Mapping Rural Communities in Conflict Areas, Colombia

This case study documents an intervention by Tierra Grata to identify, map and improve access to safe sanitation in remote undocumented rural communities, where armed groups formed through internal conflict have been present for over 50 years. Through leveraging a mix of community networks, word-of-mouth, social networks such as Facebook and WhatsApp, and working with stakeholders already active in target areas, Tierra Grata began to identify previously unmapped, unknown communities. The case study also documents efforts to build trust with these communities who had been victims of armed conflict and felt abandoned by government. A combination of approaches was used. Face-to-face participatory approaches were used to understand the way communities live, who they are, and the sanitation challenges they face. Collaboration with existing actors in the area such as academics and civil society organizations was key to establishing trust and access. Whilst strategic use of digital tools enabled data analysis and mapping of findings. Through combining these approaches, a rich body of evidence was created on the specific needs of the communities, informing future sanitation interventions and enabling them to be adjusted and implemented accordingly.