Participatory 3 Dimensional Modelling in Madagascar: A process to be replicated in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Participatory three-dimensional modelling (P3DM) has already shown considerable potential in a number of countries with regard to the mobilisation of communities in the context of bottom-up planning and management of natural resources.  In Madagascar, the very first P3DM exercise took place in February 2015, in the Avaratrambolo water catchment area.

The exercise was conducted in a rural farming area some 35 km from the Madagascan capital, Antananarivo. The population of this region, situated in the northern part of the island, makes a living almost exclusively from rice farming, with weak purchasing power and poor access to the markets. The rural landscape is dominated by paddy fields, small forest plantations and a small remnant of natural forest. The catchment represents the source of a number of important river courses.
The P3DM exercise took place within the framework of a project aimed at promoting agriculture and water management called "Let's move towards change", Ndao hivoatra in the Madagascan language. This project, which involves several local, national and international, has gained special significance for local communities.



As in many parts of Africa, property issues are very sensitive in Madagascar. This explains why, in recent years local communities have ben reluctant in participating in a number of rural development projects. The P3DM exercise in Avaratrambolo made a significant contribution to removing concerns related to potential land grabbing. As with earlier projects in the area, the Ndao hivoatra project was thought by rural communities to be a trick to take over ancestral land for the benefit of multinationals that pose as promoters of rural development in remote areas of Africa. In spite of the numerous awareness-raising meetings which preceded the P3DM exercise communities perceived the forthcoming mapping process as a means for identifying areas which could be taken away. This had to radically change during the P3DM process …

The first phase of the exercise involved the construction of the blank 3D model. This phase was preceded by a workshop involving local facilitators and international facilitators from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as representatives of the institutions involved in the Ndao hivoatra project, to plan the process, identify preliminary equipment, logistics and define how best to engage the communities in participating. It was during this workshop that all those involved gained an understanding of the overall scope of the forthcoming mapping exercise.

The first visit by facilitators to the village of Ambohitrakely took place under a torrential downpour over a severely eroded and hardly accessible dirt road. This first activity was intended to guide schoolchildren trace and cut out cardboard layers for the construction of the 3D model. The children's work on the model sparked the curiosity of their parents. Gradually, adults including residents of nearby villages became involved in the construction of the model.

On 13 February 2015 the completed 3D model was officially displayed in the village of Ambohitrakely. In addition to representatives from the project implementing agencies, national ministries, researchers and other stakeholders, the event brought together a large and festive crowd including local, religious and traditional authorities and the local population which initially appeared reluctant to participate in the Ndao hivoatra project due to the sensitivity of the land tenure issue. The positive messages and the enthusiasm shown by the participants were a clear indicator of the behavioural change occurred. The model-making process proved to have plaid a reconciliatory role with regard to the project. Active participation of the local communities in the construction of the model and, in particular, in their driving role in defining the content of the map legend and populating the model with geo-referenced data, noticeably increased their confidence and feeling of ownership and control of the process. Residents now feel that the 3D model belongs to them as a tool to guide the implementation of the Ndao hivoatra project.

P3DM proved to be a powerful process for land and forest planning, management and development. The success of this exercise in Madagascar points to the usefulness and the opportunity for replicating the process elsewhere in Africa. For example, the exercise could be run in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the process of governance and management of community forests continues to progress. The publication of Decree No. 14/018 dated 2 August 2014 sets the modalities for allocating forest concessions to local communities in the DRC. Concerned local communities and Indigenous Peoples would benefit from P3DM to identify their ancestral territories and effectively plan and implement both conservation and sustainable development projects. The creation and operationalisation of the community forests and the recognition of indigenous and community conserved areas (ICCAs) in the DRC is a process that requires not only the passing of pertinent legislation, but also, and in particular, a commitment on the part of a range of stakeholders. Without obtaining full support from technical, scientific and financial stakeholders, the good will of the DRC government may be in vain.

Written by Dominique Bikaba, Strong Roots Congo

Notes from the author: The success of this first P3DM process in Madagascar can be credited also to the qualities and skills of the lead facilitator Mr Barthélemy Boika, who demonstrated his talents as an educator and community motivator. My thanks also go to the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) for its technical inputs and for supporting my participation in the exercise.

The project « ndao hivoatra » has been launched by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) with funding provided by the World Bank to promote sustainable rural development. Le projet is implemented by Artelia Madagascar with technical support provided by Farming and Technology for Africa (FTA) in partnership with FOFIFA (Centre National de la Recherche Appliquée au Développement Rural). The P3DM exercise which represents a punctual component of the overall project has been supported technically and financially by CTA.

Drones, Open Data and urban transport

This video reveals the role that UAVs and drones can play in helping city planners and citizens democratize data and imagery about transportation in cities.

Construction participative de maquettes en trois dimensions - Guide méthodologique

Produit à partir du projet "Soutien aux économies paysannes vulnérables du bassin versant de la rivière Fond Melon et de la vallée de Marbial" mis en place par AVSF et son partenaire CROSE de 2007 à 2010 dans le Sud-Est d’Haïti, ce guide méthodologique présente une expérience innovante de construction et utilisation de maquette en 3D pour créer une véritable dynamique de démocratie locale pour l'aménagement d'un territoire rural.

Dans une 1ère partie, le guide présente les conditions et outils pour la fabrication de maquettes en 3D, en rappelant quelques spécificités liées au contexte haïtien et les différentes adaptations pratiques développées.

Dans la 2ème partie, il expose les approches et méthodes de valorisation et d’animation autour de cet outil, pour créer de véritables dynamiques de démocratie locale.

Controversial blaming game on deforestation in Palawan, the Philippines

Joint press-release by CALG (Coalition against Land Grabbing) and NATRIPAL (United Tribes of Palawan)

Recent years have seen an exponential increase in land deals across the Philippines with the conversion of large expanses of land with crops mainly intended for export while traditional upland farming implemented through swidden (‘slash-and-burn’) technology (kaingin) is demonized and antagonized through restrictive legislation. The latter, however, fosters local self-sufficiency and plays a fundamental role in the livelihood and worldviews of indigenous societies.

AGUMIL/PPVOMI oil palm expansion in Bataraza, Palawan

Palawan, known as the “Philippine last Frontier”, in spite of its unique recognition as a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve, has not been spared from massive investments in extractive resources and industrial agriculture, especially oil palm and rubber development.  And yet, indigenous people and upland dwellers continue to be blamed for massive deforestation and ecological disaster. Not surprisingly, the recent front cover of a well known Philippine Newspaper (the Daily Inquirer, May 9 issue) holds a headline post with a powerful image that easily conflates all upland peoples as criminal agriculturalists “Images are powerful and can be damaging” says Wolfram Dressler a Research Fellow from the University of Melbourne (Australia) who has carried out extensive anthropological research in Palawan. ”They can direct blame without nuance and context.  The masses (and government) absorb such images to reinforce centuries old narratives demonizing kaingin - a term that many farmers avoid because of its pejorative nature” adds Dressler.

The Inquirer’s article was triggered by an aerial survey carried out by the Center for Sustainability (CS), a nonprofit organization claiming to work for sustainable development in Palawan. The group spotted from the air key locations, previously covered by forest, and which have now been subject to clearing due to various external forces (mining, oil palm plantations and shifting agriculture (locally known as kaingin, or more appropriately ‘uma’). According to the group, in addition to clearing by ‘poor farmers’, forest burning in the south has been linked to the proliferation of palm oil and rubber plantations, and the main target of ‘slash-and-burn’ activities is the clearing of primary forests for development.

