ABCD-Training-of-Trainers-Tools-July-2013

2.7. Mapping Physical Resources using Participatory Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) Tools
(Source: Mapping Across Borders)
There is an organization called “Mapping Across Borders” that has introduced asset mapping programs
using GIS technologies. Working with several NGOs in Ethiopia, Kenya (and a little bit in South Africa),
he has trained development practitioners tioners and community leaders to identify the actual coordinates of
their assets, to whom they belong, their relative importance and the connections people have to them.
Combining PPGIS and an ABCD approach is a fresh perspective to mapping community assets because it
enables community members to better communicate their landscapes in multiple dimensions and their
relationships to the land. Maps made using GIS also can be perceived to be more rigorous and
convincing when presented to other community members mbers and outside actors, conveying a variety of
assets on one map. These maps also can be easily linked to other forms of technology, such as audio,
video, and digital images, providing a platform for more dynamic use.
As a relatively technical and sophisticated sticated technology, GIS also introduces a number of challenges that
can run counter to community-driven principles if deliberate measures are not taken. These specifically
include accessibility, affordability, accuracy, and exclusivity, as well as reliance e on external expertise.
For more information or to inquire about training, see http://www.mappingacrossborders.org/). For a
case study (including a step-by-step guide) on how to apply this participatory methodology, see:
Participatory Asset Mapping in the Lake Victoria Basin of Kenya by Michael Martin, Brianne Peters, and
Jon Corbett at http://www.urisa.org/files/journal%2012-2%20-%20web.pdf.
Figure 7: Asset Mapping created by community members using GIS technologies, Western Kenya
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