Map making at the community level can be a very empowering tool in securing land

rights. Locally-produced maps present a collective expression by the community of

their entitlements, and have been used successfully in many contexts to persuade

decision makers of the legitimacy of local claims to land and natural resources.

For populations that have been marginal to national political and economic

processes, creating maps of ‘their’ lands has been a means not only to validate

their land claims, but also to becoming more powerful in espressing and defending

their rights within national processes. Legal recognition of rights is thus often only

one of a series of outcomes of community-based mapping. Increased community

pride and cohesion, ability to influence policy, sounder natural resource

management, and a greater political voice can be equally important outcomes.

These are all important milestones towards enabling people to more actively decide

what ‘development’ should mean in their own communities and territories.

Bruce H. Moore

Director,

ILC Secretariat

Maps are more than pieces of paper. they are stories, conversations, lives and songs lived out in a place and are inseparable from the political and cultural contexts in which they are used."

Warren, 2004

Participatory mapping can be used as a tool for development intervention. It can be a great means of a community understanding its internal systems, its relationship with its environment, and its relationship with the larger world, in an in depth way. it has allowed for improved information exchange between community members and outsiders such as researchers,NGOs, government, but is especially helpful in the design intervention and the implementation of development in projects. However, participatory mapping isn't just restricted to this. It can also be a powerful tool for collaboration between communities and other groups. It can bring about an awareness of land and natural resources, and can facilitate the management of these resources. This form of mapping is done for the people and by the people, and enables them to actively express, inquire the purposes and outcomes of their studies. It gives them awareness of the realities of their lives and to plan what action to take and to monitor and evaluate the results. This method seems to be more likely to be effective as it involves the first hand, active involvement of the concerned community and is more likely to have longer last lasting, constantly evolving results- suited to the needs. It can also bring about the sharing of knowledge amongst the members, bring cohesion.

Participatory mapping provides a valuable visual representation of what a community perceives as its place and the significant features within- (geographic info, social, cultural and historical knowledge land use occupancy and mythology demography etc). Through it also emerges hidden knowledge, for instance , things that are drowned in people's memory- this is converted into explicit and externally-usable knowledge. It can be used as a tool to pass historical knowledge down through generations, hence, keeping alive cultural identity.

Participatory mapping involves a slightly different form of research than conventional mapping research, which treats people as objects rather than subjects. In the former, people are active participants in the collection of data and analysis. The knowledge that is created is of help to them and speaks about their lives. The research and action is directly connected to them. There is an authentification of data and stories as it is personal to them- it come from first hand sources.It is a democratic process in some sense that allows the incorporation of community values, the improving of decisions, and the building of consensus.

In a participatory method, a designer can help not only by assisting in research, analyzing the content and systemising knowledge, but can also contribute by linking the local situation to the larger external situation. He can form links and give access to external information pools. A designer can provide the "support and skills for communities to create maps themselves… determine the ownership of the map as well as raise awareness." although through the exercise communities evaluate their lives and environment, the designer can help them understand the value that others assign to the same. This is important while looking at development.

Participatory mapping has been and can be used to solve or bring awareness to various issues such as, transport development, land use issues, resource optimization, information related to land use and and as mentioned earlier, mythology even! The fact that the tools for this form of mapping are flexible enable this. Tools often used include mental mapping, ground mapping, sketch mapping, transect mapping, 3d mapping, interviews, videos, stories, audios etc. Some quick maps are even made with chalk on the ground! More technologically advanced tools include Global positioning system (GPS), aerial photos and remote sensing satellites, GIS etc. These are more expensive methods and often require training.

Generally interviews, conversations and sketch maps are good beginning point, this could lead into 2d,3d or technological mapping. Whatever the tools maybe, it is the participatory process of gathering information, collating, analyzing and enabling action, which is is also important.