Ironically, for carrying out its photo survey CS conservationists alegedly borrowed the private plane of Jose Alvarez, the present Governor of Palawan, a well-known supporter of large-scale agro-industry, especially rubber which accelerates deforestation and deprives more traditional indigenous communities of their resource-base.  He is chairing the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD). In principle, this government body is mandated to ensure the sustainable development of the whole province, through the implementation of the Strategic Environmental Plan – SEP (R.A. Republic Act 7611). The latter mandates that no development project should take place in Palawan unless the proponents secure the so called SEP clearance.  Surprisingly, as of now, massive oil palm expansion and related forest clearing have taken placed unabated without SEP clearances.   “Here in Palawan” says Marivic Bero (Secretary General of the Coalition against Land Grabbing - CALG). “We have the best laws in place to protect both the environment and the rights of our indigenous peoples.   However, the limits of law lay within the implementation process, wherein rules and regulations are conditioned by the inability of concerned government agencies and their officials to stand by their own mandates”. She further argues that the government prohibition to ban kaingin represents a blatant violation of the major tenets of the ‘Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997’ (Republic Act no. 8371) which recognizes, protects and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communalities. “This is a very powerful law” says Bero “and should not be undermined by ‘minor’ laws and municipal ordinances banning shifting cultivation (kaingin)”.

While Palawan environment is being affected by agribusiness (mainly oil palm and rubber), mining enterprises - and various forms of land grabbing - state agencies such as PCSD (as well as some Palawan NGOs) still view indigenous kaingin as ‘illegitimate agriculture’ and as the primary cause of deforestation.  “Turning a blind eye to the plunder of forests by industrial logging, mining activities, agribusiness, and livestock production, state agencies continue to label and classify kaingin farmers as primitive, backward and unproductive who waste valuable forest resources, particularly timber” says Dressler. “In this way”, he adds “Government agencies have unleashed anti-kaingin campaigns that justified the resettling of kaingineros and adoption of permanent forms of agriculture that are not suited for the uplands.  In turn, kaingin is coercively regulated with fines or jail time, while indigenous upland farmers are frequently harassed by forest guards”.

In 1994, a ban against shifting cultivation (bawal sa kaingin) was enforced by former Mayor Edward Hagedorn through the so called ‘bantay gubat’: an implementing arm composed of poorly trained forest guards.  When this happened, no murmur of dissent was raised by Palawan NGOs, in spite of the severe hardship experienced by hundreds of indigenous communities because of the ban. The latter, however, was strongly opposed by Survival International (SI), the global movement for tribal peoples' rights.  The international campaign by Survival International resulted in a partial lifting of the ban.  Apparently, at the end, the former Mayor decided to allow Batak as well as Tagbanua tribes to continue their traditional kaingin practices with a ‘controlled burning’ rather than the previous ‘zero burning’ policy.  However – as the years passed by – the ‘ban on kaingin’ was imposed again with vigor and is now being implemented under the current administration "Ever since the ban on shifting cultivation was implemented in PPC Municipality, Survival has been lobbying for the government to exempt indigenous communities, such as the Batak, from the ban”   says Sophie Grig, Senior Campaigner at Survival International. "We are disappointed that in spite of international pressure, the local government still continues to implement a law which is creating food-shortage and malnutrition amongst the previously self-sufficient tribes of Northern Palawan". In spite of its failure, the ‘ban on kaingin’ initially implemented in Puerto Princesa Municipality, is now being emulated by others.  Recently, the Government of Brooke’s Point has proposed the implementation of similar restrictions in its own municipality and, if the ban will push through, hundreds of upland Pala’wan communities will be threatened with food insecurity and malnourishment.

Geotagging of a mountain range within MMPL used sustainably
by upland Pala’wan since time immemorial 

The CS aerial survey has added more fuel to the fire, through the production of dramatic photos--- images that, however, lack of context.  These images have prompted Governor Jose Alvarez to declare war on kaingin by proposing the creation of a ‘forest conservation task force that will undertake a 10-year plan to arrest the problem of slash-and-burn farming’.   “We are extremely worried about these new developments” says John Mart Salunday an indigenous Tagbanua who is presiding NATRIPAL, the largest indigenous federation in Palawan. “There are several indigenous communities’ conserved areas (ICCAs) in our province where traditional kaingin has been sustainably practiced from generations to generations.

Batak girl harvesting new upland rice

Unfortunately, the 'anti-kaingin policy' and the ‘bantay gubat’ implementing it, make no distinction between unsustainable 'kaingin' done by Filipino migrants and the traditional 'kaingin' still practiced by many indigenous people.” says Salunday. “Upland rice is such a strong part of our identify and our people have selected more than 80 varieties of rice over hundreds of years, not to mention the diversity of other crops: cassava, ubi, sweet potatoes, banana and many others.  If all this is taken away from us, our tribes will have no future” he adds.

The richness and complexity of indigenous upland farming systems in Palawan has not gone unnoticed to both local and foreign researchers such as Roy Cadelina, James Eder, Melanie McDermott, Nicole Revel, Charles Macdonald, Wolfram Dressler and Dario Novellino who have carried out in-depth studies on indigenous farming practices and on their relevance in people’s cosmologies, worldviews, identities and ethnobiological knowledge.  “If one compares the wisdom of indigenous upland farmers to the ignorance of most foresters, politicians and conservation biologists in the same field of knowledge, the gap is striking”  says  Dario Novellino, an anthropologist of the Centre for Biocultural Diversity of the University of Kent (UK) who has lived in Palawan over a period of almost 30 years. He sustains that the government ban on kaingin, implemented in Puerto Princesa, rather than protecting the environment, has placed insurmountable pressure on the forest and has also altered the sustainability of the indigenous farming system.   “I have see forest guards (bantay gubat) advising indigenous farmers to cut only very small trees for their ‘uma’ (upland fields) and to cultivate the same plots of land continuously” says Novellino “these indications are based on a very poor understanding of forest ecology. If you clear areas where only small trees are found, it means that you are going to plant land that has not yet regenerated its soil nutrients.  When you cultivate these fragile soils, over and over, you cause them to become infertile. Ultimately, only cogun (Imperata cylindrica) will thrive in these areas and the forest will never grow back”.

Pala’wan horticulturists  in the uplands
of Brookes’ Point Municipality

Well-known scholars have argued that traditionally practiced kaingin (or integral kaingin) involves the intermittent clearing of small patches of forest for subsistence food crop production, followed by longer periods of fallow in which forest re-growth restores productivity to the land. “Kaingin can yield complex assemblages of forest and other vegetation in unique mosaics comprised of open canopy tree associations to mature closed-canopy forest systems best understood at the landscape scale. As a complex system of agriculture and forestry, integrating production from cultivated fields and diverse secondary forests, kaingin farming may yield a wide range of ecosystem services and resources integral to livelihoods and forest environments in the mountains of Palawan” says Dressler. However, when such a complex system is altered, as for instance, due to the implementation of punitive policies, the repercussions on forest ecology and people’s sustenance becomes dramatic. According to Novellino, when indigenous upland communities are not allowed to procure part of the needed ‘carbohydrates’ (rice, cassava, sweet potatoes, etc.) through their farming practices, they are forced, as a result, to increase pressure on commercially valuable NTFPs (rattan, almaciga and honey) which they sell to purchase rice.  Ultimately, this may result in the fast depletion of non-timber forest resources and more pressure on the forest itself. Indeed, this is exactly what has happened because of the implementation of the ‘zero burning policy’ by former Mayor Edward Hagedorn.

