Embedding GIS Applications into Resource Management and Planning Activities of Local and Indigenous Communities

Abstract

A rguments about Geographic Information System (GIS) development and applications have often slipped into a discourse about technological determinism. GIS proponents and critics alike argue as if the technology is independent of the society within which it is located and applied. The polarized nature of the debate has obscured the true relationships between GIS and human societies. The criticisms undermine attempts being made to transfer the technology into indigenous and local communities. The associations of GIS with tools used by the rich and powerful members in society to entrench their power also pose a great challenge to practitioners to seek alternative uses of the technology. Therefore, in recent times, GIS has increasingly been used to promote the interests of indigenous people and grassroots organizations. This GIS movement, often referred to as the Public Participation Geographic Information System (PPGIS), seeks to develop a GIS that will be "adaptable to input from regular citizens and non-official sources" (Obermeyer 1998, 65).This article reviews the GIS debate in the context of the transfer, adoption, and applications of the technology in sub-Saharan Africa. A discussion of the effects of the debate on the adoption of GIS in sub-Saharan African countries is followed by an explanation of factors that make it necessary for countries in the region to adopt and use the system. Problems associated with GIS adoption in local African communities are acknowledged, and attention is drawn to ways by which the technology could be used as a tool in the service of the communities. Finally, a case study in southern Ghana is described to demonstrate how GIS can be used by local community representatives to plan for the protection of local forest resources. AbstractGeographic Information System's (GIS's) capabilities for gathering and disseminating information have been hailed as democratizing, whereas the system is simultaneously criticized as inherently authoritarian. These contradictory characterizations of GIS permeate the current debate on transfer and applications of the technology in indigenous communities. This article reviews the debate in the context of GIS adoption in sub-Saharan Africa. A case study is presented to demonstrate how GIS can be used to assist local community representatives to plan for the protection of local forest resources. The results of the study, which was implemented at Kofiase in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, reinforce the belief that GIS can be used for the benefit of indigenous groups rather than for their disempowerment.

Science synthesis to support socioecological resilience in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range

“…For instance, there are inherent issues with applying technology such as GIS to projects involving local stakeholders; some people believe that GIS inevitably requires too much expert knowledge to be a truly bottom-up tool in land management (Bussink 2003, Dunn 2007, Kyem 2000. This concern has prompted innovation, with more easily accessible Web-based tools arising as a step toward democratization (Dunn 2007, Jankowski 2009.…”

“…Technological innovations such as microcomputers have also been crucial in bringing GIS technologies to developing countries and low-income communities (Mersey et al 2002). Another concern is that through the conversion of indigenous knowledge to spatial data, that knowledge becomes vulnerable to extraction and exploitation (Dunn 2007, Kyem 2000. Following PPGIS guidelines for good governance can help to address this problem (e.g., by recognizing intellectual property rights), as can maximizing participants' control over the data and maps produced (McLain et al 2013).…”

Geospatial Information Management: spatial is still special

“…As the name implies, PPGIS is geared to use of the technologies by a wider audience than just the `experts' (Kyem, 2000). PPGIS must, by the nature of GIS, rely upon the availability of geospatial information, be that provided to a `community' or generated from within (Harris and Weiner, 1998).…”

The development of local land information systems in the rural municipalities

“…Since the nineties comprehensive research has been conducted on the usefulness of Geographical Information Systems for local governments and their citizens [8,10,11,13,28,30]. This work resulted in the massive development of the GIS and information services.…”