Vulnerability mapping of three clusters of different ecological zones has already been made. It is required to visit each of the study sites to locate each of the previously studied households in map. To conduct social-ecological vulnerability, over $6000 has already been spent for field work for 6 months. Therefore, should the funding raised beyond present budget estimation, another cluster will be added in the project. Initially, one cluster among three is proposed and the project can be done at least in $3000 (by using researcher's smart devices and some out of pocket payment)

Additional Information

Project Progress It is too hard to map the unmappable elements using traditional tools. The unmappable elements this project intends as a pilot project are to map social perceptions on climate and environmental changes together with their command or entitlement over social-ecological resources. As a pilot study, this project locates households and settlement clusters of Lumle VDC, Kaski district, in the Middle-Mountains of Nepal in Google map. A study conducted during 2012-2016 to assess socio-ecological vulnerability has been completed, however, the research project could not conduct a mapping activity, which proposed project intends to complete. The social-ecological data have already been collected and vulnerability of micro-level social-ecosystem has already been assessed (see for Pandey & Bardsley 2015), further to that, this project is to map the vulnerability at geographic space. The non-spatial data collected from the study site will be linked to the map to see the spatial patterns of social-ecological vulnerability. The study site will be re-visited to locate individual households and clusters in map at first. The information collected previously is stored in a spread sheet with address and unique code assigned to each of the social-ecological units. These units will be linked to a Google map using ‘Google-street’ in by proposed project and various unmappable elements associated with social perceptions will be displayed in map to identify the spatial pattern of different elements: pattern of various livelihood capitals, social perceptions on climate change, experience of climate change impacts, and adaptation responses made by the people. In combination with the findings of previous research, proposed project develops a model map that can be replicate for other crowd sourcing related applications such as emergency and disasters response in the Himalaya to assist the authorities for rapid responses and the affected for timely search and rescue. Based on the knowledge acquired through this project, an educational and awareness building material will be developed to facilitate general public to apply maps as social media to cope and manage their everyday challenges. At the end of the project, the achievements will be disseminates in a sharing workshop.