Mining concessions in Palawan

One can only speculate why the Government of Palawan is so quick in raising its voice against kaingin while, on the other hand, remains silence when huge expanses of land, forest and fertile grounds are given away for agribusinesses. But, at least, we know the official explanation: oil palms are only planted on ‘idle’ and ‘abandoned’ land to enhance the province’s economy while increasing job opportunities and transforming unused areas in productive plantations.  But are such lands really ‘idle’ and ‘abandoned’?  A recent study carried out by ALDAW (Ancestral Land/Domain Watch) has clearly proven the contrary. The study argues that most of these so called 'idle' and 'unproductive' lands include areas that have been used since time immemorial by IPs societies.  “The removal of natural vegetation and of previous agricultural improvements by oil palm plantations is leading to the total collapse of traditional livelihoods, thus fostering communities’ impoverishment and increasing malnutrition” says Novellino. He sustains that what the Government has failed to consider is that most of the so called ‘idle’ and ‘underdeveloped’ lands include areas that are being utilized by rural and indigenous populations for different purposes (gathering of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), medicinal plants, kaingin, etc).  He believes that a direct relationship exists between oil palm/cash crop expansion, the impoverishment of people’s diet, the progressive deterioration of traditional livelihood and the interruption of cultural transmission related to particular aspects of people’s local knowledge.

As argued by Dressler “In contrast to commercially oriented monocultures, mixed swidden systems benefit Palawan’s indigenous peoples by offering a variety of timber and non-timber harvests for subsistence and commercial sales to diversify production and spread risks, thus avoiding the ecological and economic shocks associated with relying on one product too heavily”. Apparently, this is not perceived by the Government as a sufficiently strong reason to switch its development agenda towards more sustainable forms of agriculture.   Instead, local food security continues to be sacrificed in the name of oil palm and rubber development while anti-kaingin policies are strongly implemented with no distinction between traditional indigenous farming practices and migrants’ unsustainable slash-and-burning.  “If the government is serious about ensuring the welfare of its constituents” says Welly Mande a Tagbanua of CALG  “ it should enhance the capability of upland farmers to produce enough food, rather than fostering cash crop such as oil palms and rubber that are not for local consumption but for export”.   “What we would need instead” adds Mandi  “are lower risk models of agricultural development that give a greater share of  benefits to the poor while improving and fostering the production of endemic crops such as coconuts and rice”.

For the sake of fairness, we should now ask ourselves whether, at the present, all indigenous shifting cultivation practices throughout Palawan are always sustainable (based on long fallow periods). The answer is NO but, again, the blame for forest destruction should not be placed on upland dwellers.   Perhaps, one should look instead at the historical process that have led to unsustainable kaingin practices such as the dramatic reduction of  indigenous ancestral domains due to massive migration of landless farmers, encroachment by mining and plantation companies, insurgency and militarization just to mention few.

Official propaganda against kaingin, coupled by NGOs’ market-based conservation approaches, continues to provide additional incentives for international institutions to finance more of the same (e.g. reforestation of indigenous fallow fields which are wrongly classified as ‘degraded areas’). Often, such reforestation programs deprive local communities of those areas that are necessary for fields’ rotation, hence jeopardizes the sustainability of their farming system.

It will require detailed and multidisciplinary studies to determine where, and to what extent,  the conditions for optimal long fallows in Palawan are still present and how many indigenous communities are still practicing long rotation cycles. In turn, the law should move away from coercion and demonization of kaingin towards more culturally sensitive approaches that provide incentives to indigenous cultivators for increasing and fostering production of local genetic varieties or rice and other traditional cultivars.  In places where swidden practices have become irreversibly unsustainable, specific strategies should be developed in close coordination with local communities, rather than imposing top-down technical solutions and enforce legal persecution. In short, upland farming strategies should be evaluated through an integrated and interactive long-term process of research and development in close partnership with local upland farmers. This process should identify indigenous best farming practices, understanding them and the contexts in which these are used. Meanwhile, in the short term, it would work better if some media would refrain from publishing images that uncritically depict upland dwellers as ‘environmental criminals’, putting the blame of deforestation on those who suffers from it most.

Identities and mapping processes

Giacomo Rambaldi, CTA Senior Programme Coordinator, talks about the impact of participatory 3D mapping processes among rural communities. At CTA, Giacomo coordinates Web 2.0 and social media capacity building, and Participatory GIS (PGIS) initiatives.

Soure: Agritools project

Use of Participatory 3D Modelling for the development of community-based Disaster Risk Reduction plans close to active volcanoes

The MIA-VITA EU-funded project has been executed by a consortium including a large number of highly regarded institutions to develop tools and integrated cost effective methodologies to mitigate risks from various hazards on active volcanoes, including prevention, crisis management and recovering.

Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM) exercises were accomplished in 2011 in some villages in the nearhood of Fogo in Cape Verde, Merapi in Indonesia and Kanlaon in the Philippines.

According to the researchers the P3DM methodology emphasized the factors of vulnerability on the 3 volcanoes, but also enhanced some opportunities, e.g. at Fogo: diversity of activities, strong local knowledge of risk, experience and safe remittances, permanent volcano monitoring contingency plan. The stakeholders expressed their wish for a more bottom-up way of managing risks and resources within the Natural Parc of Fogo through the use of P3DM.

P3DM activities at Kanlaon

At Merapi in Indonesia, the P3DM allowed local people to outline the evacuation routes that they used during the 2010 volcanic crisis, as well as their starting point and final destination. These results have been be mapped and stored on a GIS database. Preliminary results have emphasized some discrepancies between the official evacuation roads and the routes taken by the local community. In addition, a dialogue between the local people and the volcanologists allowed assessing the perception of the local people on the lahar occurrence and lahar pass ways.

Researchers concluded that participatory 3D maps greatly help in making disaster risk assessment faster and efficient. The participants were able to assess their own vulnerabilities and capacities in the face of different natural hazards which were plotted on the physical 3D models. The results of risk assessment were eventually used as input during the disaster risk reduction (DRR) action planning phase. These activities were all facilitated by the local authorities and local people with limited input from outsiders (CNRS and local Authorities). Project management considers this as an indication of success in empowering the local people and authorities via participatory methods.

All the P3DM models bridge the gap between local people and authorities. The models form the basis of an effective DRR action planning, crisis management and evacuation (e.g. drill at Kanlaon). They serve as a reminder to the local people of the risk of disasters and their vulnerabilities and capacities.

In Kanalon a local contingency plan for volcanic hazards has been completed  and a functional Barangay (village) Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council have been established. The body ensures a proper allocation of the local budget for disaster preparedness.

Source: http://goo.gl/0f9VRh

Further reading: Estuning Tyas Wulan Mei, Delphine Grancher, and Franck Lavigne. 2012. People’s Vulnerability, Capacity, Response and Resilience during the2010 Merapi eruption at local level. Paper presented at the International Scientific Conference on Integrated Approaches for Volcanic Risk Management, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. 11- 12 September 2012

Note: The MIAVITA project has been financed by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, Area “Environment”, Activity 6.1 “Climate Change, Pollution and Risks"

Participatory 3D Mapping: community led planning in Papua New Guinea

Participatory Three Dimensional Mapping (P3DM): A tool for community-led "bottom-up" planning. In March 2015, communities in Bundrou Island, Papua New Guinea gathered to use P3DM to develop a vision of their future and to inform government planning and policy makers.

Samoan villages get involved in climate change modelling

During the first week of March the Samoa Tourism Authority (STA) hosted a Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM) workshop with technical guidance provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE). The workshop is a part of the 'Enhancing the resilience of tourism reliant communities to Climate Change risks '- project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through  the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project targets small tourism operators in six Tourism Development Areas (TDA) in Upolu and Savai’i. The areas covered by the project and where 3D models have been and will be made include Manono-tai, Lalomanu and Saleapaga; Sataoa and Saanapu; Lano and Manase; Falealupo and Satuiatua; and Fa’ala and Vailoa, Palauli.

The objective of the project is to enhance the resilience of tourism-reliant communities to climate change risks by integrating climate change considerations into development policy and instruments, and Investing In adaptation actions supporting tourism-reliant communities.

1;10000 scale Participatory 3D Model of
Manono Island, Samoa

During the workshop representatives from local tourism-reliant communities built a three dimensional representation of their area. In the process they were be able to appreciate the impact that climate change might have from the ridges to the reefs and to plan out how best to improve the resilience of small tourism operators and the surrounding villages.

