Case study on the use of P3DM to facilitate effective contribution of civil society in the Caribbean islands in planning for action on climate change

This case study documents CANARI’s experience in
piloting the use of P3DM in the Caribbean and identifies
lessons learnt and recommendations on how it can be used to strengthen the capacity of CSOs in the islands of the
Caribbean to play a larger and more effective role in
biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
The case study was written as part of the CANARI project
Consolidating the role of civil society in biodiversity
conservation in the Caribbean islands, funded by the John
D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Citation: Bobb-Prescott, N. 2014. Case study on the use of participatory three dimensional modelling to facilitate effective contribution of civil society in the Caribbean islands in planning for action on climate change. CANARI Technical Report 401, Laventille.

Related video production: She becomes more beautiful: Capturing the essence of Tobago Island for a better tomorrow

Les forêts des Saramaca : les cours d'eau au coeur d'un exercice de modélisation participative en trois dimensions le long du Haut Suriname

JAW JAW, SURINAME, le 6 septembre 2014. Depuis Atjoni (Suriname), il faut 40 minutes en pirogue à moteur pour atteindre Jaw Jaw, village parsemé sur les rives du puissant fleuve Suriname. Environ 17 000 Afro-Surinamais, membres de la tribu des Saramaca, vivent dans cette région. Leurs moyens de subsistance sont la culture itinérante, la pêche, la chasse, la récolte de produits sylvicoles, les services de transport fluvial, les programmes d'emploi du secteur public et les aides envoyées par des proches.

Pendant 10 jours, une centaine de représentants de 14 villages (totalisant environ 5 000 habitants) situés le long du fleuve Suriname, en aval du village de Lespansi, ont participé à l'assemblage d'une impressionnante maquette, à l'échelle 1:15 000, d'une zone couvrant environ 2 160 km2. Des jeunes (principalement des filles) du village de Jaw Jaw ont assemblé la maquette vierge d'après les conseils de représentants de Tropenbos International Suriname et du Centre technique de coopération agricole et rurale (CTA). Des hommes et des femmes saramaca de tous les âges ont complété cette maquette avec 38 types de repères qu'ils estiment utiles à leur orientation, leur subsistance et leur culture.

Avec l'autorisation libre, préalable et éclairée des représentants des villages, les ensembles de données ont été archivés sous forme de photographies numériques haute résolution, qui seront importées dans un environnement SIG de confiance par Tropenbos.

Lors de l'ajout des repères à la maquette, il est apparu qu'en l'absence de caractéristiques géographiques visibles comme des collines ou des montagnes (la zone est relativement plate), les Saramaca utilisent les cours d'eaux pour s'orienter sur la carte. C'est pourquoi ils ont commencé par obtenir un consensus sur l'emplacement et le nom de tous les cours d'eaux des zones concernées. Ils ont ainsi identifié cinq types de cours d'eau, qu'ils distinguent selon leur largeur, leur caractère navigable et leur accessibilité saisonnière par bateau.

Le samedi 6 septembre 2014, des représentants des villages ont présenté leur travail à des représentants d'agences gouvernementales (le Ministère du développement régional, le Ministère de l'agriculture, de l'élevage et de la chasse, la Commission sur l'exploitation aurifère au Suriname [OGS] et la Fondation pour la gestion et le contrôle de la production des forêts [SBB]), du CTA, de la Fondation pour le développement de l'arrière-pays (FOB), d'organisations non gouvernementales (WWF-Guianas, Tropenbos International Suriname, Amazon Conservation Team [ACT], l'Association des chefs de villages indigènes du Suriname [VIDS]), d'organisations locales (Wan Mama Pikin et l'Association des autorités saramaca [VSG]), du secteur privé (les propriétaires de gîtes du Haut Suriname [LBS]) ainsi que des médias nationaux (DWT et Surinaamse Televisie Stichting [STVS]).

Les représentants des villages ont présenté la maquette et expliqué le processus de définition, d'affinement et d'actualisation de sa légende, tout en décrivant les débats animés qui ont conduit à l'installation des repères sur la maquette vierge. Non sans fierté, ils ont indiqué que le modèle sera exposé dans l'un des villages facilement accessible depuis l'extérieur, afin de faciliter les processus de négotiation et de planification. Aux yeux des villageois, la maquette est désormais un outil qui leur permettra de planifier leur propre développement et favorisera les interactions avec les promoteurs, les investisseurs et les décideurs.

M. Erwin Fonkel, chef du village de Jaw Jaw, a rappelé un point essentiel lors de l'entretien qu'il a accordé à STVS TV : « Cet exercice de cartographie me semble essentiel : par le passé, nous nous étions essayés à la cartographie mais en omettant de nombreuses informations. Nous avons élaboré nous-mêmes cette maquette, et avons davantage fait entendre notre voix lors de la définition de son contenu. Auparavant, les cartes omettaient de nombreux lieux primordiaux, des rivières, des lieux où trouver des ressources et générer des revenus. »

Le programme de paysagisme productif de Tropenbos International Suriname et la Stratégie de renforcement des compétences pour la planification de l'aménagement territorial au Suriname de WWF Guianas utilisera la maquette pour impliquer les parties prenantes dans l'élaboration de scénarios d'aménagement territorial et procéder à des évaluations participatives des services écologiques. Comme l'avaient prévu plusieurs chefs locaux, la maquette, désormais confiée au peuple saramaca, sera utilisée pour formuler des propositions d'investissements en matière d'infrastructures locales et de développement durable, par exemple pour des raccordements électriques et du tourisme vert.

