| Abstract | The main purpose of the work reported in this paper is the field evaluation of large-scale aerial photographs (1:1250 and 1:2500 scale) as non-literate aids for supporting participatory work by Forest User Groups (FUGs) and for participatory mapping of community forests in Nepal. Aerial photographs used in conjunction with a Geographical Information System (GIS) were also tested as a possible alternative to current chain-and- compass practices for surveying community forests. Survey maps are required for the preparation of community forest Operational Plans, which constitute legal agreements between Forest User Groups and the Government of Nepal. Field work was conducted with Department of Forestry staff supported by the Nepal UK Community Forestry Project in Parbat District, in the Dhauligiri Region of the Middle Hills of Nepal. The single most important finding was that aerial photographs made information, issues surrounding forest management, and participatory processes more accessible tonon-literate people, thereby empowering them to take greater control over decision making. Overall, the use of aerial photographs and participatory 'photo-mapping' (the practice of mapping onto a transparency placed over an aerial photograph) were found to be beneficial in the following ways: authenticity of records, consistency of information, as a non-literate medium, in empowerment and ownership, in facilitation, in user- friendliness and adaptability, for strengthening the FUG through commonality of purpose, and as a basis for survey maps. |