory stakeholder mapping processes that include the stakeholders affected by the construction of a megaproject. This paper presents an analysis of the stakeholder ecosystem of a contested megaproject in Italy (the Turin–Lyon high‐speed rail) aimed at identifying similarities and discrepancies in stakeholder identification and prioritization between the managers' perception and an ecosystem point of view. The study followed a mixed‐method approach. By coding the self‐declared statements from 21 interviews with middle and top managers of the organization in charge of the construction and visualizing the emerging network of actors through a social network analysis and the use of centrality degrees, the most relevant stakeholders are identified. Our findings reveal how the prioritization of stakeholders obtained through the centrality degrees significantly differs from what the managers declare in reference to the concept of salience, highlighting how a bottom‐up stakeholder mapping process—by including the stakeholders themselves in the mapping process—should be designed and reiterated during the whole life of a megaproject in order to adopt an inclusive stakeholder management approach.

Identifying areas of high drought risk in southwest Western Australia

Drought is a significant natural hazard in Australia, associated with financial hardship and damage to soils and vegetation. With droughts expected to become more frequent and more severe as climate change progresses, it is increasingly important to identify drought risk and assess community-level drought resilience at the appropriate spatial, temporal and administrative scale for decision-making. Here, we have used spatial multi-criteria analysis (MCA) to identify regional priority areas for the implementation of drought resilience interventions or investment in southwest Western Australia (WA). The MCA method involves the systematic integration of spatial data of different magnitudes and units through standardisation and weighting, and the visualisation of aggregated data to a single parameter output map. The study region is home to the WA grains industry, the largest agricultural contributor to the economy and one of the regions most impacted by climate change in Australia to date, experiencing consistent reduction in rainfall and recurrent drought over the last several decades. We modelled drought exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity for the region, incorporating spatially explicit climate, environmental, social and economic data, and produced a suite of priority areas maps that were sense-checked against a participatory mapping process. The maps highlight the northern and eastern Wheatbelt of WA as areas at high risk from drought and have the potential to serve as a powerful tool for local-level drought resilience decision-making. Most of the data we used are publicly available, and the vulnerability framework applied allows for wide replication within and beyond southwest WA.

Using Scenario Building and Participatory Mapping to Negotiate Conservation-Development Trade-Offs in Northern Ghana

In multifunctional landscapes, expanding economic activities jeopardise the integrity of biodiverse ecosystems, generating conservation-development trade-offs that require multi-stakeholder dialogue and tools to negotiate conflicting objectives. Despite the rich literature on participatory mapping and other tools to reveal different stakeholder perspectives, there is limited evidence on the application of such tools in landscape-scale negotiations. This paper addresses this gap by analysing a participatory mapping process in Ghana’s Western Wildlife Corridor, where a community-based landscape governance system called the community resource management area (CREMA) exists. Data from three participatory mapping workshops and focus group discussions with community and institutional actors reveal that increasing demand for food and natural resources and climate change impacts are drivers of landscape degradation, resulting in declining faunal and floral biodiversity and reduced ecosystem services. Meanwhile, community actors prioritise the expansion of farming land, while institutional actors prioritise forest conservation. However, scenario building and participatory mapping helped communicate each other’s aims and reach a negotiated consensus. Finally, power relations, cultural and traditional rules, and differences in knowledge affected deliberations and decision-making. We conclude that scenario building and participatory mapping can contribute to an inclusive landscape approach, provided that well-functioning multi-stakeholder platforms are in place and facilitators adequately navigate power imbalances and recognise different kinds and degrees of knowledge.

Questioning the practice of participation: Critical reflections on participatory mapping as a research tool

Participatory mapping has been documented to be an effective process for empowering stakeholders and integrating Indigenous and western systems of knowledge. Reflecting on the way participatory mapping is conducted allows researchers and facilitators to genuinely listen to community voices. Our experiences with participatory mapping demonstrate that there is an emphasis on transforming map content to meet research goals and less focus on the process and consequences of participatory mapping for stakeholders. In this paper, we critically reflect upon our roles as researchers in using participatory mapping. We describe four case studies in Mongolia, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, and the United States, tracing the typology of voices (i.e., individual-researcher, collective, and researcher-interpreted collective voices) throughout the participatory mapping process. We take a critical look at this process by questioning our practice and limitations of participation, how voices are (in)equitably represented, and the unintended consequences of our projects. Finally, we share a roadmap of community participation to assess the process and identify opportunities for reflection to enhance collaboration and improve equitable outcomes.

