Participatory mapping as a method in desertification studies

Abstract

Desertification is an environmental degradation process that affects arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid lands, and there is no universally accepted method of study. To support interventionist actions, it is essential to develop effective mapping methods that can identify areas at risk and guide the implementation of preventive and management measures. Therefore, the study aims to propose the application of participatory mapping, in the form of practical mapping and using satellite imagery, as an auxiliary method for studying areas susceptible to desertification, to mobilize communities around the environmental problem. To this end, a literature review and systematization of a method were conducted that uses as a basis the selection of desertification and situation indicators associated with participatory mapping, useful for assessing the vulnerability of areas undergoing desertification based on the knowledge of the people who live in these spaces. The proposal indicates climate, vegetation cover, soil, water resources, agricultural productivity, and rural exodus as aspects that the population perceives, identifies, and can represent cartographically.