Towards wildfire-adapted communities: using participatory mapping to integrate land use planning and wildfire...

In the search for pathways towards adapting to changing fire regimes in rural areas, this research presents a fire-focused participatory mapping (PM) method to integrate participatory land use planning and wildfire management at the community level. Rural communities in Tanzania's Southern Highlands are threatened by rising frequencies and severity of wildfires, undermining important forest-based livelihood opportunities. Land cover and land use fundamentally drive ignition, spread, intensity, and severity of wildfires. Strategic land use planning based on place-based knowledge can mitigate severe impacts of wildfires. In this transdisciplinary research project, we integrate different forms of knowledge to foster community adaption to wildfires through participatory land use planning. We conducted PM campaigns in three case study villages in Tanzania's Southern Highlands. In each PM campaign, 18 participants created maps using printouts of high-resolution satellite images. They mapped and analysed recent wildfire events, pinpointed observation points and water sources, identified fire risk areas in the village, and determined locations for potential firebreaks to protect assets. We conducted interviews to follow up on the results of the PM campaigns. While PM offers a tool to foster wildfire adaptation pathways at the local level, it depends on facilitation and is challenged by social fragmentation, lack of geospatial skills, and inconsistent policy environments. The fire-focused PM method resulted in a comprehensive spatial knowledge base that can inform land use planning and guide adaptive fire management strategies. As such, it offers a practical framework for supporting community-driven wildfire adaptation and management in fire-prone landscapes globally.