Bio+Mine Blog

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 pla…

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