Participatory Mapping for Decision Making

Participatory mapping is a map-making process that attempts to make visible the association between land and local communities by using the commonly understood and recognised language of cartography. In contrast to the common view of planners and managers responsible for a certain development process, participatory mapping provides the opportunity to represent a socially and culturally distinct understanding of landscape and include information that is excluded from mainstream maps. Therefore, it can become a medium of empowerment by allowing the local community to represent themselves spatially (IFAD 2009).

Community maps should be drawn by various members of the community in order to capture different perspectives and issues. Women, men, and children may identify different land use and resource issues. Also, people from different social status and background may have differing perspectives, ideas, and issues. 

The more people participate in a mapping process, the more insights on the issue can be collected. However, one should keep in mind that an issue becomes more complex and the process of mapping becomes more time consuming, the more people are getting involved.

Step 1. Ask the individual or the group to draw the boundaries of the geographic unit being discussed. Participants or the planner can decide how they want to represent this – on paper with writing or using local materials such as wet sand and earth with sticks, stones or seeds. Remember that whatever material is chosen, you will always need a paper-based copy to enable comparative analysis. If it adds to the discussion, three-dimensional elements can be added, transforming the map into a model that emphasises landscape-level aspects of issues. This base map can be multiplied and used for different contexts.

Step 2. On whatever medium is chosen, ask the participants to draw the outline of the local area, for example, roads, towns, rivers and property boundaries. One way to do this, if you have the proper resources, is to project an overhead map onto a large sheet of paper and then to trace the required information.

Step 3. Having prepared the map, which could be as large as a wall, people can then add their information either directly or by using sticky notes. Let them record what is most significant to them, and then ask for more detail if something you are interested in is missing. Motivate all the people present to add their perspective, without influencing them too much. (See also: facilitators role.) 

To gain the most important information about the SSWM system of interest, use the following guiding questions and motivate people to add the missing information:

• Which are the problems (see situation and problem analysis category on Decision Making section) a community is confronted with (related to water or sanitation)?
• Where are these problems located?
• Where are the hotspots of these problems? Which are the worst?
• Potentially: Who is responsible for these problems?
• Are problems connected to each other? How do the problems influence each other?
• Are there good examples?

You can also orient yourself to the Understand your SSWM System chapter. This chapter explains which information should be included in the map and also questions how to ask for this information.

Step 4. Several modifications to the map may be needed before those involved are happy with the final result. Include additional written comments such as quantities of interest, if necessary.

Step 5. This map, representing the current state of affairs may be used later to make comparisons.

Participatory mapping is hence a very useful tool to get a first overview of where the largest problems and hotspots in regard to sustainable sanitation and water management are. It allows both local stakeholders and external planners to explore a current situation in a simple, but comprehensive way.