Participatory Mapping of Local Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge: An Example from Switzerland

Abstract

This article is based on comparative anthropological fieldwork conducted in the Alpine region of Switzerland on sustainable environmental knowledge about natural hazards related to climate change. It examines ways to complement the normative and technological practices of risk management by using local knowledge to improve the resilience of affected communities against climate-related risks. The study shows how agricultural practices and knowledge may contribute to sustainable behavior towards nature and the environment. It explores how local environmental knowledge, perceptions, and handling strategies of climate-related risks may be integrated within a renewed concept of environmental sustainability. Participatory GIS mapping (PGIS) is the primary research method used. Based on applied visual anthropological methods, PGIS is a cartographical approach that integrates local perceptions and strategies of action drawn from interviews and participant observation. This approach enables improved communication of local knowledge and contributes to interdisciplinary cooperation between different academic fields, such as social anthropology, geography, and civil-engineering in the context of technological risk management. The approach encourages the active participation of local people in the process of sustainable risk management through the integration of cultural meanings and local knowledge about the sustainable management of sensitive natural environments.

Enhancing Citizens’ Disaster Resilience through an International Transdisciplinary Research Project in Mongolia

“…Recently, the term "participatory" has attracted much attention in DRR research aimed at improving the resilience of citizens (Inamura et al 2017;Miles 2018;Nara 2015;Okada et al 2018;Reichel and Frömming 2014;Wachinger et al 2018), which is an essential condition for disaster awareness raising among residents. Examples of successful practices in some countries and regions are introduced, while generalization of methodology to improve civic resilience is discussed.…”

Blind Spots on Achilles’ Heel: The Limitations of Vulnerability and Resilience Mapping in Research

“…The dissemination of information technology and GIS has led to a digitalization of participatory mapping and the development of participatory GIS (PGIS) or public-participation GIS (PPGIS). Such participatory approaches are used in the context of risk and vulnerability as well: Smith et al (2000), for example, applied participatory risk mapping (PRM) to research and map risks faced by East African pastoralists; Reichel and Frömming (2014) used a PGIS approach to map the local DRR knowledge related to climate change in the Swiss Alps. As illustrated by counter-mapping approaches, it is not essentially necessary to compile one map involving all stakeholders, because sometimes the visualization of the different attributions of meaning within the same physical place by different stakeholders holds merit that is not to be underestimated-especially in relation to vulnerability issues (Voss 2008).…”

“Listening to the Sounds of the Water”: Bringing Together Local Knowledge and Biophysical Data to Understand Climate-Related Hazard Dynamics

“…The way that different knowledges are communicated, collected, valued, and integrated can vary depending on the power relationships among stakeholders and leaders (Hill et al 2012); community involvement in developing research and providing feedback can help to ensure that uptake of knowledge integration products is more effective (Fazey et al 2010). A variety of approaches have been used to integrate different forms of knowledge around disasters and natural hazards, such as participatory GIS (Reichel and Frömming 2014), codification and integration of knowledges through multi-criteria analysis (Scheuer et al 2013), and mixedmethod approaches such as seasonal calendars (Hiwasaki et al 2014). A combination of methods of eliciting information from local participants over a period of time, with repeated visits to establish and build trust, is important to gain a culturally sensitive and accurate representation of local knowledge and lived experience.…”