Remarque : cette activité s'est déroulée dans le cadre du projet « Modéliser les compromis entre les scénarios d'aménagement territorial et les services écologiques dans la région du Haut Suriname ». La composante participative de la cartographie avait pour vocation d'autonomiser les villages afin de faire entendre leur voix et leur donner un rôle actif, autant dans la gestion de leurs terres et de leurs ressources naturelles que dans les processus de prise de décision dont ils dépendent.

Read the English version

Saramakan’s forests: watercourses at the core of a Participatory 3D Modelling exercise along the Upper Suriname River

JAW JAW, SURINAME, 6 September 2014. From Atjoni, Suriname, it takes 40 minutes by motorised longboat to reach Jaw Jaw, a village sprinkled along the shores of the mighty upper Suriname River. This area is home to approximately 17,000 Afro-Surinamese people belonging to the Saramakan tribe. These people survive on shifting cultivation, fishing, hunting, harvesting of timber and non-timber forests products, boat transport services, government employment and remittances from outside the area.

Saramaka Peoples populating the 3D model
with recollections from memory

Over a 10-day period some 100 representatives from 14 villages (representing a population of approximately 5,000 people) bordering the Suriname River downstream of the village of Lespansi worked together to assemble a stunning 1:15,000 scale three-dimensional (3D) physical map of an area covering approximately 2,160 km2. Youngsters (mainly girls) from Jaw Jaw village assembled the blank model under the guidance of representatives from Tropenbos International Suriname and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA). Saramakan adults (men and women), including elders, populated the model with 38 types of feature they consider relevant for their orientation, livelihoods and culture.

The village representatives populated the map with features they consider as relevant for their orientation, livelihoods and culture. The final map legend account for a total of 38 features depicted as points (21), lines (9) and polygons (8). With free prior and informed consent obtained from community representatives, the datasets were captured using high-resolution digital photography and will be digitised and imported into a GIS environment held in trust by Tropenbos.

In the process of populating the 3D model with information, it appeared that – in the absence of outstanding landmarks like hills or mountains  (the mapped area is relatively flat) – the Saramaka used water courses to orient themselves on the map. Hence, they first had to discuss and reach general consensus on the location and names of all watercourses in the areas they were concerned with. This led them to identify five types of watercourses, differentiated according to width, navigability and seasonal accessibility by boat.

Participants in the closing ceremony

On Saturday, 6 September 2014, representatives of the local communities presented their work to representatives of government agencies (the Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, the Commission on Ordering of the Gold Mining Sector in Suriname [OGS] and the Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control [SBB]), CTA, the Foundation for Development of the Hinterlands (FOB) and non-governmental organisations (WWF-Guianas, Tropenbos International Suriname, Amazon Conservation Team [ACT], the Association of Indigenous Village Chiefs in Suriname [VIDS]), community-based organisations (Wan Mama Pikin and The Association of Saramaka Authorities [VSG]), the private sector (Lodgeholders upper Suriname River [LBS]) and the national media (DWT and Surinaamse Televisie Stichting [STVS]).

The local community representatives presented the 3D map and explained the process that led to the formulation of the map legend and its fine-tuning and updating and described the animated discussions that led to the population of the blank model. Proudly, they stated that the model will be hosted within one of their villages that is easily accessible to outsiders to facilitate negotiations and planning processes. The villagers now consider the 3D model as a tool for planning their own development and interacting with developers, investors and policy makers.

The head of Jaw Jaw village, Mr Erwin Fonkel, made a key point in his interview with STVS TV: “I find this mapping exercise very important, because in the past we did some mapping but failed to include a lot of information. Now we have elaborated the map ourselves and we had a stronger voice on defining its content. In maps produced in the past several important locations, creeks and places where you can find resources and generate income, were not included.”

The Productive Landscape Programme of Tropenbos International Suriname and the Capacity Building Strategy for Land Use Planning in Suriname of WWF Guianas will use the 3D model to involve stakeholders in elaborating land-use scenarios and conducting participatory assessments of ecosystem services. As anticipated by several local captains, the 3D model, now under the custodianship of the Saramaka people, will be used to elaborate proposals for investments in local infrastructure and sustainable development such as electrification and ecotourism.

View of the Upper Suriname River at Jaw Jaw

Jaw Jaw village around the community meeting point where the
3D model was manufactured

Note: This activity took place in the context of the project “Modelling trade-offs between land-use scenarios and ecosystem services in the upper Suriname River area”. The CTA-funded participatory mapping component  was conceived to empower local communities to have a voice and play an active role in managing their land and natural resources and decision-making processes that affect these.

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: my PGIS learning journey – Participatory data extraction and digitization (blog post 5)

Photo credit: Melvin Purzuelo

On July 15, we had another PGIS orientation session. I had the privilege to be a part of the first participatory data extraction and digitisation process which occurred in Barangay Sua. The huge amount of information displayed on the model and therefore the amount of data to be digitised required the REBUILD Project management to allocate additional staff to oversee the digitising work. At least three local government officials from the Municipality of San Dionisio and two leading staff of the REBUILD Project attended the session. The training conducted by Green Forum-Western Visayas focused on the use of QGIS for digitising the data extracted from the 3D model of Barangay Sua. In the course of the digitising process, I realized that most data depicted on the 3D model represent infrastructure and habitats that were destroyed by super typhoon Yolanda. Although no longer present, these were located by the villagers in order to conduct a proper vulnerability assessment. They considered that visualising a complete data-set of the pre-typhoon situation and comparing it with the present conditions would enable them to gain a better understanding of possible courses of action. As an example, they cited the introduction of storm resistant infrastructures and the design of evacuation plans which would reduce risks related to natural calamities.

A total of six P3DM exercises were conducted by the REBUILD Project. It is worth mentioning that in addition to facilitating PGIS processes, the REBUILD Project staff implements livelihood projects.

Related posts by Wilfred Don Dorovoqa :

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: My PGIS learning journey ... 