Site selection for European native oyster (Ostrea edulis) habitat restoration projects: An expert‐derived consensus

Abstract The European native oyster (Ostrea edulis) is a threatened keystone species which historically created extensive, physically complex, biogenic habitats throughout European seas. Overfishing and direct habitat destruction, subsequently compounded by pollution, invasive species, disease, predation and climate change have resulted in the functional extinction of native oyster habitat across much of its former range. Although oyster reef habitat remains imperilled, active restoration efforts are rapidly gaining momentum. Identifying appropriate sites for habitat restoration is an essential first step in long‐term project success. In this study, a three‐round Delphi process was conducted to determine the most important factors to consider in site selection for European native oyster habitat restoration projects. Consensus was reached on a total of 65 factors as being important to consider in site selection for European native oyster habitat restoration projects. In addition to the abiotic factors typically included in habitat suitability models, socio‐economic and logistical factors were found to be important. Determining the temporal and spatial variability of threats to native oyster habitat restoration and understanding the biotic factors present at a proposed restoration site also influence the potential for project scale‐up and longevity. This list guides site selection by identifying: a shortlist of measurable factors which should be considered; the relevant data to collect; topics for discussion in participatory mapping processes; information of interest from the existing body of local ecological knowledge; and factors underpinning supportive and facilitating regulatory frameworks.

Mapping and Cross-mapping the Hi:story of Performance Art in Switzerland through Collective Research for Deviant Understandings

The essay examines the project ‘revolving Hi:stories. Narrations of Performance Art in Switzerland’, a research endeavor consisting of an exhibition and a research conference in 2022. The goal of the project is to re-write the hi:story of Performance Art in Switzerland from its beginnings until today in a collective way. A crucial strategy for this oral history based research, is the participatory mapping process, where the recordings of oral history are also indexed in diagrammatic forms. First, the project “Revolving Hi:stories” is described and contextualized in the framework of recent discourses on curatorial and activist engagement by scholars like Maura Reilly or Marina Vishmidt. In a second step, the mapping and diagrammatic activities of the project based on Lepecki’s theory of choreopolitics and Elisabeth Bronfen’s concept of crossmapping are thoroughly analyzed. Finally, for the first time, a description of important groups and sites for the activist performance scene in Zurich is given, based on numerous interviews and the mapping sessions in 2021 - which the authors realized together with Chris Regn, Andrea Saemann, Clemens Fellmann and Tancredi Gusman.

Disaster Education through Participatory Mapping in Abrasion Prone Areas in Sarang, Central Java

One of the abrasion mitigations is mapping vulnerable areas through participatory mapping. Compared to conventional mapping, participatory mapping is considered more effective because, through this mapping, complete and detailed information will be obtained relatively quickly. However, given the limitations of the community, the participatory mapping process must be carried out through empowerment. Participatory mapping is one part of disaster education for the community. This research will provide disaster education through socialization and training on participatory mapping of GIS-based abrasion-prone areas in Sarang District, Rembang Regency based on community empowerment through a mixed-methods approach. The techniques used in data collection are interview, observation, questionnaire, a document study, and FGD techniques. The results show that this research has carried out participatory mapping based on community empowerment through preparation, implementation, evaluation, and monitoring stages. The results of participatory mapping are the active involvement of the community physically and mentally, the formation of a map of the occurrence of abrasion, and increasing the capacity of knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the community. The resulting maps can be used as recommendations to local governments and guidelines for local communities.

