Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) is no stranger to rural ICT4D projects in Malaysia. Known best for their award-winning eBario project, a remote telecenter that brought internet to the indigenous highlands of Borneo in the late 90s, UNIMAS has a long, successful track-record of participatory community development projects.
An article in the Borneo Post this week explained how rural indigenous groups are taking steps to map their territories using aerial photography. Supported by UNIMAS researchers and IFAD funding, the project is testing low cost aerial photography for community mapping, using digital cameras attached to tethered helium-filled balloons and radio-controlled model airplanes.
The article mentions a recent conference in Indonesia, the Global Conference on Community Participatory Mapping on Indigenous Peoples’ Territories, which took place 25-29 August. The event convened representatives of Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, networks and communities and experts who have extensive knowledge and experiences in community participatory mapping to share their knowledge, experiences and lessons learned in doing this work.
To view all of the Ethnos Project resources on eBario, click here.