• Blog post 5: Participatory data extraction and digitization
• Blog post 4: QGIS introduction and P3DM in action
• Blog post 3: Preparations and challenging encounters 
• Blog post 2: My expectations
• Blog post 1: How it all started

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: my PGIS learning journey – QGIS introduction and P3DM in action (blog post 4)

On July 14, I was introduced to the free and open source software (FOSS), QGIS (QuantumGIS) to be used in the PGIS process. The REBUILD Project deploys two facilitators stationed at the San Dionosio office to implement the disaster rehabilitation program and livelihood strategy. Given these circumstances, I had the opportunity to work with the QGIS software for one day. Yet, Melvin was really helpful in teaching me the QGIS essentials and introducing me to a range of FOSS GIS software applications which are available on the web. In the end, my learning process of QGIS was much easier than expected. 

Later in the day, we went to a local fishing village to work with a non-indigenous community in Sua, a Barangay (administrative unit within a municipality) located along the San Dionisio coastline. Here, we conducted a community consultation meeting. While discussing the project with the community, the importance of collaboration and participation was evident. Last June 2014, the community worked together to construct a 3D map of their location. The 3D map was overlaid with a transparent plastic sheet, where information layers were depicted by locals. From the conversations I had, the map clearly indicates an effective medium for participatory discussions. It was nice to see a couple of local Barangay councillors and their secretary, partake in the consultation process with the REBUILD Project and Green Forum-Western Visayas staff. The active participation of the Barangay officials clearly demonstrated that the local government is aware and committed to address the damages caused by the super typhoon Yolanda. The facilitating team, however, pushed for a more direct cross-disciplinary and multi-sectoral participation from those higher up in the government. Furthermore, it was recalled that while constructing the 3D model, the residents of Barangay Sua managed to outline their administrative boundary and to come to an agreement about it with the neighbouring Barangay Tiabas.

Photo credit: Melvin Purzuelo

I was struck by the ease and dynamic use of the 3D model. It did not become redundant or obsolete, even if it had been completed a month earlier. On the contrary, it gained even more relevance as a reliable repository of geo-referenced data generated by and for the community. The enthusiastic reaction demonstrated by the local women to the consultation process was really inspiring. They shared their views and opinions with respect to the need to formulate a Disaster Risk Reduction Plan which could fit well with the Community Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Both plans will be appraised by the Barangay community. The villagers themselves attest that the model will be revisited at regular intervals based on their information needs or at the request of external agencies. From my perspective, the 3D model is a true representation of the communities’ spatial knowledge concerning the entire locality and the livelihoods of the residents. The 3D model enables residents to effectively respond to emerging / changing situations.

In observing the consultation process, I was reminded that strategic decisions must offer some degree of flexibility to avoid becoming irreversible when implemented. Therefore the decision making process should be based on quality data, adequate resources and sufficient time allocation. In my opinion, the P3DM process undertaken by this community met these requirements. During the consultation I noted that the model was constantly referred to when analysing and identifying the risks inherent to their current and future livelihoods and security. The model encourages the planning and distribution of future activities in collaboration with the facilitators.

Photo credit: Melvin Purzuelo

The instances of the consultation process that are so vivid in my memory are those linked to residents showing grief and despair when sharing their stories. They explicitly used the model to describe the impact of super typhoon Yolanda and recall the life-threatening ordeal they experienced. The typhoon caused devastation, loss of property and lives and internal displacement. It severely affected to the habitats essential to the community subsistence, and in general, the existence of a once prideful fishing community. In response to such terrible consequences, the facilitating team from the REBUILD Project used the model to revive some hope in the midst of community’s despair. By autonomously analysing their situation, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, residents were able to plan a concrete way forward leading to regain to a 'normal' way of life.

Related posts by Wilfred Don Dorovoqa :

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: My PGIS learning journey ... 

• Blog post 5: Participatory data extraction and digitization
• Blog post 4: QGIS introduction and P3DM in action
• Blog post 3: Preparations and challenging encounters ()
• Blog post 2: My expectations
• Blog post 1: How it all started

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: my PGIS learning journey – Preparations and challenging encounters (blog post 3)

On July 11, I arrived in the Philippines, after a series of flights.

View Don's Journey in a larger map

I was welcomed at the Iloilo Airport by Melvin Purzuelo coordinator of the Green Forum-Western Visayas (my local mentor) and driven to my accommodation. I was briefed on the following day about the upcoming activities. On July 13, we went to the REBUILD Project Implementation Centre in San Dionisio. However we had to adjust our travel plans due to ensure travellers safety in an area which has been affected by super typhoon Yolanda. Recent past has witnessed a couple of incidents along the San Dionisio and Estancia Highway, involving armed robberies that included loss of lives. The locals believe that displaced people affected by the super typhoon Yolanda who are dispossessed and resort to illegal activities to sustain their living. We therefore were advised to be vigilant at all times and take the necessary precautions while travelling within the devastated area. Yet, the PGIS activities were maintained as planned.

While working with Melvin, I took the opportunity for preparing the base map for organising a similar 3D modelling exercise to the one back home in Solomon Islands. We discovered that the topographic maps of Solomon Islands are the work of the US air force, the same as in the Philippines. Considering that these maps were made decades ago, we realised that we had to improve them to be suitable for use in a P3DM process. I am exploring possibilities for establishing a long term partnership between our organisation in Solomon Islands and Melvin’s NGO in terms of PGIS activities.

Related posts by Wilfred Don Dorovoqa :

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: My PGIS learning journey ... 

