Sketch Mapping and Local Forest Management

This report begins with general issues in connection with mapping 1)types of maps which may be useful, 2) use of mapping in resource management projects 3) process of mapping. The article then moves to a consideration of suspending our disbelief and moving away from traditional ideas of accuracy as equal to locational correctness or accurate scale. Accuracy in Moench's terms is determined by whether the map serves its purpose. Part II considers two case studies where mapping has been used to study problems in indigenous forest management systems. In Mardi Khola, Nepal, transects indicating types of land use were the main basis for discussion; while in Harayana, India, several aspects of community life were mapped - resource distribution, local geography, and local land use patterns.