"This Innovative approach has been proven very positive for the systematic involvement of communities towards a more resilient planning of their territory," said Lizbeth Cullity, UNDP Resident Representative.

Some community participants posing around the completed 3D
model of Manono Island, Samoa

A similar workshop was held in the island of Manono one week before with great success. Sara Ferrandi, UNDP focal point for the project said, "The strong engagement of young people in the construction, as well as the contribution of women and elderly representatives with their understanding of their territory and traditional knowledge, were remarkable. This participatory process allowed the communities in Manono to combine map interpretation with open discussion on land use planning scenarios".

Products used during the workshops included cardboard, paint and map pins representing natural land use and cover, households and other relevant features of villages and the landscape in general.

The construction of these 3D models also represented a learning opportunity for Government officials, and will generated valuable information for other projects in Samoa and in the Pacific region once digitized. In addition it helped the communities to visualize how the land and seascape might change in the near future, especially with the changes that the country and the tourism sector will undergo due to climate change and extreme weather conditions.

As STA’s project coordinator, Ms  Amiafolau Alamasaga said: "The protect has helped us create a helpful tool to help the communities and business owners consider climate change Into their daily business in the tourism reliant areas and communities." Other participatory three-dimensional models will be built next week with representatives from the communities on the island as two models were made for Upolu this week.

Credits:
Text: adapted from an article by Anja Marcussen published on the www.samoaobserver.ws .
Images: courtesy Samoa Tourism Authority (STA)

Further information: Watch the presentation ‘Participatory data’ and the formulation of Tourism Development Area Management Plans in Samoa delivered by Ms Amiaifolau Afamasaga Luatua from the Samoan Tourism Authority during the Agribusiness Forum which took place in Nadi, Fiji on 1-3 July 2015.

1st Participatory 3D Modeling in Madagascar

This 5 minute video documents the 1st Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM) exercise in Madagascar, specifically with communities residing within the  Avaratrambolo Watershed, a few hour drive from the capital city Antananarivo. The event took place at the beginning of February 2015.


More information on the event are found in this blogpost.

Participatory 3D modelling in Madagascar: a major first

Located 35 km from the capital Antananarivo, Avaratrambolo water catchment, which has three fokontany (a traditional Madagascan village or a group of villages): Avaratrambolo, Ampahitrizina and Ambohitrakely, is in the rural commune of Ambohitrolomahitsy. It covers an area of more than 13 km². The agro-climatic and socio-economic characteristics of the water catchment are typical of the central region of Madagascar, which is characterised by high plateaux.

A rural development project called Ndao Hivoatra ("Let's move towards change") is being implemented in the three fokontany. It is funded by the World Bank through the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) and is run by Artelia Madagascar with technical support provided by Farming and Technology for Africa (FTA), as well as scientific support provided by the National Centre of Applied Research for Rural Development (FOFIFA).

The chief of the Commune illustrating the 3D model to
government authorities and members of the local communities

To stimulate community participation, the project management team opted for a new, more participatory approach that had been tested in other countries – participatory 3D modelling (P3DM) – a first for Madagascar. The P3DM exercise took place from 3 to 13 February 2015, with the active participation of residents of the three fokontany, project staff, local co-facilitators, various non-governmental organisations (NGO) and two experienced facilitators from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The latter were supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). The exercise comprised three distinct phases: construction of the model, development of the map legend and development of the model using data based on mental recollections of the residents. The model covers a total land area of 2,304 ha; it is on a scale of 1:3,000 (1 cm on the model corresponding to 30 m on the ground) and measures 1.6 m on each side.

The first phase required precise work: i.e. each action that was taken demanded the greatest attention to detail. This manual work was the responsibility of 20 volunteer students from the public primary school in Avaratrambolo and the Ampahitrizina general secondary school under the guidance of the facilitators from DRC, local co-facilitators, project staff and NGO representatives. It was completed in just two days thanks to the enthusiasm of the pupils and the motivation of the facilitators. Avatrambolo community and mapThe second phase centred on the elaboration of the map legend and how to visualise legend items on the model. This phase was completed in one day through close collaboration between representatives of the three fokontany and external stakeholders. The final phase involved the population of the 3D model, a task that required detailed knowledge of the local agro-ecological environment. This phase involved the active participation of the local population; men, women, young people, elders and leaders were all involved in the task. In other words, it demonstrated the effectiveness of the participatory approach as most of the community came together to identify and depict the land and its characteristics on the map according to the previously defined legend; this was completed without the intervention of experts and facilitators.



During the process, the local community mumbled doubts as to whether the map could have any use for them. Once the 3D map was completed, their first observation was that their rice fields covered only a small part of the area, which left them a much larger area available for farming. The second observation gave rise to problems related to land tenure, an issue which is high on the national agenda. Certain participants were persuaded that, thanks to this tool, this issue would be addressed by a discussion around the model with land agents. The third was in relation to the water network; project staff noted that the area is rich in water, and that the efficient management of this resource was essential, which is one of the project's objectives. Once completed, the 3D model was unveiled to the general public, including children to adults and even those who were not local to the area.



In conclusion, this first P3DM exercise has been a success, as project implementers have been receiving requests for its replication since its presentation. It demonstrates the essence of the participatory approach, as during all of the phases the active participation of different groups of the local communities, with no concern for social status, circumstances or gender was visible. In other words, the discrimination barrier was removed. We can therefore be confident that this exercise will not stop here. It is only the first in a series of such operations, as this participatory tool has demonstrated its power and richness at all levels of rural society.

Below is a short interviews with the lead facilitator, Mr Barthélemy Boika Mahambi.


Dominique Bikaba from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) attended the exercise as observer and co-facilitator. He is now in the process of organising a similar exercise in his country.



Written by Christian Andrianarison Sitraka and Sarobidy Hasimbola Razanajatovo Tsilavo

Reproduire le processus en République démocratique du Congo - La modélisation participative en trois dimensions à Madagascar : une grande première -

La narration des co-facilitateurs locaux publiée le 25 mars 2015 a été enrichie, le 19 mai 2015, avec la publication d'un article d'opinion écrit par un observateur venu de la République démocratique du Congo sous l'invitation du Centre technique de coopération agricole et rurale (CTA).

Ecrit par Dominique Bikaba, Strong Roots Congo

La Modélisation participative en trois dimensions (MP3D) a déjà démontré, à travers plusieurs pays, un potentiel non négligeable quand il s’agit de mobiliser des communautés pour qu’elles planifient et gèrent de façon participative le territoire où elles habitent et les ressources naturelles qui les entourent. A Madagascar, le tout premier exercice de MP3D a eu lieu en février 2015, notamment dans le bassin versant d’Avaratrambolo.

L’exercice était conduit dans une zone rurale et agricole à plus ou moins 35 km de la capitale malgache, Antananarivo. La population de cette zone située dans la partie septentrionale de l’ile ne vit que de l’agriculture rizicole, avec un faible pouvoir d’achat et d’accès aux marchés. Le paysage rural est dominé par des terrasses de cultures rizicoles, certaines portions de plantations sylvicoles et un petit reliquat de forêt naturelle. La zone est aussi importante car elle constitue un bastion de sources des principales rivières de la région.

L’exercice de modélisation participative a eu lieu dans le cadre d’un projet de promotion agricole et de captage de l’eau potable intitulé « Allons vers une évolution », soit Ndao Hivoatra en langue malgache. Ce projet, qui a mobilisé plusieurs partenaires locaux, nationaux et internationaux dans cette partie de Madagascar, revêt une connotation particulière pour les communautés locales.

