Appraisal of rural resources using aerial photography : an example from a remote hill region in Nepal

Aerial photographs were used in rural Nepal as a basis for natural and human resource appraisal, leading to the development of a management plan for a village area. A standard 1:20,000 aerial photograph enlarged to 1:5,000 proved most useful. "Presentation of natural and human resources data on an aerial photographic base permits integration of otherwise unwieldy data". Rural Nepalis were adept at interpreting the photographs without any formal training, being able to pick out their own homes, farmland, water sources etc. The author suggests this is because Nepalis often look from ridges into valleys "in the same manner as presented by aerial photography". The aerial photographs therefore provided an effective bridge between planners and non-literate villagers when discussing plans for their area.