• Blog post 5: Participatory data extraction and digitization
• Blog post 4: QGIS introduction and P3DM in action
• Blog post 3: Preparations and challenging encounters 
• Blog post 2: My expectations
• Blog post 1: How it all started

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: my PGIS learning journey - My expectations (blog post 2)

What I expect to gain from the Philippines P3DM / PGIS process

My overall expectations for attending the Philippines PGIS are vast. However, I shall limit the list to the following:

1. Gain practical knowledge and skills on how to facilitate and organise stakeholders into a participatory process and to know when and how to hand over the spatial information generating process to the concerned groups.
2. Acquire practical skills on how to select and procure appropriate inputs for the manufacture of a physical 3D map.
3. Gain hands on experience in the process of capturing and digitizing data displayed on the model and their processing for desired outcomes.
4. Discover appropriate approaches to assess, manage spatial data and strategise on how to use them to help concerned communities achieve their objectives 
5. Learn how to present the output to external agencies for various purposes including, e.g. policy making, disaster recovery, land use planning, land-based conflict management, climate change adaptation.
6. Acquire facilitator skills – maintain a collaborative, neutral presence (not too dictatorial) when populating spatial information on the model map
7. Align, impact and measure the outcome of a P3DM on the intended scenario.
8. Improve and advance my capacity on the use of Web 2.0 and Social Media. 

During my participation, I believe that my theoretical knowledge on the subject will be enriched by practical experience and best serve an eventual replication of the P3DM process in Solomon Islands.

Follow the learning journey of Wilfred Don Dorovoqa, a member of the Padezaka tribe in Solomon Islands. 

Supported by CTA, Wilfred Don has embarked in a journey which will bring him from Sasamuqa Village to Estancia in the Philippines where he will participate in a participatory mapping exercise. Green Forum – Western Visayas, Inc. (GF-WV) in partnership with Aksyon Klima Pilipinas and the Rebuild Project is facilitating the implementation of a  Participatory 3-Dimensional Modelling (P3DM) process in an area which was severely affected by Supertyphoon Haiyan in November  2013. GF-WV is using the P3DM as an ICT tool for allowing communities to analyse their vulnerabilities and assist them in planning for reconstruction.

Related posts by Wilfred Don Dorovoqa :

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: My PGIS learning journey ... 

• Blog post 5: Participatory data extraction and digitization
• Blog post 4: QGIS introduction and P3DM in action
• Blog post 3: Preparations and challenging encounters
• Blog post 2: My expectations
• Blog post 1: How it all started

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: my PGIS learning journey - How it all started (blog post 1)

My name is Wilfred Don Dorovoqa. I am a member of the Padezaka tribe in Solomon Islands. I am about to embark on a challenging learning journey and I thought it would be interesting to document and share it with people having similar interests and aspirations.

This is my first blogpost. More will follow.

I left Sasamuqa Village (S 7°02’18.49” E 156°45’54.33”) in the early hours of June 16, 2014 by OBM boat and arrived at Gizo (S 8°06’12.99” E 156°50’27.80”) that same day, a three to four hour journey by boat.  From there, I took a passenger boat for a two day journey to Honiara (S 9°25’52.13” E 159°57’33.57”), where I am today waiting for the trip to the Philippines.

How it all started: Embarking on the P3DM / PGIS learning journey

In 2009 I came across the concept of P3DM on the Internet, while I was searching customizable mapping resources for local spatial data entry that derived from non-technical / non-machine readable formats. I was captivated by the distinct nature and approach of the P3DM process, taking into account that at that time I was already familiar with the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) concept. I assisted in a contracted PRA activity that aimed to identify and further develop livelihood measures for a localized World Wildlife Fund (WWF) conservation project based on four indigenous land owning groups of Choiseul Island, Solomon Islands, where I was holding a position as secretary for one of the groups. The conservation efforts were funded by the European Union , and led by the Ministry of Forestry in Solomon Islands.

Simultaneously, the Padezaka tribe, pursued its land based conservation initiative under a separate NGO in Solomon Islands called ‘Live and Learn’. The Padezaka tribe was eventually very fortunate to become a selected recipient of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) – Small Grants Programme funds coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office based in Honiara, the capital city of Solomon Islands. As a member of the Padezaka tribe, I have very strong land and blood ties with the local community, and have been heavily involved in most of their conservation activities. The network of local protected areas attempts to conserve 17 percent of the highest priority terrestrial ecosystem of the Choiseul Island in adherence to the convention on biodiversity to which Solomon Islands is a signatory.

My search for mapping resources on the web was motivated by the fact that three conservation land units were under WWF conservation initiatives, including the Padezaka tribal land. Here, the conservation land units were all situated in the same segment of a significant freshwater system, locally known as the Kolobangara River. Major logging activities authorised by government, occurred further upstream while  government-endorsed WWF conservation initiatives were concentrated downstream. Indeed, upstream deforestation posed a significant threat to the livelihoods of local communities. It was a counteractive measure to monitor and moderate critical changes to the natural environment. Currently, all stakeholders involved need to come to an agreement to implement an alternative measure. One possible alternative is to produce a collaborative map with detailed land use that covers the entire watershed of the Kolobangara River.

Given this, my research eventually landed me on the front steps of the local provincial planning advisor’s house, an expatriate from New Zealand working for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Solomon Islands Office. The planning advisor assisted the Choiseul government in provincial-wide planning, project implementation and monitoring. He was very helpful and promised to update me on any available opportunities that need expert assistance for a future P3DM exercise comprising the concerned land area. In anticipation, the Padezaka Tribe submitted a budget under the GEF-Small Grants Programme fund for a P3DM project in the Padezaka bio-diversity protected sites; to generate a well defined land use plan, consult, invite and include the contiguous land owning tribes for broad holistic land-based planning activities. This of course, will work if there is an environment conducive to collaborative planning that can systematically and coherently tackle the issue of the endangered watershed areas by creating a sectoral land and resource management plan in advance. We estimated that the availability of the P3DM opportunity would coincide with the disbursement and implementation of the external fund.

