A.1 Making a community map

PHOTO A.1

Making a community map

Source: © MetaMeta (www.roadsforwater.com). Used with the permission of MetaMeta (www.roadsforwater.com). Further permission required for reuse.

TRANSECT WALK

Transect walks (photo A.2) are systematic walks through a selected area from one side to the opposite side. During the walk the field worker observes the landscape and local practices while at the same time interacting with participating community members.

A transect walk is a valuable tool because it allows community members to look at their area from an innovative point of view. The participants can stop during the walk and discuss what they are seeing around them. The participants can even decide to stop at fixed intervals (for instance, every 100 meters) to make observations. observing the area in this way helps participants visualize processes that need to be understood to plan and implement road-water harvesting measures. During the exercise, one of the field workers will prepare a sketch of changes that could take place in different locations of the area investigated.

TIMELINE

The field worker will construct a timeline based on observations and discussions. This timeline helps create a context for how the current circumstances emerged and establishes trends that may point to future outcomes. The walk organizer can pose questions about important issues, such as the main economic activities, means of transport, population settlements, and others. Important events can be useful for creating a timeline; for instance, asking participants what the road condition was at the time of the last