Harnessing the Power of Stories for Rural Sustainability: Reflections on Community-Based Research on the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland

Stories have the power to shape understanding of community sustainability. Yet in places on the periphery of capitalist systems, such as rural and resource-based regions, this power can be used to impose top–down narratives on to local residents. Academic research often reinforces these processes by telling damage-centric narratives that portray communities as depleted and broken, which perpetuates power imbalances between academia and community members, while disempowering local voices. This article explores the potential of storytelling as a means for local actors to challenge top–down notions of rural sustainability, drawing on a community-based research initiative on the Great Northern Peninsula (GNP) of Newfoundland. Five of the authors are community change-makers and one is an academic researcher. We challenge deficiencies-based narratives told about rural Newfoundland and Labrador, in which the GNP is often characterised by a narrow set of socio-economic indicators that overlook the region’s many tangible and intangible assets. Grounded in a participatory asset mapping and storytelling process, a ‘deep story’ of regional sustainability based on community members’ voices contrasts narratives of decline with stories of hope, and shares community renewal initiatives told by the dynamic individuals leading them. This article contributes to regional development efforts on the GNP, scholarship on sustainability in rural and remote communities, and efforts to realise alternative forms of university-community engagement that centre community members’ voices and support self-determination.

Participatory process for mapping socio-environmental determinants of health by community agents: Contributions to urban management and planning

Studies about socio-environmental determinants are recognized as important to better understand the factors that influence health and quality of life, and how they operate to generate inequalities. This article reports the mapping of socio-environmental determinants of health, carried out by community health agents from the community of Paraisópolis, the second-largest slum in the city of São Paulo (state of São Paulo), seeking to analyze potential contributions of this participatory process to urban management and planning. As part of an action research study and following the stages of Paulo Freire’s Research Itinerary (Culture Circles), the mapping was carried out by integrating the Talking Map technique with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in what has been called Participatory GIS or Geographic Information Systems with Social Participation (PGIS). Positive aspects were recognized and addressed by community agents, as well as several situations of socio-environmental vulnerability as a result of the agglomerated nature of the place, directly related to urban management and planning needs. This shows that, through a participatory mapping process, citizens cannot only better identify, but also more effectively communicate their needs and qualify intervention strategies in the territory. Therefore, it is possible to address the residents’ priorities more representatively, especially in places where traditionally marginalized social groups live. And also, community health agents, who play a central role in this research process because they live and work in the same place, are fundamental to boost, mobilize, and support the complex aspects involved, both in Primary Health Care, as well as in urban management and planning.

Participatory mapping and fishers’ knowledge about fish and shrimp migration in a subtropical coastal ecosystem

Fishers’ ecological knowledge (FEK) has contributed to studies on the reproduction and migration of fish and marine invertebrates. With increasing accessibility to information technologies, several surveys have begun to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to access FEK through participatory mapping. Scientific knowledge on migration of fishery resources is fundamental to properly support initiatives for fisheries management. However, the technologies available to study migration are usually expensive and require several years of sampling. Our objective was to use GIS to access FEK and to identify the migration patterns of five fishery resources in a subtropical coastal ecosystem of the Southern Atlantic Ocean: the white catfish - Genidens barbus, the fat snook - Centropomus parallelus, the common snook - Centropomus undecimalis, the Atlantic spadefish - Chaetodipterus faber and the white shrimp - Litopenaeus schmitti. We interviewed 132 fishers in the Paranaguá estuarine complex and its adjacent coastal zone, Brazil. Of these fishers, 39 participated in the participatory mapping process. Our results based on FEK indicated that the migration of fishery resources is reproductive and occurs mainly in the later spring and summer when the species enter or exit the estuarine complex from coastal zone. The participatory mapping results indicated that G. barbus and C. faber migrate from the coastal zone to the estuary, while Centropomus species and the shrimp L. schmitti exit the estuary towards the coastal zone. The information generated by FEK and the methods used should be considered in future studies on ethno ecological research and to understand reproductive migration of these species. Furthermore, these observations could support fisheries management and environmental impact assessment of infrastructure projects.

Analysis of OpenStreetMap Data Quality at Different Stages of a Participatory Mapping Process: Evidence from Slums in Africa and Asia

This paper examines OpenStreetMap data quality at different stages of a participatory mapping process in seven slums in Africa and Asia. Data were drawn from an OpenStreetMap-based participatory mapping process developed as part of a research project focusing on understanding inequalities in healthcare access of slum residents in the Global South. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis were employed to examine the following research question: What is the spatial data quality of collaborative remote mapping achieved by volunteer mappers in morphologically complex urban areas? Findings show that the completeness achieved by remote mapping largely depends on the morphology and characteristics of slums such as building density and rooftop architecture, varying from 84% in the best case, to zero in the most difficult site. The major scientific contribution of this study is to provide evidence on the spatial data quality of remotely mapped data through volunteer mapping efforts in morphologically complex urban areas such as slums; the results could provide insights into how much fieldwork would be needed in what level of complexity and to what extent the involvement of local volunteers in these efforts is required.

