Enhancing the adaptive capacities of agrarian landscapes through participatory sketch mapping and spatial perceptions on landmark’s distribution and disparities

Context and background Agrarian Landscapes are the natural basis for the survival and development of people in rural communities. Participatory sketch mapping refers to the collection of data (spatial, land use and land rights data) through the hand map drawing of study areas or relevant geographic features by stakeholders and community members in order to provide insights into the physical context and spatial dynamics of this study (Hamlin, 2022). By involving a range of interested parties, participatory sketch mapping facilitates their active participation, favors knowledge contribution, and helps to highlight important landmarks and resources in a study area. Objective and research questions: Now our days there are very few investigations on the adaptive capacities of agrarian landscapes, especially riverine landscapes, which makes it difficult for science to understand, analyze and provide solutions to the numerous agro-environmental challenges faced by the farmers and pastoralist living in these landscapes. Also, the absence of current, consistent and spatially-explicit data on the adaptive capacities of agrarian landscapes constitutes a gap which our research wants to fill. Our research is centered around the following two questions: How and to what extend can participatory mapping help perceive and understand the role played by landmarks in strengthening the adaptive capacities of agrarian landscapes? Which of these landmarks help the most and how? Methodology: Using the method of participatory sketch mapping, farmers were asked to draw in groups the two agrarian landscapes found in OYACK in Mbalmayo. In addition to these sketch maps, farmers were asked through a questionnaire survey to describe how these landmarks are helps them to adapt to climate disasters and which relation the landmarks have with their agricultural practices. Also, through this questionnaire survey, farmers where ask to describe the distribution of these landmarks. Results: Through this study we detect the most exposed and sensitive landmarks and we determined the abilities of farmers to perceive, identify and understand the dynamics of these landmarks found in the agrarian landscapes. With the aim to improve the adaptive capacities of famers, the method of participatory sketch mapping was successful because it provided deeper insights into how farmers conceptualize their environment. Finally, these sketch maps improved the spatial representations that farmers had on these agrarian landscapes as a means for them to easily comprehend the complexities and dynamics of agrarian change.