ABSTRACT
Since the 1980s, rural development research has gradually shifted from the use of conventional extractive approaches towards participatory investigation and analysis (IIED, 1997). Participatory approaches, such as participatory rural appraisal (PRA) (see Figure 6.1), have been used both as development and research tools. The emphasis here is on the use of PRA as a research tool. In previous volumes in this People and Plants series, PRA approaches have been introduced (Martin, 1995; Tuxill and Nabhan, 2001). This chapter describes the procedures for planning and conducting PRA to enhance interactive participation by local communities in the process of learning about rural people’s values, with regard to trees and forests. Field experiences show that there are various potential benefits for the people who adopt the PRA approach in the research process. PRA gives researchers the opportunity and skills to facilitate local people to articulate their opinions, identify and prioritize their problems and needs and, most importantly, to seek ways and means of solving their problems. A role-play conducted by three women amidst a PRA group in Hot Springs, Zimbabwe. Role-plays were used to identify the range of woodland benefits https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781849773614/3ea09167-e714-408e-8077-1db771c6c353/content/fig6_1_C.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> Photograph by Bruce Campbell
