G

A
Participation

Individual Portfolio
Edel Monteiro

Tools & Applications

Its also important to
identify what were the
tools we were equipped
with during the practice
module. These include
Mapping
and
GIS
training, Video making
skills,
group
work,
narrative constructive as
well as an over arching
focus
on
critical
thinking. While we have
been able to use these
tools, at this point my
key
learnings
have
revolved
around
concepts
that
have
influenced my way of
thinking and analyzing.
These are mentioned
below:

Mapping

Critical
Thinking

Video
Making

Group
Work

Narrative
Construction

Defining the
environment

Constructed
Scarcities

Procedural
Justice

Spatial
Analysis

Reframing
the diagnosis

Environment
The word agglomeration below is derived from my statement of purpose
using the software Wordle that highlights the most commonly used
terms in a document. A quick observation would reveal a slight bias
towards concepts of environment, Climate change, Carbon etc.

Since that statement was written, a simplistic yet crucial development

that I can attest to is a broader definition of the term environment itself.
Having confined the term and therefore interest accruing from it to the
general realm of nature, my new understanding of urban environments
and environmental health is of significant value.
This redefining of the term isnt just a symantic exercise, instead .

Procedural Justice
With a majority of my developmental experience being in Corporate
Social Responsibility, most of the projects I was involved in subscribed
to the philanthropy model. My understanding of justice had been
exclusively distributive in nature and so the importance of procedural
justice has been a bit of a revelation to me. It helped me move from the
equation Justice=Distribution, to the broader definition that
encompasses Recognition & Participation (Fraser, 1998; Schollsberg,
2004). Having explored this concept both theoretically in ES1 and
considering its applications to marginalized communities and informal
sector manufacturing in Lima has given me a deeper appreciation of the
concept.
How procedural justice gets operationalized by a development planner
was somewhat expanded upon by Ine Steenmans in a recent guest
lecture for ES2 describing collaborative approaches with the planner as
facilitator (Steenmans, 2014).

Creation Of Scarcity
It argues that water scarcity is not merely natural, but is embedded in
the social and power relations shaping water access, use and practices.
Scarcity is portrayed as natural rather than human induced and this
naturalisation of scarcity is beneficial to those who are powerful.
Mehta,
L
2005
(http://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ecolec/v70y2011i7p1297-1308.html
)

while absolute deficit in water supply does exist, there also

appears to be a separate system of inequality that is reflected
in class based supply of water quantity, within the MCGM
criteria i.e. providing 45 LPCD to slums, 90 LPCD to Chawls
and 135 LPCD to high-rise buildings (Karn, Shigeo, & Hideki,
2013).

(135 lpcd)

(90 lpcd)
(45 lpcd)

BUILDINGS

CHAWLS

SLUMS

Spatial Analysis
Over an above having an avenue to visually present injustices,
mapping can also be beneficial to uncover them and locate them
within specific geographies, with both the process and outcomes
contributing towards the understanding of local situations.
Like surveys and studies, maps are essential tools
to practitioners in the field. And so I hadnt
truly considered the ability of maps to
reproduce power and control the
production of Knowledge (Dodge et al,
2011).

Nevertheless, maps reveal how locations hold

within them intrinsic injustices. I was able to use this
method to report a significantly high correlation
between diarrheal illnesses and slum settlements for
my city profile in ES2. I look forward to employing
mapping in the paradoxical centrally located
yet water starved Barrios Altos in Lima.

Reframing The Diagnosis

The concept of reframing diagnoses seemed a bit abstract to me when it
was first mentioned in class. However, my participation in group work for
ES2 allowed me to have a true understanding for the value of an
appropriately diagnosed situation. Having decided on a multi-sectorial
approach towards understanding food security in Zambia, our work
ended up as a description of the usual culprits involved in food insecurity
crises; we however failed to recognize one of the more significant
contributors to the situation (income inequality) thus building on a
problem and providing solutions for a misdiagnosed cause.

SALINIZATION

CHANGING
RAINFALL
PATTERNS

MAL
ADMIN
ISTRATION

LAND
USE
CHANGE

LOSSES
OVER USE

WATER
INJUSTICE

POPULATION

WATER
POVERTY

WATER
POLLUTION

INCREASED
PRODUCTION

Where to?
As the world debates on where it should focus its resources and
energies; environment or development, mitigation or adaptation, I too
have long debated what side of the fence my career should be on. From
an educational background in development and work experience in
environmental sustainability, I would ultimately like to see myself in a
position that attempts to reconcile the two agendas. and have been
considering areas like climate change adaptation, Pellings
transformation.

2010 - Carbon
Strategies/CSR
Consultancy

2012 - Climate
Change Education
Group

Where Id
like to be

2013 - Msc
ESD, DPU

2008 - BA
Anthropology

References

Where to?
As the world debates on where it should focus its resources and
energies; environment or development, mitigation or adaptation, I too
have long debated what side of the fence my career should be on. From
an educational background in development and work experience in
environmental sustainability, I would ultimately like to see myself in a
position that attempts to reconcile the two agendas. and have been
considering areas like climate change adaptation, Pellings
transformation.

2010 - Carbon
Strategies/CSR
Consultancy

2012 - Climate
Change Education
Group

Where Id
like to be

2013 - Msc
ESD, DPU

2008 - BA
Anthropology

As the world argues over where it should focus its resources

environment or development, mitigation or adaptation, I as well
am torn between where my energies should be.
I would ultimately like to see myself in a position that reconciles
the two agendas and have been considering areas like climate
change adaptation, Pellings transformation.

2010 - Carbon
Strategies/CSR
Consultancy

2012 - Climate
Change Education
Group

Where Id
like to be

2013 - Msc
ESD, DPU

2008 - BA
Anthropology

As the world argues over where it should focus its resources

environment or development, mitigation or adaptation, I as well
am torn between where my energies should be.
I would ultimately like to see myself in a position that reconciles
the two agendas and have been considering areas like climate
change adaptation, Pellings transformation.

2010 - Carbon
Strategies/CSR
Consultancy

2012 - Climate
Change Education
Group

Where Id
like to be

2013 - Msc
ESD, DPU

2008 - BA
Anthropology