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

# Resource mapping and wealth/poverty ranking

Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 2: Development Approach

- Asked in: 2072 Chaitra, 8 marks
- 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-wealth-ranking
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-2

## Question

What are resources mapping? How is wealth and poverty ranked?

## Short answer

Resource mapping is a PRA tool where community members draw a village map showing location and condition of resources like forests, rivers, farmland, roads, and hazard zones. Wealth ranking groups households into rich, medium, poor, very poor using local criteria chosen by key informants who sort household cards, then results are compared and finalized.

## Answer

**Resource mapping** is a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tool in which community members draw a map of their village showing the location and condition of their resources. It is done by the people themselves, guided by a facilitator.

#### Resource mapping

- **What is shown:** forests, rivers, springs, ponds, farmland (irrigated/rain-fed), pasture, settlements, roads, trails, bridges, schools, health posts, temples, markets, landslide and flood zones.
- **Procedure:**
  1. Gather a mixed group (men, women, elders, youth, different castes).
  2. Explain the purpose and choose a place (ground or chart paper).
  3. People first draw boundaries and main landmarks, then add resources using sticks, stones, colours or symbols.
  4. The facilitator asks questions: who uses this, is it enough, what are the problems.
  5. The map is copied on paper and checked by a transect walk.
- **Uses:** shows availability, access and control of resources, identifies problems and potential, and helps plan projects such as irrigation or drinking water.

```text
   [Forest]      ~~ River ~~
      |            |
  [Pasture]   [Irrigated land]
      |            |
  (Temple)--[Village]--(School)
              |
          [Road]--(Health post)
```

#### Wealth (well-being) ranking

Wealth ranking groups households of a community by their economic condition, using criteria chosen by the people themselves.

**Steps:**
1. Prepare a list of all households (from a social map), writing each name on a card.
2. Select 3–4 knowledgeable local people (key informants) who know every household.
3. Ask them to decide **local criteria** of wealth and poverty, e.g. land owned, food sufficiency months, house type, livestock, job/remittance, education of children, debt.
4. Each informant sorts the cards into piles, e.g. **rich, medium, poor, very poor**.
5. Repeat with other informants separately; compare and average the results (score).
6. Discuss differences and finalise the ranking in a group.

| Category | Typical local indicators |
|---|---|
| Rich | Food all year with surplus, large land, pakka (concrete) house, salaried job |
| Medium | Food 6–11 months, some land and livestock |
| Poor | Food 3–6 months, little land, wage labour |
| Very poor | Food under 3 months, landless, debt |

**Uses:** targeting the poor for benefits, fixing cost sharing in users' committees, monitoring poverty change and ensuring inclusion. Since criteria come from the community, the ranking is accepted locally; but it must be done carefully because it can be sensitive.

## Check yourself

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

1. Resource mapping is classified as which type of tool?
   A. Participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tool
   B. Remote sensing tool
   C. Structured questionnaire
   D. Geotechnical investigation
   Answer: A. Community members draw the map, guided by a facilitator, which is a PRA approach. (Key point: Resource mapping tool)

2. In resource mapping, how is the drawn map checked?
   A. By comparing with a satellite image only
   B. By having the facilitator redraw it alone
   C. By copying it on paper and verifying with a transect walk
   D. It is never checked
   Answer: C. The map is copied on paper and verified by a transect walk. (Key point: Mapping procedure)

3. Who decides the criteria of wealth and poverty in wealth ranking?
   A. The researcher using national poverty line
   B. The community's key informants, using local criteria
   C. The government statistics office
   D. The project donor
   Answer: B. Criteria such as land, food sufficiency and house type are chosen by local people, so the result is locally accepted. (Key point: Wealth ranking criteria)

4. How are households sorted in wealth ranking?
   A. All households are asked to rate themselves on a form
   B. One informant sorts cards once and the result is final
   C. Households are sorted by alphabetical order of names
   D. Each informant sorts name cards into piles like rich, medium, poor, very poor, repeated separately and then compared
   Answer: D. Several informants sort cards separately; results are compared, averaged and finalised in a group. (Key point: Wealth ranking method)

## Related in Technology, Environment and Society

- [Resource mapping](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aresource-mapping) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 2, asked 2×
- [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
- [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

## Related in other subjects

- [Natural resource management approaches and sustainability](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fenergy_resources%3Aenvironment-development-society-resource-management) — Energy Resources, chapter 8
- [Deadlock vs postponement; Banker's 4 resources](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Foperating_system%3Adeadlock-vs-postponement-banker-6442) — Operating System, chapter 7
- [Backbone and number resource management hierarchy](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Finternet_and_intranet%3Abackbone-number-resources-hierarchy) — Internet and Intranet, chapter 1
- [Teleports and number resource hierarchy](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Finternet_and_intranet%3Ateleports-number-resources-hierarchy) — Internet and Intranet, chapter 1