Unmanned aerial vehicle and participatory mapping, a tool for spatial organization: A case study of the Tikuna indigenous community of San Martín de Amacayacu, Amazonas, Colombia

Abstract

Indigenous communities in Colombia own territories in remote areas with difficult access. As a result, spatial studies are fragmented and have low resolution and little accuracy relative to the necessities of the communities. This project proposes a solution by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and participative cartography, as a mechanism to facilitate the integration and transfer of knowledge between cultures. The study took place at the San Martín de Amacayacu community, with the direction, support and participation of members of the community. Using a UAV we took 913 photos during eight flights, and also used satellite images (Landsat 5) to identify settlements and farming areas or chagras, and areas of expansion and high productivity to better direct and control the growth of the community. Currently, as a result of the population concentration encouraged by the Colombian government, the increase in number of families in the community results in the expansion of farming areas around the community, thus accelerating the rate of transformation of the tropical rain forest. We have also identified access to clean water and hunting grounds as a limiting factor for the growth of the community. We obtained the base line cartography of the community (3D model) by finding the optimal location of farming areas through a 4 variable multicriteria analysis and expansion areas complemented by participative cartography.