Munyaradzi Sithole

... Report to CIRAD Biodiversity Project, Guruve, Zimbabwe. Sithole, B., Hwenha, S., Kozanayi, W, Manyeu, M., and Munyaradzi, K. 1999. People, Livelihoods and Options for Development. CESVI/IES Report, Institute of Environmen-tal Studies, University of Zimbabwe, Harare. ...

The development of the voluntary geographic information (PGI), multimedia GIS, and PGIS in general has opened the eyes of resources managers on the increasing demands of stakeholders, or actors, in the development and implementation of online DSS tools that support stakeholder participation. The development of the voluntary geographic information systems (VGIS) is a testimony to this quest for the public to contribute in online DSS. Despite the recent romanticization of VGIS applications, such as OpenStreetMap, there are a lot of concerns regarding the usability of VGI datasets in policy formulation and decision-making process. Despite these facts, there are a lot of challenges associated with the management of data from multiple sources; all these issues are inherent in VGI applications, such as the OpenStreetMap. Various sources of uncertainty and error further complicate the adaptation of VGIS data into decision support systems (Matthies, et al., 2007).
Despite these factors, some scholars even question whether VGI is an actual PGIS or a form of an SDI. All these questions are asked on the basis of trying to promote good GI science. By definition, PGIS is centered towards community-based utilization; GIS technology is considered as a tool for engaging the public in decision-making processes. PGIS literature at its core clears retreaters the role of GIS or cartographers experts as facilitators in using GIS applications in community-based mapping or stakeholder participation forums (Marus, 2007; Hall, et al., 2009). Based on the definition above, it is quite clear that GIS experts in PGIS endeavour to help the public collect quality information; however, recent changes in the cyber environment have opened the floodgates to the so-called VGIS in which the role of GIS experts seems to be omitted from the data-collection process.

In a world where citizen-based participatory democracy and collaborative land-use planning are becoming global norms, “stakeholders are becoming more and more effective at derailing projects that are not perceived as responsive to local concerns and needs”. The call for “environmental justice” by civil societies and advocacy groups around the globe requires more inclusive dialogues among planners and local stakeholders (Fiorino, 1990; Renn, Webler, et al., 1995; Sexton, Marcus, et al., 1999). Over the past decade, Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) have emerged as a tangled solution in land-use planning and natural resource conversation programs that include the masses (Elwood, 2009).
The proliferation of PGIS has further reinvigorated the use of maps as tools for land-use planning in natural conservations. Maps are considered robust tools that can be used to negotiate land-use plans and natural resource initiatives, as well as tools for understanding local responses to specific projects and risks( Elwood 2006). Perhaps most critically, maps can “gain public acceptance to counter rising opposition and promote sustainable decision making” (Elwood 2006). Although PGIS are  aimed at making maps or GIS tools accessible to marginalized societies, the use of maps as a tool for sustainable planning is not universally applicable (Schuurman, 2000). However, in the academic arena, little attention has been paid to the implication behind the use of maps as a tool for land-use planning and natural resource conservation in the global south (Beierle, & Cayford, 2002). The unprecedented spread of PGIS over the past decade have made maps a popular tool for negotiating development and environment-related land-use projects that are inherently spatial in nature.

In a world where citizen-based participatory democracy and collaborative land-use planning are becoming global norms, “stakeholders are becoming more and more effective at derailing projects that are not perceived as responsive to local concerns and needs”. The call for “environmental justice” by civil societies and advocacy groups around the globe requires more inclusive dialogues among planners and local stakeholders (Fiorino, 1990; Renn, Webler, et al., 1995; Sexton, Marcus, et al., 1999). Over the past decade, Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) have emerged as a tangled solution in land-use planning and natural resource conversation programs that include the masses (Elwood, 2009).
The proliferation of PGIS has further reinvigorated the use of maps as tools for land-use planning in natural conservations. Maps are considered robust tools that can be used to negotiate land-use plans and natural resource initiatives, as well as tools for understanding local responses to specific projects and risks( Elwood 2006). Perhaps most critically, maps can “gain public acceptance to counter rising opposition and promote sustainable decision making” (Elwood 2006). Although PGIS are  aimed at making maps or GIS tools accessible to marginalized societies, the use of maps as a tool for sustainable planning is not universally applicable (Schuurman, 2000). However, in the academic arena, little attention has been paid to the implication behind the use of maps as a tool for land-use planning and natural resource conservation in the global south (Beierle, & Cayford, 2002). The unprecedented spread of PGIS over the past decade have made maps a popular tool for negotiating development and environment-related land-use projects that are inherently spatial in nature.

In a world where citizen-based participatory democracy and collaborative land-use planning are becoming global norms, “stakeholders are becoming more and more effective at derailing projects that are not perceived as responsive to local concerns and needs”. The call for “environmental justice” by civil societies and advocacy groups around the globe requires more inclusive dialogues among planners and local stakeholders (Fiorino, 1990; Renn, Webler, et al., 1995; Sexton, Marcus, et al., 1999). Over the past decade, Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) have emerged as a tangled solution in land-use planning and natural resource conversation programs that include the masses (Elwood, 2009).
The proliferation of PGIS has further reinvigorated the use of maps as tools for land-use planning in natural conservations. Maps are considered robust tools that can be used to negotiate land-use plans and natural resource initiatives, as well as tools for understanding local responses to specific projects and risks( Elwood 2006). Perhaps most critically, maps can “gain public acceptance to counter rising opposition and promote sustainable decision making” (Elwood 2006). Although PGIS are  aimed at making maps or GIS tools accessible to marginalized societies, the use of maps as a tool for sustainable planning is not universally applicable (Schuurman, 2000). However, in the academic arena, little attention has been paid to the implication behind the use of maps as a tool for land-use planning and natural resource conservation in the global south (Beierle, & Cayford, 2002). The unprecedented spread of PGIS over the past decade have made maps a popular tool for negotiating development and environment-related land-use projects that are inherently spatial in nature.

Over the past decade, GIS have been reshaped and reconfigured to fit critical GIS philosophical research methodologies (Elwood 2007). The uses of Participatory GIS by indigenous peoples have extensively become perverse. Critical GIS have also become the foundation for PGIS. Instead of focusing on the “paradigm wars,” GIS practitioners are now interested in integrating the public options in decision support systems (Elwood 2009). However, the development of PGIS and its use among local communities are not without criticism (Sui 2008). The development of the PGIS application has been fragmented (Tulloch 2003). PGIS activities are dispersed among several disciplines. Moreover, the term PGIS does not have a concrete definition. Tulloch (2003) posits that the fragmentation in the diversity of PGIS applications poses an identity crisis in PGIS practices. Participatory GIS applications are essential cross-cutting elements that support a variety of multidisciplinary projects in natural resource management (Elwood 2009). Most of the existing PGIS tools are developed for specific communities based on the social and cultural characteristics of a specific community at a given time (Elwood 2003). Therefore, most PGIS practices are not standardized. Tulloch (2003) further describes PGIS as the Tower of Babel due to the diversity of PGIS projects and conflicting demands within its applications and definition. The term “Participatory GIS” is hard to define, since it is an umbrella term which could be used to describe local communities in Africa mapping and creating their own cognition maps about their local environment or urban residences using Web-based maps, geo-portals, and or ArcGIS.com to voice their concerns about the environmental, social and economic issues that are affecting their neighbourhoods (Elwood 2009).