From Sketch Mapping to GIS: Challenges to Capacity Building of Grassroots Organizations in Indonesia

Martin Hardiono, H. Radandima, Martin Hardiono, H. Radandima,

Krisna Suryanata, and Jefferson FoxKrisna Suryanata, and Jefferson Fox

Participatory mapping

An increasingly important tool for An increasingly important tool for grassroots communities grassroots communities

To better plan resource managementTo better plan resource management To give more knowledge about their resourcesTo give more knowledge about their resources To resolve conflicts within their own To resolve conflicts within their own

communitiescommunities To legitimize customary claims to resourcesTo legitimize customary claims to resources

Participatory mapping:

Encourages villagers to draw and model Encourages villagers to draw and model their territories and resources as a means to their territories and resources as a means to negotiate their rightsnegotiate their rights

Strongly shaped by the relationships Strongly shaped by the relationships between villagers and mapping facilitatorsbetween villagers and mapping facilitators

Most mapping facilitators in Indonesia Most mapping facilitators in Indonesia came from outside the community came from outside the community staff of NGO / University staff of NGO / University

Unintended consequences of mapping

Loss of indigenous conceptions of spaceLoss of indigenous conceptions of space Shift from communal to individual property Shift from communal to individual property

regimes regimes Facilitate co-optation by outside Facilitate co-optation by outside

interests/the Stateinterests/the State Forces issues and boundariesForces issues and boundaries

Increased conflict between and within Increased conflict between and within communitiescommunities

Participatory mapping produces:

Simple sketch mapsSimple sketch maps Maps with cartographic references and Maps with cartographic references and

coordinatescoordinates Computer-based Geographic Information Computer-based Geographic Information

Systems (GIS)Systems (GIS)

Case study

Sumba

East Sumba, Indonesia

Dominated by a semi-arid climate Dominated by a semi-arid climate Soil conservation a serious concernSoil conservation a serious concern Designated as bio-diversity conservation Designated as bio-diversity conservation

area (Wanggameti National Park) in 1984area (Wanggameti National Park) in 1984

Local Institutional Actors

Nusa Tenggara Community Development Nusa Tenggara Community Development ConsortiumConsortium A loosely organized network of government A loosely organized network of government

agencies, domestic and international NGOs, agencies, domestic and international NGOs, universities, and community representatives of universities, and community representatives of key conservation sites in Nusa Tenggarakey conservation sites in Nusa Tenggara

Met annually to share information, synthesize Met annually to share information, synthesize lessons learned, define collaborative activitieslessons learned, define collaborative activities

Participatory Mapping in Nusa Tenggara

Introduced by The World NeighborsIntroduced by The World Neighbors Sketch mapping as a planning tool in soil conservationSketch mapping as a planning tool in soil conservation

Communicated and adopted by other Communicated and adopted by other Consortium membersConsortium members Facilitated communication among farmers and Facilitated communication among farmers and

enhanced participationenhanced participation Community maps were valuable when negotiating Community maps were valuable when negotiating

boundaries with the National Park boundaries with the National Park Effective for local negotiation, but more ‘formal’ maps Effective for local negotiation, but more ‘formal’ maps

were required to deal with the Statewere required to deal with the State

Capacity building for mapping

A project funded by the Ford FoundationA project funded by the Ford Foundation To improve the capacity for regional To improve the capacity for regional

organizations to collect, analyze and organizations to collect, analyze and distribute spatial informationdistribute spatial information

Project objectives Project objectives Training local professionalsTraining local professionals Building regional GIS capacity, and Building regional GIS capacity, and Producing community-based mapsProducing community-based maps

Digital data processing Requires basic computer skills and Requires basic computer skills and

analytical capabilityanalytical capability Must work with multiple sources of data, Must work with multiple sources of data,

choose from a variety of software, and keep choose from a variety of software, and keep up with the (rapid) development of up with the (rapid) development of computing technologycomputing technology

The project provided intensive training to a The project provided intensive training to a few key staff, followed by a series of field few key staff, followed by a series of field workshops involving more traineesworkshops involving more trainees

Problems in training Focusing capacity development on a few key Focusing capacity development on a few key

individuals is vulnerable to arbitrary personnel individuals is vulnerable to arbitrary personnel changeschanges

Trainees are not always prepared for the rigorous Trainees are not always prepared for the rigorous demand imposed by data gathering (surveys in demand imposed by data gathering (surveys in rough terrain, or tedious tasks of digitizing maps)rough terrain, or tedious tasks of digitizing maps)

Disjointed knowledge / skill transfer due to Disjointed knowledge / skill transfer due to rotations among NGO staff attending the training rotations among NGO staff attending the training sessionssessions

Distorted wage market because skills in spatial Distorted wage market because skills in spatial information analysis are highly valued and information analysis are highly valued and relatively scarce in Indonesiarelatively scarce in Indonesia

Building a Regional Spatial Information Center

To share (expensive) equipments and data To share (expensive) equipments and data necessary for managing spatial informationnecessary for managing spatial information

The Regional Center would be placed The Regional Center would be placed within one of the Consortium member within one of the Consortium member organizationsorganizations

Trained core staff would facilitate access by Trained core staff would facilitate access by Consortium membersConsortium members

Problems with SIT Center

Lack of stable core staff to facilitate the interface Lack of stable core staff to facilitate the interface between users and spatial databetween users and spatial data

The development of computing technology and The development of computing technology and spatial data quickly made the Center’s hardware spatial data quickly made the Center’s hardware obsoleteobsolete

Reiterates the critical need to provide continuing Reiterates the critical need to provide continuing support to local NGOs and community members support to local NGOs and community members (general troubleshooting, how to adapt to evolving (general troubleshooting, how to adapt to evolving technology, how to identify and acquire new data)technology, how to identify and acquire new data)

Producing Community-based Maps

The exercise was part of the training to The exercise was part of the training to produce mapsproduce maps

It focused on how to accurately document It focused on how to accurately document information onto mapsinformation onto maps

Less attention given to “map socialization” Less attention given to “map socialization” – how to use maps and map making for – how to use maps and map making for addressing tangible concerns of the addressing tangible concerns of the communitycommunity

Conceptual Gaps regarding Maps

Sketch maps are familiar to most villagersSketch maps are familiar to most villagers Cartographic maps and other types of Cartographic maps and other types of

spatial information are more difficult to spatial information are more difficult to understandunderstand

Villagers can readily contribute the Villagers can readily contribute the information to be mapped, but not information to be mapped, but not comprehend the meaning (and usefulness) comprehend the meaning (and usefulness) of these mapsof these maps

Sharing the maps (or not…) 15 village maps, showing village customary 15 village maps, showing village customary

boundaries, land use and vegetation cover, boundaries, land use and vegetation cover, sacred and protected areas, and other sacred and protected areas, and other resource patternsresource patterns

No agreement regarding control and access No agreement regarding control and access over this valuable informationover this valuable information

Villagers keep the hardcopies, but their Villagers keep the hardcopies, but their utility is limitedutility is limited

At the end of the project…

Villagers’ capacity in understanding how maps Villagers’ capacity in understanding how maps can assist their needs is still limitedcan assist their needs is still limited

The Regional SIT Center became obsolete with no The Regional SIT Center became obsolete with no stable core local staff capable in spatial stable core local staff capable in spatial information management and analysis information management and analysis

A number of high quality maps and GIS are A number of high quality maps and GIS are available but not effectively shared (and used) available but not effectively shared (and used) because the technical capacity is absent at the because the technical capacity is absent at the local levellocal level