Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a growing family of approaches and methods that enable local people to share, enhance, and analyze their knowledge of life and conditions, to plan and act. PRA has roots in activist participatory research, agroecosystem analysis, applied anthropology, field research on farming systems, and rapid rural appraisal (RRA). While RRA focuses on eliciting information from outsiders, PRA emphasizes sharing and ownership by local people. PRA methods include mapping, modeling, transect walks, matrix scoring, seasonal calendars, trend analysis, well-being ranking, and analytical diagramming. PRA is applied in natural resource management, agriculture, poverty and social programs, and health and food security. The emergence of PRA in the 1990s was due to the growing recognition of local people's analytical capabilities. PRA has evolved from several traditions, including activist participatory research, agroecosystem analysis, applied anthropology, field research on farming systems, and RRA. These traditions have intermingled, leading to a more participatory and empowering approach. PRA has been used in various contexts, including health, nutrition, agriculture, and poverty alleviation. PRA has spread internationally, with many countries adopting it in government and NGO sectors. PRA has had a significant impact on development practices, with many organizations now using it for training, planning, and monitoring. PRA is now widely recognized as a valuable tool for participatory development.Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a growing family of approaches and methods that enable local people to share, enhance, and analyze their knowledge of life and conditions, to plan and act. PRA has roots in activist participatory research, agroecosystem analysis, applied anthropology, field research on farming systems, and rapid rural appraisal (RRA). While RRA focuses on eliciting information from outsiders, PRA emphasizes sharing and ownership by local people. PRA methods include mapping, modeling, transect walks, matrix scoring, seasonal calendars, trend analysis, well-being ranking, and analytical diagramming. PRA is applied in natural resource management, agriculture, poverty and social programs, and health and food security. The emergence of PRA in the 1990s was due to the growing recognition of local people's analytical capabilities. PRA has evolved from several traditions, including activist participatory research, agroecosystem analysis, applied anthropology, field research on farming systems, and RRA. These traditions have intermingled, leading to a more participatory and empowering approach. PRA has been used in various contexts, including health, nutrition, agriculture, and poverty alleviation. PRA has spread internationally, with many countries adopting it in government and NGO sectors. PRA has had a significant impact on development practices, with many organizations now using it for training, planning, and monitoring. PRA is now widely recognized as a valuable tool for participatory development.