Identification of artisanal fishing territories and associated conflicts in the middle and lower Paraná River (Argentina) through participatory mapping

Small-scale fisheries exhibit diverse territorial conflicts with other users and productive activities coexistent in fluvial environments, which usually are difficult to handle by management agencies. The aim of this study is to identify and spatialize the conflicts which most affect small-scale artisanal fisheries on the Middle and Lower Paraná River, as well as to expand the fishing territory concept for large rivers through the development of a participatory mapping (PM) process along with artisanal fishers. PM was performed in different fishing communities of the Middle and Lower Paraná River. The information gathered was processed by the Quantum GIS software and local fishing maps were drawn up. Livestock represented the main conflictive factor in terms of limiting fishing activity. Shore use and occupancy were identified as one of the main sources of conflict for fishers, due to the reduction of mooring and landing areas that have been lost or allocated for other purposes. The ‘sustainable fishing territory’ was proposed as a new concept, based on integration of the fishing territory idea and the areas of ecological value, proposing such framework as an umbrella area for conservation purposes. Differences in attributes used for developing the fishing territories suggested that PM was effective in recognizing local characteristics on a small scale. Although PM remains still poorly explored for large floodplain rivers, it provides an opportunity to understand the complexity of fishing territories within a context of fisheries management and territorial planning. In this context, PM represents also an effective tool for dealing with conflicts between stakeholders who share the fluvial space through different productive and recreational activities.

Integrating small-scale fisheries into Polish maritime spatial planning

The incorporation of stakeholders into maritime spatial planning processes is widely acknowledged as essential for successful planning outcomes. Small-scale fisheries (SSF; fishing vessels up to 12 m in length) constitute the majority of the Polish fishing fleet. To integrate the spatial needs of the sector with the Maritime Spatial Plan during 2016–17, extensive research was conducted in the form of individual interviews using paper maps to determine significant fishing grounds and their relative importance. In total, 64% (n = 267) of small-scale fishermen were examined, which allowed the creation of a map depicting the spatial extent and relative importance index of fishery grounds. The map of the results showed that the highest values were obtained in the coastal zone of the Gulf of Gdańsk, where numerous small fishing bases are located. Along the central coast, the most important fishing grounds are adjacent to the largest fishing bases. The adopted spatial resolution facilitated assessing the scale of current and potential conflicts regarding the use of marine space by SSF and other sea users. The results of the survey concerning threats to the functioning of fisheries indicate that fishermen are primarily concerned about the impact of environmental protection. The participatory mapping process based on the ethical principles of social sciences has not only resulted in a new geo-information layer included into Polish MSP but also made it possible to learn about fishermen's concerns about current and potential spatial conflicts.

Distribution pattern and ecological determinants of an invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus L., in Malakand division of Pakistan

After habitat loss, drastic effects of biological invasion caused by alien invasive species to the native biodiversity have been acknowledged worldwide by the agriculturists, ecologists, and governments as it is more overwhelming than pollution, harvest and disease combined. One such example of biological invasion is P. hysterophorus which is considered to be one of the topmost noxious weeds threatening ecosystems diversity in the world, particularly in Pakistan due to its invasive success and generalist nature. Yet no studies have explored the pattern and determinants of plant biodiversity in the Parthenium dominated landscapes. Here we explored the current distribution pattern of this species with relation to environmental variables in the Malakand division of northern Pakistan. Twenty-three sites dominated by P. hysterophorus were identified through a participatory mapping process combined with traditional ecological knowledge and quantitative inventories were made. In total, we found 62 plant species in 55 genera and 32 families, predominately from Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Solanaceae. Ward’s agglomerative clustering procedure showed three well-differentiated, and ecologically meaningful but overlapping vegetation communities. P. hysterophorus was found to be the leading species with an average Importance value ranging from 33.28% to 65.59%. Based on our criteria, surprisingly we found significantly less to be fully (30%) or partially invaded (21%) than the less invaded (47%) plots, indicating the gradual invasive success of the species across the landscape. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA-ordination) has explained 36.9% of the cumulative variance by the first three axes and identified elevation (r= −0.526), slope (r = 0.438) and percent sand (r=−0.474) to be the major environmental factors affecting the distribution of P. hysterophorus and associated vegetation. These results suggested that elevation and percent sand negatively affect Parthenium distribution whereas slope has a positive relationship thereby promoting its populations in the region. The generalist nature of this invasive species is likely to have an overall adverse negative effect on the ecosystem functioning and cannot be ignored. Therefore, quick actions should be taken for the management of this noxious weed to avoid economic consequences and potential threats to fragile ecosystems such as that in Malakand division.