L’implémentation du projet de développement rural se déroule dans trois villages, avec le financement de la Banque Mondiale via l'Association pour le Renforcement de la Recherche Agricole en Afrique Orientale et Centrale (ASARECA) est sous la responsabilité d’Artelia Madagascar avec l’appui technique de Farming and Technology for Africa (FTA) et le Centre national de la recherche appliquée au développement rural (FOFIFA) comme partenaire scientifique. L'exercice de MP3D représente une composante ponctuelle du projet, qui compte avec le soutien technique et financier du Centre technique de coopération agricole et rurale (CTA).

Comme dans plusieurs zones en Afrique, les questions foncières sont très sensibles dans cette région. C’est ainsi qu’on explique que, en général, des communautés locales puissent être moins participatives aux multiples projets de développement rural dans le milieu. L’exercice MP3D au Madagascar a contribué sensiblement à briser les barrières liées aux sensibilités foncières de ce projet. Comme pour les projets précédents dans la zone, le projet Ndao hivoatra était sous-entendu par les communautés rurales comme une astuce de l’accaparement des terres ancestrales au profit de certaines multinationales qui se font passer pour promoteurs du développement rural dans des zones reculées en Afrique. Quand bien même, la question de la cartographie était comprise par les communautés bénéficiaires comme un moyen d’identifier les terres propices pour cette allégation d’accaparement, malgré les multiples séances de sensibilisations des facilitateurs locaux qui ont précédé l’exercice de MP3D dans le village d’Ambohitrakely.

La première phase de l’exercice prévoyait la construction de la maquette de MP3D. Cette étape était précédée par un atelier regroupant les facilitateurs locaux et internationaux venus de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC), ainsi que les représentants des institutions impliquées dans le projet Ndao hivoatra pour donner l’ossature de l’exercice et pour identifier les préalables matériels, logistiques et de participation communautaire dans la zone du projet. C’est lors de cet atelier qu’une compréhension commune sur l’ampleur du projet de la maquette s’est dessinée.

La première visite des facilitateurs au village d’Ambohitrakely s’est déroulée sous une pluie torrentielle dans une zone érodée et moins praticable. Cette visite visait à mobiliser particulièrement les enfants écoliers pour contribuer aux travaux de traçage et de découpage des couches de la maquette, après avoir réuni au site tous les matériels requis. Le travail des enfants sur la maquette a suscité la bonne curiosité de leurs parents. Progressivement, les parents des enfants et beaucoup d’autres habitants des villages du bassin versant d’Avaratrambolo se sont mobilisés pour contribuer à la construction de la maquette. Madagascar MP3D

Le 13 février 2015, lors de son exposition officielle, la maquette a réuni dans le village d’Ambohitrakely des représentants de différents ministères en charge des affaires foncières et du développement rural, des chercheurs et des représentants des acteurs de développement intervenant dans la zone, les autorités locales, religieuses et coutumières, ainsi que toutes les couches sociales de la population qui initialement semblaient participer timidement au projet Ndao Hivoatra suite à sa sensibilité liée aux questions foncières. La maquette s’est avérée donc un élément réconciliateur avec le projet. La participation active des communautés locales du bassin versant dans la construction de la maquette et, particulièrement, dans la capture des données géo-spatiales de la zone, a notablement accru la confiance du chef des bénéficiaires. Il faut savoir que la maquette appartient aux communautés locales en tant qu’outil pour orienter les travaux du projet Ndao Hivoatra.

La maquette de MP3D se veut donc un outil puissant de planification, de gestion et d’aménagement foncier et forestier. Le succès de cet exercice à Madagascar a suscité l’utilité de l’étendre dans d’autres régions en Afrique. Par exemple, l’exercice pourrait être répliqué dans l’est de la RDC, où le processus de gouvernance et de gestion des forêts communautaires poursuit son parcours. Après la publication du Décret No 14/018 du 02 août 2014 fixant les modalités d’attribution des concessions forestières aux communautés locales en RDC, celles-ci et les peuples autochtones qu’elles regroupent, nécessitent cet outil pour les zonages de leurs territoires ancestraux au profit des projets de conservation et de développement durable dans la région. La création et le fonctionnement des forêts communautaires, ainsi que la reconnaissance des Aires et territoires du patrimoine autochtone et communautaire (APACs) en RDC est un processus qui requiert non seulement la passation d’une législation y afférente, mais aussi et surtout, d’un engagement déterminant des autres parties prenantes. Sans l’accompagnement de cette initiative par les autres acteurs techniques, scientifiques et financiers, la bonne volonté du gouvernement de la RDC pourra difficilement se réaliser.

Note de l'auteur : Le succès de cette modélisation participative en 3 dimensions revêt aussi les qualités et les compétences de l’expert en MP3D et facilitateur de cet exercice cartographie participative  à Madagascar, Barthelemy Boika, qui a démontré ses talents d’éducateur et de mobilisateur communautaire tout au long de l’exercice dans le bassin versant d’Avaratrambolo. Nos remerciements s’adressent également au Centre technique de coopération agricole et rurale (CTA) pour l’appui technique et financier à ce projet de MP3D à Madagascar.

Regardez l'entretien vidéo avec M. Dominique Bikaba, directeur de Strong Roots Congo. Le CTA invita Dominique à participer à l'exercice de façon à l'exposer à la pratique de MP3D et ainsi faciliter la reproduction de l'exercice dans le bassin du Congo.

Commentaires de Dominique Bikaba sur sa participation à un exercice de MP3D à Madagascar from CTA on Vimeo.

Eagle-cam: Incredible POV shot as bird descends from world's tallest building

New frontiers of participatory mapping?

The eagle has landed! And what a journey it was. Watch as Darshan soars above the Dubai sky, capturing stunning views of the world beneath his wings. This Imperial Eagle has broken a world record by flying from the top of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa It was set up by conservation group Freedom Conservation, in order to raise awareness of the plight of the endangered bird of prey. Eagle-cam foogtage courtesy of Freedom Conservation

Données participatives

La modélisation participative en trois dimensions est un outil communautaire qui s'appuie sur le savoir autochtone local à des fins multiples, comme la planification de l’utilisation des sols, la gestion de bassins hydrologiques, la prévention contre les catastrophes, la communication et la sensibilisation.

Contribution d’une femme à la production de données pour
le modèle  3D (Villages de Telecho et Oromia en Ethiopie, 2010)

La modélisation participative en 3D (MP3D) est un outil communautaire, qui peut tout aussi bien être défini comme un « processus », qui intègre des connaissances spatiales locales et des données sur l'élévation du terrain et la profondeur des mers pour générer un modèle physique. Les communautés locales participent à la modélisation du territoire dont dépendent leur subsistance et leurs pratiques culturelles. Les données générées par le processus de MP3D sont extrêmement variées, mais pour l'essentiel, elles sont pertinentes pour les détenteurs du savoir local (couverture des sols, utilisation des sols et infrastructure, etc.) et sont étroitement liées à la culture d'un peuple donné, à ses sites sacrés, à ses cimetières.

La MP3D est déjà utilisée dans de nombreuses situations : la revendication de la propriété d'un territoire, le transfert de connaissances intergénérationnel et la gestion des conflits. Elle a récemment pris son essor dans la région Pacifique, permettant à la population des petits pays insulaires, où la montée du niveau de la mer menace les moyens de subsistance de nombreuses personnes, à prendre des décisions informées pour une gestion optimale des risques et une adaptation au changement climatique. 

Origines de la MP3D

La MP3D a d'abord été utilisée à la fin des années 1980 en Thaïlande afin de montrer où le Département royal des forêts développait des plantations dans le cadre de la réhabilitation de bassins versants. Il s'agissait alors d'un outil de démonstration axé sur la conservation, et non d'un outil participatif. Madame Uraivan Tan-Kim-Yong, docteur en anthropologie à l'université de Chiang Mai, dirigeait alors un programme de recherche faisant participer des tribus vivant dans les montagnes. Elle invitait ses élèves à fabriquer de petites maquettes en polystyrène et à les apporter dans les villages pour discuter de la conservation des sols et des problèmes liés à l'érosion. 

