Social Mapping for Environmental Studies: The Key Socio-economic Parameters
The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) in social and environmental studies has generated significant contributions to addressing why and where natural resources can be found and used (Vreese et al., 2016). In most cases, the spatial distribution of ecological services is based on the inherent environmental attributes associated with anthropogenic activities and population dynamics, including their proximity to natural resources (Chan et al., 2012). However, more attention is given to quantifiable resources directly observed in space, thereby missing out on the geospatial relationship of the human component, environment, and resources (Crossman et al., 2013). Hence, social mapping will leverage the research understanding of the relationship between population, resources, environment, and development (PRED). Moreover, the involvement of the community in determining the location of resources and their settlement lessen the likelihood of missing out on intangible resources that play a critical role in their daily activities (Vreese et al., 2016). Involving the community in the process will give them a voice, enhancing their psychological identification with the project. Social mapping explores social-economic factors and demographics that are impacting a certain phenomenon. The social map overlayed with technical data, including environmental, geological, hydrological, and geospatial, will highlight the intersections between human and environmental capital, significantly benefiting environmental studies. In this article, we scoped the literature and identified the most critical socio-economic parameters and demographics of farmers that interact with environmental parameters.