Participation, for Whom? The Potential of Gamified Participatory Artefacts in Uncovering Power Relations within Urban Renewal Projects

When defining participation in urban renewal projects in a political sense, this concept implies the challenging of power relations in each of its dimensions while addressing the need for knowledge, action and consciousness. Knowledge is defined as a resource which affects observable decision making. Action looks at who is involved in the production of such knowledge in order to challenge and shape the political agenda. Consciousness is how the production of knowledge changes the awareness or worldview of those involved, thus shaping the psychological and conceptual boundaries of what is possible. This paper addresses these politics of participation via the use of gamification, and more particularly gamified participatory artefacts. We discuss how a ‘good’ participatory planning process implies rebalancing existing power relations via the redistribution of knowledge, consciousness and actions, and aims to operationalize this ambition through a game. We particularly focus on the urban renewal process of one particular case, namely the Vennestraat—one of the main commercial streets of the city of Genk (BE) and present a three year participatory mapping process that made use of three gamified participatory artefacts (i.e., socio-economic network mapping, gathering mental images and scenario games). After uncovering the complex field of power relations in the entrepreneurial street, we analyze the different types of relations/groups that emerge from this participatory mapping process. The paper concludes with an analytical framework that employs gamified participatory artefacts in order to map and understand power relations and the mechanisms that frame them.

Promoting Environmental Justice through Integrated Mapping Approaches: The Map of Water Conflicts in Andalusia (Spain)

Addressing environmental governance conflicts requires the adoption of a complexity approach to carry out an adaptive process of collective learning, exploration, and experimentation. In this article, we hypothesize that by integrating community-based participatory mapping processes with internet-based collaborative digital mapping technologies, it is possible to create tools and spaces for knowledge co-production and collective learning. We also argue that providing a collaborative web platform enables these projects to become a repository of activist knowledge and practices that are often poorly stored and barely shared across communities and organizations. The collaborative Webmap of Water Conflicts in Andalusia, Spain, is used to show the benefits and potential of mapping processes of this type. The article sets out the steps and methods used to develop this experience: (i) background check; (ii) team discussion and draft proposal; (iii) in-depth interviews, and (iv) integrated participative and collaborative mapping approach. The main challenge that had to be addressed during this process was to co-create a tool able to combine the two perspectives that construct the identity of integrated mapping: a data-information-knowledge co-production process that is useful for the social agents—the environmental activists—while also sufficiently categorizable and precise to enable the competent administrations to steer their water management.

Barapa Country through Barapa eyes: cultural mapping of Gunbower Island, Australia

ABSTRACT The Gunbower Yemurriki Map details important information about Barapa Country and Barapa people for the purpose of education. The Barapa are the Traditional Owners of the lands north and south of the Murray River around Cohuna, Australia and are working with natural resource agencies to identify and map cultural assets on traditional lands, particularly in relation to water resources. The Gunbower Yemurriki Map has been developed through participatory cultural mapping processes to demonstrate the community connection to water and the wider cultural landscape. Yemurriki is the Barapa word for Country. The map developed and presented in this study will be used to educate the local non-indigenous community about Barapa cultural values and to act as a teaching aid for younger Barapa people. The map depicts stories, totems, and places identified within the landscape. All the information included is what the Barapa consider public and educational.

Understanding gendered geographies of street homelessness using participatory mapping

Participatory mapping is a promising, yet underexplored method that can contribute to a better understanding of street homeless people’s experience of “place” in the urban realm. This research employed a group-based participatory mapping process as a research method for understanding gender differences in geographies of street homelessness focusing on the experiences of street homeless women. Findings underscore the value of participatory mapping as a tool for highlighting gendered experiences of “place” in the urban environment for street homeless women, including experiences of risk and the underlying meanings and uses of specific locations in the city.