Ces modèles ont démontré leur utilité et ont fini par attirer l'attention d'autres protagonistes qui ont commencé à développer et à déployer le processus de MP3D. Le Programme germano-thaï de développement des régions montagneuses (TG-HDP) (1981-1998), financé par l'Agence de coopération technique allemande, était l'un des premiers à adopter de cet outil [1]. Pour la première fois, les modèles 3D ont commencé à être utilisés dans les villages et de façon participative. Ils ont commencé à évoluer d'un outil de démonstration à un outil d'éducation, pour finalement devenir un outil de planification. En 1993, un atelier a eu lieu en Thaïlande, où ont assisté plusieurs ONG d'Asie du Sud-Est. Des organisations telles que l'Association philippine pour le développement interculturel (PAFID) et le Forum écologique des Visayas occidentales ont commencé à adopter la MP3D et à l'utiliser avec les populations autochtones. Les modèles les ont aidés à répondre à la demande de minorités tribales de générer un grand nombre de données prouvant leur occupation ancestrale des terres et de l'eau afin d'obtenir les droits coutumiers d'occupation et d'usage reconnus par le Gouvernement. Au fil des années, la MP3D a profité de la créativité des nombreux utilisateurs qui ont pris part au processus. 

Défis initiaux  

Toutes les nouvelles technologies se heurtent à des difficultés lors de leur mise en œuvre. Avec la MP3D, le premier défi est la disponibilité de modèles numériques d'élévation (MNE) suffisamment détaillés, à jour et précis.

De personnes âgées discutant des caractéristiques d’une carte sous
le regard et l’écoute attentifs de jeunes.  (Villages de Telecho et
Oromia en Ethiopie, 2010)

Par exemple, certains MNE ont été produits il y a plusieurs décennies. Or, si un modèle vierge est élaboré sur la base d'un modèle d'élévation obsolète, les dépositaires de savoir pourront signaler le changement de caractéristiques topographiques, comme l'érosion d'un littoral, la modification du cours d'une rivière ou la transformation d'une côte en raison d'un glissement de terrain. Une fois le problème du MNE résolu, les détenteurs du savoir local renseignent le modèle et y partagent et visualisent leurs connaissances spatiales. Les habitants s'amusent beaucoup à faire ce genre d'exercice, qui de surcroît est très gratifiant. 

Appliquer la MP3D pour cartographier des zones étendues, comme par exemple un pays entier, constitue un autre défi. La MP3D requiert une préparation et une logistique considérables. Par conséquent, l'outil est fréquemment déployé dans des points chauds ou des régions sensibles. Dans les petits états insulaires, c'est un outil utile pour cartographier les paysages terrestres et marins, et, à terme, de vastes régions voire un pays entier. 

Dans certains pays, l'utilisation de la MP3D a eu un impact indéniable sur la politique. Aux Philippines, le gouvernement a adopté le processus dans de nombreux de contextes allant de la résolution des conflits à l'attribution de la propriété foncière et maritime aux autochtones. En 2001, le ministre de l'Environnement et des Ressources naturelles a signé une circulaire administrative recommandant l'utilisation de la MP3D dans la « planification des zones protégées et la gestion durable des ressources naturelle » [2]. À compter de novembre 2014, 165 modèles fournissant des données fondamentales pour le processus d'élaboration de politiques ont été réalisés dans les Philippines. Autre cas plus récent, le gouvernement du Samoa a adopté le processus dans le cadre de l'adaptation au changement climatique et de la gestion des risques axée sur la communauté. 

Au niveau international, la MP3D a été recommandée par le CTA, le PNUD, le FIDA, le FEM, l'UNESCO et plus récemment par l'UICN dans le cadre de la « promesse de Sydney » de 2014. 

Du support physique au support numérique  

Il est important de définir où les modèles 3D sont stockés, qui est responsable de leur conservation, de leur usage et de leur mise à jour. Un modèle est inutile s'il est enfermé dans une pièce inaccessible ou si on le place dans une vitrine et que l'on en fait une pièce de musée. Les modèles doivent faire partie de la vie de tous les jours. Ils servent à enseigner la géographie et l'histoire du territoire aux enfants. Cela est vrai pour les modèles physiques qui se trouvent généralement sous le contrôle direct des détenteurs du savoir. Leur représentation numérique, en revanche, suit une tout autre voie et ses dépositaires sont généralement différents. 

Une fois que les données passent du support physique au support numérique, il existe un risque de mauvaise utilisation ou de partage involontaire. Il est essentiel que les intermédiaires désignés comme les dépositaires des données soient une entité fiable et digne de confiance qui protégera ces données et répondra aux souhaits de la communauté lorsqu'il s'agira de les partager. La confiance et l'éthique jouent ici un rôle important. Les personnes qui effectuent des travaux de recherche extraient parfois des données et pourraient ignorer le fait que le processus de cartographie devrait d'abord et avant tout profiter aux détenteurs du savoir. Des individus sans scrupule pourraient entraîner d'autres personnes à partager les données afin de les exploiter. La MP3D suppose un niveau d'éthique élevé et une relation de confiance entre les différents acteurs, à savoir, les détenteurs du savoir et les intermédiaires/facilitateurs maîtrisant les technologies. 

En 2006, la communauté d'utilisateurs se consacrant à la pratique des SIG participatifs a mis au point une directive [3] sur l'éthique pratique destinée aux utilisateurs des SIGP, les facilitateurs, les intermédiaires technologiques et les chercheurs afin d'encourager l'adoption de bonnes pratiques. Elle a été publiée en 12 langues et régit le comportement des personnes impliquées dans les processus de génération, de traitement, de stockage et de partage des données en cartographie participative. Le code recommande que les détenteurs du savoir gardent le contrôle total tout au long du processus et que les données soient rassemblées, puis partagées avec leur consentement libre et éclairé. 

En majorité, les données de la MP3D ont été bien protégées. Toutefois, il est arrivé que des données entrées dans un modèle soient mal utilisées. En Asie du Sud-Est, on rapporte que des tombes situées sur un modèle 3D ont été pillées parce ces données n'avaient pas été retirées et avaient été laissées accessibles au public. Par conséquent, il est important de sensibiliser les gens sur les implications de la géolocalisation des données sensibles et leur diffusion au public. Ils peuvent alors décider ce qu'ils peuvent visualiser, ce qu'ils veulent abandonner ou effacer du modèle. 

Un des composants les plus importants du processus de MP3D est l'implication d'agences externes depuis le tout début. Cette implication peut sensibiliser les personnes extérieures à la profondeur, à la précision et à la pertinence des savoirs locaux. Elle peut également susciter un nouveau sentiment de respect pour les détenteurs du savoir local. 

Références   

[1] P3DM for Participatory Land Use Planning (PLUP) in Thailand, Integrated Approaches to Participatory Development (IAPAD). 

[2] Participatory 3-Dimensional Modelling as a Strategy in Protected Area Planning and Sustainable Natural Resources Management.Memorandum, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Republic of the Philippines, Integrated Approaches to Participatory Development (IAPAD). 

[3] Rambaldi,G., Chambers, R., MCcall M. And Fox, J. (2006) Practical ethics for PGIS practitioners, facilitators, technology intermediaries and researchers, Participatory Learning and Action, 54, IIED (April) 106-113. 

Pour entrer en contact avec la communauté SIGP, vous pouvez vous inscrire à la liste électronique de discussion. C'est le meilleur moyen pour se tenir au courant de ce qui passe dans le domaine SIGP ainsi que pour poser des questions et partager des opinions. La liste global francophone compte environ un millier de membres. La liste propose également des rubriques pour l'échange en anglais, en français et en portugais. Pour s'inscrire et en savoir davantage, veuillez visiter le site http://www.ppgis.net 

Participatory Data

Participatory 3D modelling (P3DM) is a community-based tool that builds on local and indigenous knowledge for a variety of purposes, such as land use planning, watershed management, disaster prevention, communication and advocacy.  

