Abstract This paper is part of a two-year study to investigate the feasibility of initiating a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in an indigenous com- munity of Eastern Panama ´, Ipetı´-Embera ´ . We use participatory mapping and matrices as well as household surveys to develop a land-use/land-cover baseline scenario and examine the role of local participation in assessing land-use change. In Ipetı´, land-use change has not occurred in a linear way over the last decades, and our data unveils socio-economic factors as potential key drivers of change. The concor- dance that we observed between geographic information and individual and collec- tive perceptions of land-use change substantiates the possibility of using local knowledge in the establishment of baseline data for CDM projects. Our calculations C. Potvin (&) Æ P. Tschakert Æ F. Lebel Æ K. Kirby Æ S. Goldenberg Æ P. Hayes Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Dr Penfield, H3A 1B1 Montre ´al, Que ´ bec, Canada e-mail: catherine.potvin@mcgill.ca Present Address: P. Tschakert Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA Present Address: K. Kirby University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada H. Barrios Universidad de Panama ´, Panama ´ , Panama ´ J. Bocariza Æ J. Caisamo Æ L. Caisamo Æ C. Cansari Æ J. Casama ´ Æ M. Casama ´ Æ L. Chamorra Æ N. Dumasa Æ V. Guainora Æ J. Ruı ´z Ipetı ´-Embera ´, Panama ´, Panama ´ C. Potvin Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama ´, Panama ´ T. Moore Department of Geography, McGill University, Montre ´ al, Canada 123 Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change (2007) 12:1341–1362 DOI 10.1007/s11027-006-9056-3 ORIGINAL PAPER A participatory approach to the establishment of a baseline scenario for a reforestation Clean Development Mechanism project Catherine Potvin Æ Petra Tschakert Æ Fre ´de ´ric Lebel Æ Kate Kirby Æ Hector Barrios Æ Judith Bocariza Æ Jaime Caisamo Æ Leonel Caisamo Æ Charianito Cansari Æ Juan Casama ´ Æ Maribel Casama ´ Æ Laura Chamorra Æ Nesar Dumasa Æ Shira Goldenberg Æ Villalaz Guainora Æ Patrick Hayes Æ Tim Moore Æ Johana Ruı´z Received: 18 May 2006 / Accepted: 26 September 2006 / Published online: 23 November 2006 Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2006