Our desire for P3DM does not materialise the Padezaka Conservation Project funds. These included GEF-Small Grants Programme funds that were mismanaged by the implementing NGO, which ceased to be operational whilst subjected to that same timeframe. WWF also closed its doors to the other four local land groups, perhaps due to the lapse of the funding contract. However, the Choiseul provincial advisor was true to his word and invited me to attend a P3DM introductory workshop in May 2012. It was jointly organized by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), TNC and UNDP held in the Capital of the Solomon Islands. During this organised workshop, I repeatedly called on our provincial leaders in attendance to convene an extensive P3DM of the whole Island of Choiseul but was adhered not to.

Fundamentally, this is the dominant culture in PGIS practices found in some areas of the Southern hemisphere. In the Northern hemisphere, I believe the public is more proactive in using PGIS to enhance, empower and improve their way of life. At the very structure of our society there is a lack of proactive dimensions needed to engender a collaborative planning process that measures collective growth. This weakness is inherent to those tribes whose land comprises the noted watershed area. Furthermore, the National River Act was very ineffective in dealing with large scale natural resource extractions, because it had no clear provisions for specific social and natural environment safeguards. However, I am also fully aware of the fact that some methodologies and techniques incorporated into the PRA approach have limitations for discovering effective solutions in the midst of the large scale emergence of this environmental threat.

Related posts by Wilfred Don Dorovoqa :

From Solomon Islands to the Philippines: My PGIS learning journey ... 

• Blog post 5: Participatory data extraction and digitization
• Blog post 4: QGIS introduction and P3DM in action
• Blog post 3: Preparations and challenging encounters ()
• Blog post 2: My expectations
• Blog post 1: How it all started

She becomes more beautiful: Capturing the essence of Tobago Island for a better tomorrow

The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Tobago House of Assembly, Division of Agriculture, Marine Affairs, Marketing and the Environment (DAME) and the Partners with Melanesians (PwM) facilitated the building of a Participatory 3D Model (P3DM) of Tobago Island from 28th September to 12th October 2012.

The model was used as a tool to incorporate and recognize local and traditional knowledge and values into decision making about climate change adaptation.

A training of trainers in facilitating participatory approaches, with participants drawn from the Caribbean Region, was executed concurrently with the building of the P3D model of Tobago. Participants in the Training of Trainers used participatory video to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of P3DM.

The project was funded by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF SGP).

Beneath the Surface ~ Mapping Union Island - A P3DM exercise, 2013

Here is the story of a participatory mapping exercise done on Union Island in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean.

The second of such exercise to be done in the Caribbean under the theme "working with people and nature to find solutions to climate change".

The film gives a glimpse into the, happiness, trials and tribulations of the local people as they participate in a unique participatory mapping process led by Sustainable Grenadines Inc.(SusGren), a local NGO, with support provided by TNC and CTA.

The film also speaks to the local people’s ideas of sustainable development and livelihood opportunities for them and their families.

It also highlights the changes the local community has experienced over the years in their environment and how they have already started to adapt. It certainly takes you in the life of a Unionite and their small island....

midst the challenges of a degrading marine and coastal environment, development pressure from tourism and climate change local people through the mapping process came together with one voice to develop a plan of action for their island future.

Language versions: English | Spanish | French | Portuguese (coming soon)

The film has been produced with funding provided by CTA. Director: Jess Phillimore

Local voices in climate change adaptation - Union Island, Caribbean - Trailer

As a follow-up to the introduction of Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM) in the Caribbean which took place in Tobago in October 2012, the NGO SusGren replicated the process in Union Island (St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Caribbean) in the context of the "At Waters Edge: Coastal Resilience in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (AWE)" project.

Project implementation has been supported by the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA).

Here is a short trailer on the video production which will be launched at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture in October 2013.

Participatory 3D Modelling in Tobago - Live radio broadcasts - podcasts

Participatory video - an effective evaluation tool

Trainees appraise the P3DM process using "PV"

SCARBOROUGH, 14 October 2012  The volume of information to be collected from informants on their natural resources, climate change impacts and the measures they use to cope or adapt to these impacts, is best dealt with using a video camera, said Kathrina Collins, President of the Union Island Environmental Attackers from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Trainees appraise the P3DM process using "PV"

Katrina recalled that learning how to use the video camera supplied by CANARI for the participatory video (PV) exercise was a lot of fun, but she was more comfortable while working on the participatory 3D model of Tobago.  Katrina was one of the regional trainees who participated in the 14-day workshop which led to the manufacture of the first participatory 3D model (P3DM) to be created in the Caribbean.

Damika Marshall, Environmental Officer from the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) who was another trainee, said that PV was used to highlight the lessons learnt from the P3DM process and ways to make it better.  She agreed that learning to use the video equipment was enjoyable and added another dimension to the workshop.

Similar sentiments were shared by their counterparts who were divided into groups to work on the video project.  Their task was to evaluate the P3DM process using video.

The team captured footage highlighting Tobago’s natural resources, peoples’ dependence and relation to the resource base, the process of making the 3D model, and the views and opinions of stakeholders involved in the process.

Desiree Sampson, a professional videographer, briefed the trainees on the concept of "five W’s and one H" otherwise known as “the six helpers”.  Each letter representing a question that has to be answered for the story to be considered complete: who, what, where, when, why and how.  This approach is used as the basis for gathering information when doing research and gathering news.
The trainees interviewed stakeholders to find out their experiences on climate change impacts, exploring exactly what happened, when it happened, where it took place and why it happened.  They also conducted interviews among the group of trainees to capture their feedback on the model building process.