Participatory 3D modelling (P3DM) is a community-based tool – better defined as a ‘process’ – that integrates local spatial knowledge with data on land elevation and sea depth to produce a physical model. Local communities participate in the model building of the territory that they rely on for their livelihoods and cultural practices. The kind of data that the P3DM process generates are extremely diverse, but essentially it are data that are relevant for local knowledge holders: from land cover and land use to infrastructure – all of which are intimately related to a given people’s culture, their sacred sites, and burial grounds.

Local knowledge holders may be interested in sharing data, but there may also be data that they may consider private and sensitive. However, they may like to locate and document this data solely for their internal use. They may wish to maintain strategic control over the information that is shared, how it is released and to whom.

P3DM has already been used in a variety of contexts: claim land ownership, transfer knowledge across generations, and manage conflicts. It has recently started to take off in the Pacific region, enabling people in small island countries – where rising sea levels are posing a serious risk to many people’s livelihoods – to take informed decisions about how best to manage risk and adapt to climate change.

Origins of P3DM  

P3DM was initially used in the late 1980s in Thailand, to demonstrate where the Royal Forestry Department was developing plantations for catchment rehabilitation. As such it was a conservation-based demonstration tool, not a participatory tool. Dr Uraivan Tan-Kim-Yong, an anthropologist at Chiang Mai University, was running a research programme involving hill tribe people. She invited her students to make small Styrofoam models and bring them to the villages to discuss soil conservation and soil erosion issues.

These models proved useful and eventually drew the attention of other parties, who began to develop and deploy the P3DM process. The Thai-German Highland Development Programme (TG-HDP) (1981-1998) funded by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation was on the forefront in making use of the tool [1]. For the first time the 3D models began to be used on a village-to-village basis and in a participatory manner. 3D models started to shift from being a demonstration tool to an education tool, and finally a planning tool. In 1993, a workshop was held in Thailand attended by several NGOs from Southeast Asia. Organisations such as the Philippine Association for Intercultural Development (PAFID) and Green Forum Western Visayas began to embrace P3DM and started using it with indigenous people. It enabled them to address the demand coming from tribal minority groups to generate a great deal of data to prove their ancestral occupancy of land and waters in order to get their customary rights of tenure and use recognised by the government. Over the years, P3DM has benefited from the creativity of the many practitioners who have been engaged in the process.

Initial challenges  

All new technologies face implementation challenges. With P3DM, the initial one is posed by the availability of sufficiently detailed, up-to-date and accurate digital elevation models (DEMs). For example, some DEMs were produced decades ago. So if a blank model is constructed based on an obsolete elevation model, knowledge holders may point out landscape features that have changed, such as an eroded coastline, a mutated river’s course or slope that was altered by a landslide. Once the DEM issue is solved, the model is populated by local knowledge holders, where they share and visualise their spatial knowledge. People have a lot of fun doing this kind of exercise and get a great deal of gratification from it.

Another challenge is the difficulty of applying P3DM to map out large areas, such as an entire country. P3DM requires substantial preparation and logistics. As a result, the tool is often deployed in hotspots, or critical areas. In small island countries it is a useful tool used to map land and seascapes, and eventually large parts of an entire country.

In certain countries the use of P3DM has had a definite impact on policy. In the Philippines, the government has adopted the process in many different contexts, from conflict resolution to awarding indigenous tenure on land and water. In 2001 the minister of the environment and natural resources signed a memorandum circular that recommends the use of P3DM in “protected area planning and sustainable natural resource management” [2]. As of November 2014, in the Philippines 165 models were made that provided critical data for policy making. Samoa is a more recent case where the government has embraced the process in the context of climate change adaptation and community-based risk management.

At international levels, P3DM has been cited as a recommended process by CTA, UNDP, IFAD, GEF, UNESCO and more recently by IUCN in the context of the 2014 “Promise of Sydney”.

From physical to digital  

Custodianship of the 3D model is important to determine where the models are stored and who is responsible for their conservation, use and updating. A model is useless if it is locked up in a room where people cannot access it, or if it is stored under a glass cover and becomes a museum piece. The models have to be part of everyday life. They are used to educate children about local geography and history. This is true of physical models which are usually under the direct control of the knowledge holders. However, their digital representation follows a different path and has usually different custodians.

Once the data goes from physical to digital there is a risk that it will be misused or unwittingly shared. It is crucial that the intermediaries appointed as custodians of the data, are a trusted and reliable entity that will protect the data and respond to the community’s wishes in terms of data sharing. Trust and ethics play an important role in this. Research work may be extractive and could fail to consider that the mapping process should first and foremost benefit the knowledge holders. Unscrupulous individuals may entice people to share data to exploit resources. P3DM implies that a high level of ethics is applied and trust established between the actors involved: the knowledge holders and the technology intermediaries / facilitators.

In 2006 the community of practitioners focusing on Participatory GIS practice has developed a guideline [3] on practical ethics for PGIS practitioners, facilitators, technology intermediaries and researchers to stimulate the adoption of good practice. It has been published in 12 languages and governs the way people doing participatory mapping should behave in the process of generating, handling, storing and sharing data. The code recommends that knowledge holders remain in full control throughout the process and that data are gathered and eventually shared with their free prior informed consent (FPIC).

For the most part, P3DM data have been well protected. But there have been cases where data entered into a model were misused. In South-East Asia, there are accounts that graveyards located on a 3D model were plundered because such data were not removed and left accessible to the public. Therefore, it is important to make people aware of the implications of geo-locating sensitive data and making it public. They can then decide what to visualise, what to leave or remove from the model.

One of the most important components of a P3DM process is to involve external agencies from the very beginning. This can raise awareness among “outsiders” about the depth, accuracy and relevance of local knowledge. This may induce a new sense of esteem for local knowledge holders.

References   

[1] P3DM for Participatory Land Use Planning (PLUP) in Thailand, Integrated Approaches to Participatory Development (IAPAD).
[2] Participatory 3-Dimensional Modelling as a Strategy in Protected Area Planning and Sustainable Natural Resources Management. Memorandum, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Republic of the Philippines, Integrated Approaches to Participatory Development (IAPAD).
[3] Rambaldi,G., Chambers, R., MCcall M. And Fox, J. (2006) Practical ethics for PGIS practitioners, facilitators, technology intermediaries and researchers, Participatory Learning and Action, 54, IIED (April) 106-113.

Related links  

• IAPAD.ORG: Main website for Participatory 3D Modelling (P3DM)  
• Largest online library on participatory mapping practice (gray literature)  
• Participatory 3-Dimensional Modelling: Guiding Principles and Applications; 2010 edition  
• Google Map showing the locations where P3DM has been implemented – non exhaustive list  
• www.facebook.com/PPGIS
• PGIS video collection in English
• PGIS video collection in French
• https://twitter.com/ppgis  
• https://twitter.com/PGISatCTA  
• LinkedIn group of professionals interested in PGIS /PPGIS
• Training Kit on participatory mapping practice
• www.ppgis.net Gateway to get in touch with the wider PGIS community. Here you may register on the PGIS discussion list. That's the best channel for being updated on PGIS-related matters and where to post questions and share opinions. The global (English) list has ~3000 members. There are also independent chapters exchanging in French, Spanish and Portuguese.

