Employment of the Participatory Geographical Information System (PGIS)
Climate Adaptation Effectiveness
When structured and spatially visualised, the categorisation of flood threats based on community perceptions also improves communication of the concerns of people and officials about the flood problem to outsiders. The mapping and imagery of manageability help authorities to identify those areas with the most vulnerable households to determine the levels of flooding they can ‘manage’ and when external assistance may be required. The more fragile the status of the family, and the smaller its resources, the fewer coping mechanisms it can depend on, and the earlier the stage at which it may need external support (the Unmanageable to Disastrous categories). The information provided in this paper will be more helpful to local and municipal authorities than that provided by water depth and duration maps alone. Knowing in which areas the situation may become ‘Unmanageable’ or even ‘Disastrous’ should help authorities to focus on the coping capacities of the most vulnerable households, and thus address better their ’duty of care’ for their citizens. The paper demonstrates that spatial representation of local knowledge assists outsiders in gaining awareness of flood risk issues. On the one hand, the dialogue and interaction between local communities, external actors, and local authorities, facilitated by GIS and participatory tools, is an effective way to strengthen risk reduction partnerships among these actors. On the other hand, the implementation of PGIS and participatory initiatives can benefit local governments as they provide accurate and contextualized information for much-needed risk assessments and decision-making. Integrating objective mapping to develop an Integrated Climate Risk Assessment (ICRA) helps in determining accurate climate adaptation and responses for local communities by showing the specific risk awareness, concerns, and proposed solutions of the community which do not always align with the geospatial data which is adapted in the development and planning of the region (Harrison et al., 2022).
Climate Hazards
- Extreme Rainfall
- Rain-Induced Flooding
- Tropical Cyclone
Locations
- Naga City, Camarines Sur, Region V (Bicol Region)
- Naga City, Camarines Sur, Region V (Bicol Region)
Adaptation Sectors
- Disaster Risk Reduction
CCET Instuments
- Policy Governance
Target Group based on Vulnerability
Basic Sectors:
- Individuals residing in urban areas
Evaluations
Economic / Financial Effectiveness
Knowledge of the periods in which risk is higher for certain groups (farmers, for instance) enables authorities to design adequate risk mitigation measures, including insurance schemes for the specific months when harvesting takes place, accessible loans at low interest rates, and seasonal provision of staple foods, such as rice, to avoid scarcity and speculation. Flooding in specific periods decreases manageability options, and can lead people to adopt risky coping mechanisms for survival. The lack of formal and contextualised mechanisms that help households to recover or improve their pre-flooding conditions leads to increased poverty and marginalisation, which in turn is likely to place a greater burden on the municipality. Cost of training is continuous (very much like maintenance cost)
Technical Feasibility
Knowledge elicited from the communities was incorporated into community-based GIS mapping and hydrodynamic modelling using SOBEK software (WL|Delft Hydraulics, 2001, 2006) to conduct an integrated analysis of the spatial distribution of flood manageability and the seasonal distribution of flood hazard. Most of the elements and processes related to the risk factors were elicited through a learning-based approach whereby the researcher meets the communities in their own context and gains a deeper understanding of aspects of their (‘risk’) reality (Hordijk and Baud, 2006). Most of the spatial and non-spatial data on the phenomena (flood risk in this case) was collected and analysed ‘on-site’ with the participants. To map the spatial distribution of ‘manageability’ of this flood, a GIS-based procedure was carried out in ILWIS® software (ITC, 2005).
Social Acceptability
Participatory mapping and PGIS elicit, represent and validate local spatial knowledge, which is rarely available on official maps; the information is spatially specific, implying that it concerns local priorities, values and perceptions; the process itself is driven by local interests and priorities; it is socially inclusive, representative of the interests and values of communities as well as of individuals; feelings of ‘ownership’ and the legitimacy of actions can be strengthened at the community and municipality level; and it is capacity-enhancing, as communities and groups can be empowered by involvement in PGIS processes, thereby improving self–confidence and technical and political capacities. By forging communicability between outsiders and insiders, it not only legitimises the value of endogenous knowledge, but also makes the technical GIS tools more acceptable to local users.
Environmental Impact
Implementing this climate change solution does not have direct environmental impacts.
Mitigation co-benefit
No mitigation co-benefits identified
Keywords
local knowledge, disaster risk reduction, integration, development plan
References