Katrina Collins, Candice Ramkissoon, and
Shawnaly Pascal download and view
footage collected during the workshop

The trainees were also shown how to develop and use a storyboard to guide production.  A storyboard is a set of graphic images laid out in particular sequence to tell a story.  Each participant contributed ideas to create the storyboard.

As with each activity at the workshop, there was a daily review of the daily achievements.  Damika said that every evening the footage shot during the day was viewed by the trainees and facilitators.  The team assessed its visual quality and content value for selection and incorporation in the final video production.  In some cases, the team decided that some interviews had to be redone and footage captured again to improve the quality.

Lessons learnt

All the trainees said that using the video equipment to capture the stories was a great idea.  Damika felt that using a video to tell a story is quite an effective way for sharing ideas and experiences with the community since “not everyone can read or understand a lengthy written report or has the time or inclination to do so”.  She however added that policy makers would need more than a video to make decisions regarding climate change and to understand the ramifications of their policies.

Kemba Jaramogi captures footage of an informant adding
details to the model, while Kenn Mondiai, P3DM expert
looks on.

Kemba Jaramogi from Trinidad said the video cameras used were small and as a result, not intimidating to interviewees.  She also said that the equipment was relatively inexpensive.

Kemba however noted that cost should not be the only consideration before purchasing this type of equipment.  “The quality [of footage] it produces is an important factor”, she said.

In summary, the trainees from across the Caribbean found the PV activity quite interesting.  They said that the production of a video for evaluation purposes was an interesting learning experience and at the same time, videography was an effective way for capturing and documenting the impact of climate change on communities through the eyes of the grassroots.

Related posts: 

• First Participatory 3D Model built in the Caribbean: Nationals from the region now ready and eager to introduce P3DM in their countries
• Tobagonians hand over the Participatory 3D model to the Tobago House of Assembly 
• Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM) activities in Tobago featured on National Television
• Knowledge holders add value to the 3D model of Tobago
• Participatory 3D model of Tobago seen as time capsule
• Blank 3D model of Tobago accommodates first set of community inputs
• Tobago P3DM - The missing islet
• P3DM blank model of Tobago ready for accommodating community’s knowledge
• Participatory 3D Modelling in Tobago - key venues
• Caribbean nationals eager to develop P3DM in their countries: "P3DM a unique, totally new experience" 
• Participatory 3D Modelling exercise kicks off with much gusto in Tobago 
• ICTs for Climate Change Adaptation: Introduction of innovative technologies in the Caribbean 
• Tobagonians will build a participatory 3D model of Tobago to plan for impacts of climate change and extreme climatic events 
• Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM): five years after receiving the World Summit Award

First Participatory 3D Model built in the Caribbean

Nationals from the region now ready and eager
to introduce P3DM in their countries

SCARBOROUGH, 13 October 2012.  One hundred and six Tobagonians participated in transposing their mental recollections of the impact of climate change on their natural resources and how they are adapting to climate change on the participatory 3D model of Tobago.  Informant, Lyris Walker called it a piece of work “for the people, by the people and of the people”.

Indeed, the importance of facilitating data collation from local communities was underscored by Philippines GIS expert, Kail Zingapan, when she stated that without inputs from the residents of Tobago, the model could not be built.  The model covers an area of 1,152 km² and consists of a 1:10,000-scale version of the island and its surrounding waters up to a depth of -100 meters.

Under the theme: "She becomes more beautiful: Capturing the essence of Tobago today for a better tomorrow", the title of the event and the legend for the model were agreed upon by residents of Tobago during an introductory and planning workshop which was coordinated by CANARI’s Senior Technical Officer and Manager of Forest, Livelihoods and Governance Programme, Neila Bobb-Prescott on September 25 2012.

The organizers - CANARI and technical and financial sponsors, CTA and UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme - invited many Caribbean nationals, from NGOs, CBOs, government agencies, intergovernmental technical agencies and academia as well as their Tobago counterparts, to the 14-day workshop where they gained skills in building the model and in documenting and assessing the process through the use of participatory video (PV).  Two participatory mapping experts from the Philippines and Papua New Guinea facilitated the model-building process in which students from secondary schools across Tobago were also involved.

Making the model

Trainees are guided on contour tracing by Kail Zingapan,
GIS expert from the Philippines

Trainees and students noted that building the model turned out not to be as easy as it looked, as the base map, which was prepared by a team from the UWI, had to be traced onto cardboard and then carefully cut into individual elevation layers.

These layers of cardboard were carefully placed and glued on top of each other and consolidated and smoothened using crêpe paper.  White paint was subsequently applied to the cardboard model.
At that stage, the model was ready for accommodating data all originating from mental recollections of residents of Tobago.  These came from many sectors of the society - fishermen, farmers, reef tour operators, hunters, environmental groups, and academia.  Natural resources were identified, areas affected by climate change were pointed out and measures used to adapt to the changes were described.  All these contributions generated a total of 87 layers of information all displayed on the model.

Quality assurance 

At every stage of building the model, there were checks and balances as facilitators ensured code consistency and stimulated community cross-verification of input data.  Additionally, the information transposed on the model was also checked by technocrats from different departments of the THA.

A trainee adds elevation layers to the model

At the early stages of model making, residents pointed out that Little Tobago, a small island off the coast of Tobago, and other islets and rock outcrops were missing from the model.  All these being important landmarks for fisherfolk and sailors.  The facilitators acknowledged their absence.

Adam, one of the workshop participants who used to work at the UWI, rose to the challenge of preparing the needed contour map, far from his GIS lab and using a locally available ink-jet printer to plot the islets.  Kail obtained elevation data from the Internet, and one of the UWI graduate students helped Adam obtain the data concerning the depth of the sea.  And … magic …by the end the day, Little Tobago and other missing islets were placed onto the model and smoothed with crepe paper.

