We estimate that communities of over a billion people worldwide are not adequately represented in spatial data used for international humanitarian and development responses. Without an understanding of where people live, it limits our capacity to proactively anticipate risks and strengthen climate resilience.

Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) works to ensure community created map data is accessible and used in decisions that save and improve lives. Limited spatial data in regions exposed to disaster risk increases vulnerability and limits our capacity to proactively anticipate risks and strengthen climate resilience. HOT works with a range of implementing partners to collect and analyze geospatial data to identify communities at risk of disaster, and to understand potential disaster impacts in these at risk communities.

Open mapping can support your organization’s goals by filling data gaps in decision making in disaster preparedness. Learn how HOT works with communities and partners at all the phases of the project lifecycle to:

• Prioritize collecting critical mapping data in OpenStreetMap (OSM) via community led mapping based on anticipatory action needs.

• Identify vulnerable populated areas by analyzing disaster risk and mapped infrastructure.

• Communicate data findings to inform operational and programmatic decisions.

  
  

HOT will share past examples on disaster preparedness from around the world, and discuss how you can partner with us to consider generating and using OSM and use it in your work.

For example, HOT can support your community or organization with anticipatory action in a number of ways:

• Gap analysis: available OSM data vs risk analyses (flooding, etc) can be used to prioritize data collection in OSM

• Participatory mapping of risks - incidents of floods, rockfalls, etc

• Mapping of infrastructure to be aware of vulnerable areas when disaster hits (ie areas with few health centers, etc)