Chilika Fisheries : a place for participatory GIS?

Coastal areas are considered rich biodiversity zones and proper exploitation of their resource bases influence the economic growth of the regions they support. But in recent times, these fragile ecosystems are under serious threat from anthropogenic influences like over-exploitation and environmental pollution. In this process a large number of coastal areas including lakes and lagoons are under serious threat and some are already highly degraded. So to maintain an ecological balance, it is important to sustain populations that live in coastal zones without endangering the resource base. In the modern era, advanced technologies provide supports to various sectors by providing information for management and development. These technologies can be used in conjunction with geographic information systems, which have been developed as a powerful tool for natural resource management, playing an important role in decision-making through the use of both spatial and attribute data. If both information technology and human responses to development - i.e., the public - can be integrated in the management process, then it is more likely that sustainable resource management and development can be achieved. This research explores the potential for participatory geospatial tools, such as a Public Participation Geographic Information System, to be used in community-based natural resource management. This thesis implements and analyses the effectiveness of a PPGIS approach through a case study of Chilika Lake, a coastal community at Orissa, India. The aim of a participatory GIS (PPGIS) is to ensure that local communities are included in the decision making and planning processes for sustainable natural resource management. This thesis provides evidence that a PPGIS approach would be useful in the Chilika context - by demonstrating that CBNRM is not really being effectively carried out in the region and showing that given the conflict that occurs over resource use, a mediating technology such as a PPGIS might be helpful in making ...