The progress of the activities was constantly under review by CANARI‘s facilitators, Nicole Leotaud - Executive Director and Neila Bobb-Prescott - workshop coordinator.  Morning debriefing sessions evaluated the previous day’s work and set an agenda for the day’s activity.

Handing over

At the end of the workshop, the people of Tobago handed over the model to the Tobago House of Assembly.  It was received by Hon. Gary Melville, Secretary for Agriculture, Marine Affairs, Marketing and the Environment.

The informants used a series of photographs on PowerPoint slides to explain what they felt was happening to the natural resources in Tobago and called on the authorities to take urgent action to address the impact of climate change.

Left to right: Neila Bobb-Prescott (CANARI),
Giacomo Rambaldi (CTA),
Hon. Gary Melville (THA) and Lamon Rutten (CTA),
examine the P3DM model of Tobago

A brief synopsis of the workshop was delivered by CANARI, and the representatives from sponsoring agencies - CTA and UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme - applauded all the stakeholders for their efforts.

CTA’s , Senior Programme Coordinator, Mr. Giacomo Rambaldi, said he was happy to see the outcome of the programme and UNDP’s Programme Assistant, Ms Sasha Jattansingh, extended sincere appreciation to all the stakeholders who had built the model.

One informant, Ms Laura Williams of Golden Lane, besieged policy makers not to allow the model to become a “dust enhancer” and added that the purpose for which the model will be used will determine the future of the island’s resources and its peoples.

Related posts: 

• Tobagonians hand over the Participatory 3D model to the Tobago House of Assembly 
• Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM) activities in Tobago featured on National Television
• Knowledge holders add value to the 3D model of Tobago
• Participatory 3D model of Tobago seen as time capsule
• Blank 3D model of Tobago accommodates first set of community inputs
• Tobago P3DM - The missing islet
• P3DM blank model of Tobago ready for accommodating community’s knowledge
• Participatory 3D Modelling in Tobago - key venues
• Caribbean nationals eager to develop P3DM in their countries: "P3DM a unique, totally new experience" 
• Participatory 3D Modelling exercise kicks off with much gusto in Tobago 
• ICTs for Climate Change Adaptation: Introduction of innovative technologies in the Caribbean 
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• Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM): five years after receiving the World Summit Award

Tobagonians hand over the Participatory 3D model to the Tobago House of Assembly

Participatory 3D Model referred to as “visual conversation” tool

1:10,000 scale participatory 3D model of
Tobago produced by Tobagonians in the
 two-week workshop held at
Blenheim, Tobago

SCARBOROUGH, 12 October 2012. Tobagonians, today, handed over the participatory 3D model of Tobago to the Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA’s) Secretary of Agriculture, Marine Affairs, Marketing and the Environment, the Honorable Gary Melville.  The hand-over ceremony, which took place at the auditorium of the Tobago Hospitality and Training Institute at Mount St. George (close to where the model was built at Blenheim), was attended by students, informants, trainees from across the Caribbean, THA officials and facilitators from the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), the University of the West Indies (UWI) and Partners with Melanesians (PwM) - the NGO deployed by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) to provide technical inputs into the manufacture of the model and delivery of P3DM / PGIS training.  Officials from CTA and United Nations Development Programme - Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (UNDP GEF-SGP) attended the ceremony; these two organizations provided technical and financial support to the P3DM and Participatory Video (PV) processes.

The ceremony marked the end of a 14-day workshop which was hosted by CANARI and the UWI in conjunction with the THA to pilot the building of the P3DM in the Caribbean.  The workshop, which was coordinated by CANARI’s, Senior Technical Officer and Manager of Forest, Livelihoods and Governance Programme, Mrs. Neila Bobb-Prescott, was held to train facilitators from around the Caribbean, in the use of participatory processes for communicating information relating to climate change and its impact on communities.  Part of the training also included using PV to evaluate the effectiveness of the P3DM process.

On October 11, CANARI’s Executive Director, Ms Nicole Leotaud, facilitated a session with stakeholders from Tobago to prepare a summary of the impacts of climate change in Tobago, outline how climate change is affecting them and the steps they are taking to adapt to these impacts.

On October 12, the stakeholders of Tobago presented the summary to the THA and called on the THA to use the information on the model to design policies to lessen the impact of climate change on their livelihood activities and the island of Tobago as a whole.

Anthony Cordner shares the  Tobago 'story' of
climate change during the handover ceremony at the
Tobago Hospitality and Training Institute

When listing the effects of climate change Tobagonians highlighted the following: decreased and erratic rainfall, dead areas of coral reefs, blurred dry and wet seasons, less fishes in the sea and increased coastal erosion.  Additionally, the group of stakeholders also spoke of the prevalence of bush fires on the island.

Fisherfolk reported that they have adapted to the changes by sailing further offshore to fish.  Some farmers indicated that they had switched from farming to fishing and others reported that they were digging wells closer to rivers to water their crops.  Laura Williams of the group Anse Fromager from the village of Golden Lane called on the THA to partner with communities to deal with the impacts of climate change.

Clement Bobb, President of the Tobago Cocoa Farmers
Association refers to the 3D model as
a “visual conversation tool"

Another informant, Clement Bobb, President of the Tobago Cocoa Farmers Association, told the audience that it was only through the workshop that he learnt that members of the association are noting springs drying up and are moving to alternative locations.  Mr. Bobb also said it was the sharing of information by all, including trainees from around the Caribbean, which led him to deem the 3D model a means for “visual conversation”.

Meantime, in receiving the model, Secretary for Agriculture, Marine Affairs, Marketing and the Environment, the Honorable Gary Melville expressed the THA and Executive Council’s “deepest appreciation” for the efforts of facilitators, funding agencies and all others who had a hand in creating the “visual conversation” tool.

