Participate

If you decide to submit a digital map of your territory or area to the ICCA Registry, you may use any mapping tool that meets your community’s needs and preferences. Various mapping tools are available to help you digitally map your territory or area. These tools are freely available and compatible with mobile phones. Some can be used without an internet connection, making them more accessible in remote locations.

Mapping your territory or area can be done in a participatory way, providing an opportunity for the community to collectively agree on the information being mapped. Participatory mapping also enables communities to combine local knowledge with modern mapping techniques to create maps. This report provides guidance on participatory mapping processes.

Here are some examples of tools that can be used to create digital maps of your territory or area:

• CoMapeo is designed to support Indigenous Peoples and local communities in documenting, monitoring, and mapping many types of information.
• Terrastories is a free and open-source app designed for communities to map, protect, and share place-based stories
• CADASTA is a platform that includes offline-ready tools to map land parcels, forests, and community resources.
• Native Land is an app to help map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages.

Some of these tools are used in combination with GIS software. QGIS is open-source (freely available to anyone) GIS software that can be downloaded from www.qgis.org.

It is important to note that digitally mapping and reporting your territory or area is entirely voluntary.

Should you decide to map and report your territory or area, it should be with the free, prior and informed consent of your community. If you do not want to submit a digital map, you can instead report a single digital coordinate indicating your territory or area's location. Please note that reporting location data is not required for the territory or area to be included in the ICCA Registry.