Presentation short abstract

Drawing on literature and interview themes, we reveal a central paradox: digital participatory mapping tools in conservation can disrupt community power dynamics and revitalise cultural and intergenerational knowledge, all of which is shaped by digital design and participatory processes.

Presentation long abstract

Over the past two decades, the use of digital participatory mapping tools in conservation has advanced in design and accessibility, reflecting a shift from digital technologies applied to Indigenous Peoples and local communities to those increasingly co-designed and used by them. Their application can range from responding to external threats to supporting community-based resource management to facilitating rights-based approaches in conservation. However, despite growing prominence and proliferation, the impacts of digital participatory mapping tools on traditional and scientific knowledge, alongside cross-cultural collaborations, remain underexplored. Drawing on thematic literature and semi-structured interviews (n=20), our study identified some negative cases in which digital participatory mapping tools impacted community power dynamics and traditional knowledge transfer. Simultaneously, we found that such tools can also bridge traditional and scientific knowledge systems to foster intergenerational learning and cultural revitalisation, which can enhance community empowerment in conservation practice. These benefits are tied to both the tool and the participatory process that accompanies them, including co-design, facilitation, and digital capacity building within communities. All of which is vital to strengthening cross-cultural collaborations and braiding knowledge systems to the benefit of communities and equitable conservation. The objective of this presentation is to highlight the synergies and obstacles of digital participatory mapping as it interfaces with knowledge, people and place in conservation.