La modélisation participative en trois dimensions à Madagascar : une grande première

Situé à 35 km de la capitale Antananarivo, le bassin versant d’Avaratrambola qui inclue trois fokontany (village traditionnel malgache) dont Avaratrambolo, Ampahitrizina et Ambohitrakely, appartient à la commune rurale d’Ambohitrolomahitsy. Elle couvre une superficie de plus de 13 km². Les caractéristiques agro-climatiques et socio-économiques du bassin versant sont typiques de la région centrale du Madagascar, qui est formé par des hauts-plateaux. Dans le cadre du développement rural, un projet appelé Ndao Hivoatra qui signifie « Allons vers une évolution » a été appliqué aux trois fokontany cités précédemment. L’implémentation du projet financé par la Banque Mondiale via l'Association pour le Renforcement de la Recherche Agricole en Afrique Orientale et Centrale (ASARECA) est sous la responsabilité d’Artelia Madagascar avec l’appui technique de Farming and Technology for Africa (FTA) et le Centre national de la recherche appliquée au développement rural (FOFIFA) comme partenaire scientifique.

Pour stimuler la participation de la communauté, l’équipe de gestion du projet a opté pour une nouvelle approche, plus participative et ayant déjà fait ses preuves dans divers pays : la modélisation participative en trois dimensions ou MP3D, une première à Madagascar. Cet exercice de cartographie participative a eu lieu du 3 au 13 Février 2015 avec la participation active des habitants des trois fokontany, des techniciens affectés au projet, des co-facilitateurs locaux, des représentants de diverses Organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) ainsi que de deux facilitateurs expérimentés venus de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC). La présence de ces derniers était soutenue par le Centre technique de coopération agricole et rurale (CTA). L’exercice s’est effectué en trois grandes étapes biens distinctes : la construction de la maquette, l’élaboration de la légende de la maquette et la mise en place de la maquette sur la base des données générées à partir des souvenirs des résidents. La maquette, élaborée à l’échelle 1 : 3000 (1 cm sur la maquette correspond à 30 m sur le terrain), couvre une surface totale de 2,304 ha et mesure exactement 1,6 m de chaque côté.

La première étape exigea un travail de précision. Chaque action devait être entreprise avec un maximum de méticulosité. On laissa ce travail de bricolage aux petits soins d’une vingtaine d’élèves bénévoles, issus de l’école primaire publique d’Avaratrambolo et du collège d’enseignement général d’Ampahitrizina avec l’encadrement des facilitateurs congolais, des co-facilitateurs locaux, des techniciens affectés au projet et des représentants des ONG. Cette étape se déroula en deux jours avec l’enthousiasme des élèves et le dynamisme des facilitateurs.

Dans la deuxième étape, il fallait élaborer la légende de la carte et définir la façon de la visualiser sur la maquette. Complétée en un jour, cette phase témoigna l’étroite collaboration entre les représentants des trois fokontany et les intervenants externes. Pour finir, l’étape du remplissage de la maquette se présenta. Ce travail exigeait une parfaite connaissance du milieu agro-écologique local. Cette étape vit une participation active et disparate de la population locale : hommes, femmes, jeunes, personnes âgées et dirigeants s’impliquèrent dans la tâche. En d’autres termes, elle démontra l’efficacité de l’approche participative, car presque la totalité de la communauté locale était réunie autour de la carte pour essayer d’identifier ses terres et ses caractéristiques suivant la légende définie préalablement ; tout cela sans l’intervention des experts ni des facilitateurs.

Durant le processus, la communauté se posait à voix basse la question « à quoi servira cette carte pour nous? ». Dès que la carte fut achevée, le premier constat de la population locale fut que leur rizière ne couvrait qu’une petite partie de la maquette, d’où la conclusion que l’exploitation d’une plus grande surface est envisageable. Le second constat souleva des problèmes liés au régime foncier, une préoccupation prioritaire dans l’approche nationale du développement. Certains participants furent de l’avis que, grâce à cet outil, ces problèmes pouvaient être résolus à l’aide d’une discussion autour de la maquette avec les responsables du foncier. La troisième observation était en rapport avec le réseau hydrique ; les techniciens affectés au projet remarquèrent que le milieu est riche en eau, donc la gestion efficace de cette dernière doit être primordiale ; ceci est d’ailleurs un des objectifs du projet. Une fois achevée, la maquette fut alors dévoilée au grand public : des enfants aux adultes, et même à ceux qui étaient étrangers au milieu.

Pour conclure, ce premier exercice de MP3D fut un franc succès dans la mesure ou, dès sa présentation, les exécutants du projet ont reçu plusieurs demandes de répétition. L’exercice démontra l’essence même de l’approche participative car, durant toutes les étapes, l’on a pu observer la participation active de différents groupes représentatifs de la communauté du bassin versant, et cela sans aucune préoccupation de la situation, du niveau de vie, du genre. En somme, la barrière de la discrimination a été supprimée. Ainsi, on peut affirmer que l’exercice ne s’arrêtera pas sur ce lieu. Ce n’est que le début d’une succession d’interventions comme celle-ci, puisque cet outil a démontré sa puissance et sa richesse à tous les niveaux du milieu rural.

Ecrit par Christian Andrianarison Sitraka et Sarobidy Hasimbola Razanajatovo Tsilavo

Regardez l'entretien vidéo avec l'un des experts, M. Serge Rakotoson, lors de l'implémentation du projet.

Est qu'on arrivera à faire pareil? Serge Rakotoson réfléchit sur les défis et les résultats surprenants d'un exercice MP3D from CTA on Vimeo.

Participatory Data: Public or Private?

Participatory 3D modelling (P3DM) is a community-based process centred, which integrates local spatial knowledge with data on elevation of the land and depth of the sea to produce physical 3D models. Residents of a given area assemble a 3D model of the territory they rely on for their livelihoods and cultural practices. P3DM is used for a number of purposes and addresses a range of issues including spatial planning, land tenure, climate change adaptation, intergenerational knowledge exchange, building community identity, documenting local knowledge for advocacy purposes, and more.

P3DM has been used mostly in developing countries in rural areas. A P3DM exercise covering an area of 1000 km2 at a 1:10000-scale lasts approximately 10 days and involves 50-100 knowledge holders. The resulting 3D map stores a huge amount of geo-located data, matching a well-defined legend. The legend - developed by the local communities - includes point, line and polygon data; it reflects local and traditional knowledge of all sectors of society, including women and elders. Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) obtained, data displayed on the 3D model are imported into GIS environments and further analysed and compared with other data sets. Depending on the scale used, a P3DM exercise may generate up to 80 layers of information including land cover, resource use and tenure, social infrastructure, settlements, sites of cultural significance and more. Some data may be considered as sensitive by the knowledge holders and treated as confidential (i.e. removed from the model or stored as classified layers in a GIS). Custodians of data (usually NGOs operating on behalf of communities) should manage these according on ethical principles and agreed procedures.

P3DM works best at 1:5000 – 1:10000 scale or larger. The larger the scale (1:5000 is larger than 1:10,000), the more detailed and diversified the input of the knowledge holders will be. As a consequence, P3DM can be applied on moderately large areas (1000-4000 km2) at a time, although repeated exercises may result in the full coverage of small island nations. In countries covering large portion of the Earth, P3DM can and should be applied on selected “hot spots” to address specific issues.

As a follow-up to the 2006 “Mapping for Change” Conference which took place in Nairobi, the Community of Practice devoted to the improvement of Participatory GIS (PGIS) practice, developed guidelines on “Practical ethics for PGIS practitioners, facilitators, technology intermediaries and researchers” available 12 languages.

Data generation is part of the P3DM process, but not its end. Evidence has proved that as a result of the process, knowledge holders gain a deeper understanding of their bio-physical and social environments, heightened awareness on the importance of sound and climate-smart resource management and more. Data are usually generated to serve the process as the communities (all generations) learn by doing and to empower knowledge holders in interfacing with higher authorities.
Sharing of data is strategic and meant to serve purposes set by the knowledge holders. On the other hand the process allows for traditional and scientific knowledge systems to come together and make use of or build on the best of the two “worlds”.