---
title: "Resource mapping"
subject: "Technology, Environment and Society"
chapter: 2
key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:resource-mapping"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/resource-mapping
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Resource mapping

Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 2: Development Approach

- Asked in: 2075 Chaitra, 4 marks; 2071 Chaitra, 4 marks (asked 2 times)
- Video: [Community Natural Resource Mapping (CNRM) Animation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoVKTUi750U) — EarthRights International
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/resource-mapping
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-2

## Question

Explain why Resource Mapping is carried out.

## Short answer

Resource mapping is a PRA tool where local people draw their village's natural and physical resources. It is done to know available resources, understand use and ownership, identify problems and needs, plan projects, use local knowledge, encourage participation, manage resources, and provide a baseline for monitoring.

## Answer

**Resource mapping** is a PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) tool in which local people themselves draw a map of their village or area showing natural and physical resources such as land, forest, water sources, rivers, farmland, grazing land, roads, trails, schools and health posts. It is drawn on the ground or on paper using local materials and is then copied by the facilitator.

#### Why resource mapping is carried out
1. **To know the available resources:** location, amount and condition of land, water, forest and infrastructure.
2. **To understand resource use and ownership:** who uses which resource, and which are community or private.
3. **To identify problems and needs:** e.g. lack of drinking water, landslide-prone areas, eroded land, missing trail bridges.
4. **To plan development projects:** helps choose sites for water schemes, irrigation canals, roads and schools.
5. **To use local knowledge:** villagers know their area better than outsiders.
6. **To encourage participation:** even illiterate people can take part; it starts discussion and builds ownership.
7. **For natural resource management and conflict resolution:** shows boundaries and areas of competition.
8. **Baseline for monitoring:** later maps show change over time.

**Example:** Before designing a gravity-flow water supply, villagers map all springs, existing taps, settlements and households so the engineer can plan intake and tap locations fairly.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. In resource mapping, who draws the map of the village?
   A. The local people themselves
   B. A surveyor using total station
   C. Government GIS staff from satellite images
   D. The engineer, then shown to villagers
   Answer: A. It is a PRA tool where local people draw their own area, often with local materials; the facilitator only copies it. (Key point: Who draws the map)

2. How does resource mapping help in planning a gravity-flow water supply?
   A. It gives the exact pipe diameter
   B. It shows springs, taps, settlements and households so intake and tap locations can be planned fairly
   C. It replaces the need for a technical survey
   D. It fixes the tariff of water
   Answer: B. Mapping springs, taps and settlements helps the engineer choose intake and tap locations fairly. (Key point: Planning project sites)

3. Why is resource mapping suitable for encouraging participation?
   A. It needs trained mappers with drawing skills
   B. It can only be done by the educated elite
   C. Even illiterate people can take part, it starts discussion and builds ownership
   D. It avoids any discussion among villagers
   Answer: C. Drawing on the ground with local materials lets everyone join, uses local knowledge and builds ownership. (Key point: Participation and local knowledge)

4. How does resource mapping help in monitoring?
   A. It records the daily wages paid
   B. It reveals the project cost overrun
   C. It checks concrete quality
   D. It acts as a baseline, so later maps show change over time
   Answer: D. The first map is a baseline; later maps are compared with it to see changes. (Key point: Baseline for monitoring)

## Related in Technology, Environment and Society

- [Resource mapping and ethnographic survey](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aresource-mapping-ethnographic) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 2
- [Resource mapping and wealth/poverty ranking](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aresource-mapping-wealth-ranking) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 2
- [Participatory appraisal, FGD and resource mapping](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aparticipatory-appraisal-fgd) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 2