The Secretary promised to increase the use of the participatory approach to deal with climate change.  He said the model was an example of the level of output that could be achieved when many organizations and people join forces for a common purpose.

Hon. Gary Melville, Neila Bobb Prescott from CANARI
and Lamon Rurren from CTA admiring
the completed 3D model 

Meantime, in an interview conducted after the ceremony, Mr. Lamon Rutten, Manager of Policy, Market and ICT at CTA, said he was happy with the level of enthusiasm displayed at the ceremony from all the participants and found the results coming out of the workshop “amazing”, since he knew the amount of effort that had gone into producing the model.  He pointed out that the use of conventional tools to gather information would have taken much longer and may not have yielded the same results. He also pointed to the sense of urgency, that Tobagonians expressed in their presentation, to do something to mitigate the impacts of climate change.  He expressed his hope that the same level of urgency stated by citizens would be felt by the politicians. Mr. Rutten manager thanked CANARI for the “tremendous” work done in facilitating the workshop and noted that without CANARI, the CTA would not have been able to achieve its goal of working within the Caribbean.

In addressing the ceremony, Giacomo Rambaldi, Senior Programme Coordinator at the CTA said he, like everyone else, was pleased with the model and glad to witness what had taken place.  Mr. Rambaldi, who has extensive experience in creating participatory 3D models, attended the last two days of the workshop.

Likewise, Sasha Jattansingh, Programme Assistant of the UNDP GEF Small Grants programme, said she appreciated the great work undertaken by CANARI, UWI, THA and participants in the workshop.
By and large, the ceremony was well represented by members from all the sectors that had taken part in the workshop.  Everyone who participated – students, informants and trainee facilitators – were awarded certificates.

Facilitators, trainees and informants pose with
Bheshem Ramlal (UWI)  and Giacomo Rambaldi (CTA)
after the handover ceremony 

Note: The following organizations were represented at the training and /or closing ceremony

Barbados: 

• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); 
• Caribbean Institute for Meteorology & Hydrology (CIMH)

Dominican Republic: 

• Consorcio Ambiental Dominicano (CAD)

Grenada: 

• Caribbean Association for Youth Development (CAYD); 
• Woburn Community

Haïti: 

• Groupe de Action Francophone pour l'Environnement (GAFE)

Jamaica:

• Forestry Department, Forest Science and Technology; 
• Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM) 

St. Lucia: 

• Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI)

St. Vincent and the Grenadines: 

• Sustainable Grenadines Inc (SusGreen); 
• Union Island Environmental Attackers

Trinidad and Tobago: 

• Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI)
• Caribbean Agricultural Research & Development Institute (CARDI); 
• Institute of Marine Affairs Trinidad and Tobago (IMA); 
• Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross Society; 
• Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM); 
• Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE), Tobago

US Virgin Islands: 

• The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Greater Caribbean: 

• Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME), IOCARIBE - UNESCO

Papua New Guinea

• Partners with Melanesians (PwM)

International

• Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA)
• The UNDO GEF Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP)

Related posts: 

• Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM) activities in Tobago featured on National Television
• Knowledge holders add value to the 3D model of Tobago
• Participatory 3D model of Tobago seen as time capsule
• Blank 3D model of Tobago accommodates first set of community inputs
• Tobago P3DM - The missing islet
• P3DM blank model of Tobago ready for accommodating community’s knowledge
• Participatory 3D Modelling in Tobago - key venues
• Caribbean nationals eager to develop P3DM in their countries: "P3DM a unique, totally new experience" 
• Participatory 3D Modelling exercise kicks off with much gusto in Tobago 
• ICTs for Climate Change Adaptation: Introduction of innovative technologies in the Caribbean 
• Tobagonians will build a participatory 3D model of Tobago to plan for impacts of climate change and extreme climatic events 
• Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM): five years after receiving the World Summit Award

Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM) activities in Tobago featured on National Television

FRIDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2012 - Tobago Channel 5 News - Climate change is a very serious issue in the Caribbean and we often hear about this from scientists who explain the situation in a technical sense. But what about those on the ground that want to know exactly how it can affect them.

In collaboration with the University of the West Indies and with technical and financial support provided by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) and UNDP GEF-SGP, the Caribbean National Resources Institute, CANARI, embarked on a project to allow Tobagonians to share their knowledge to others who may have questions about climate change. With the help of a new 3D model of Tobago built by the participants of the project, Tobagonians can learn about the issue plus other concerns the country may face.

Over 100 Tobagonians recently constructed a scale model of Tobago which will be used to measure climate change on the island. The project was done in attempt to allow Tobagonians to share information with each other about climate change and the effects on various areas. Nichol Leoto, a member of CANARI, gave details of the two week project.

She added that the experience for those who were a part of the project was amazing and will be a positive for Tobago and Tobagonians. Ms. Leoto made it clear though that it is not ending there. She said that this is just the starting point of a bigger intiative which includes policy making for Tobago.

Ms. Leoto said that CANARI will be returning to Tobago in two weeks to work more with civil society groups, community groups and NGO’s.

Source:  Tobago Channel 5 News

Related posts: 

• Knowledge holders add value to the 3D model of Tobago
• Participatory 3D model of Tobago seen as time capsule
• Blank 3D model of Tobago accommodates first set of community inputs
• Tobago P3DM - The missing islet
• P3DM blank model of Tobago ready for accommodating community’s knowledge
• Participatory 3D Modelling in Tobago - key venues
• Caribbean nationals eager to develop P3DM in their countries: "P3DM a unique, totally new experience" 
• Participatory 3D Modelling exercise kicks off with much gusto in Tobago 
• ICTs for Climate Change Adaptation: Introduction of innovative technologies in the Caribbean 
• Tobagonians will build a participatory 3D model of Tobago to plan for impacts of climate change and extreme climatic events 
• Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM): five years after receiving the World Summit Award