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Blogs

Five Years of Building, Learning, and Imagining the Future of Open Mapping in Asia–Pacific

As HOT’s inaugural Asia–Pacific Regional Director, Nama Budhathoki, prepares to transition out of his role in January 2026, this blog reflects on five years of building a thriving regional hub and open mapping ecosystem from the ground up. It shares key lessons, challenges, and priorities for the future of meaningful, community-led open mapping across Asia–Pacific, while welcoming new interim leadership.

Dec. 17, 2025

Blogs

National Mapathon of Colombia 2025: Youth and Open Data to Anticipate Risks

The 2025 National Mapathon of Colombia, the second edition of this initiative, demonstrated how collaboration between institutions, communities, and youth can transform risk management.

July 31, 2025

Blogs

Mapping for Equity: Voices from Dhaka’s Informal Settlements

Discover how community-led open mapping is transforming lives in Dhaka’s informal settlements. Brazil Singh shares powerful insights from the Dhaka Thrive Project, where data becomes a tool for justice, resilience, and local enhancement.

July 27, 2025

Blogs

On the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis: A Journey to the Bolivian Amazon

In Sapecho, Bolivia, Indigenous communities, park rangers, and firefighters come together in an open mapping workshop to prevent wildfires and manage their territory with humanitarian technology.

July 3, 2025

Blogs

Participatory mapping for a sustainable Amazon: technology and local knowledge to defend the territory

"Participatory Mapping for a Sustainable Amazon" is advancing in Bolivia, Colombia, and Guatemala, bringing together knowledge exchange and open technologies to strengthen the territorial autonomy of Indigenous communities in the Amazon and Mesoamerica.

June 13, 2025

Blogs

Sargassum Monitoring with Drones in Santo Domingo: Open Technologies to Tackle Environmental Challenges

HOT, together with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and the National Statistics Office of the Dominican Republic, organized a regional workshop on sargassum monitoring. The training focused on the use of drones and open technologies for generating geospatial data. Participants included representatives from civil society, academia, and public institutions. This experience strengthens Caribbean collaboration in the face of growing environmental challenges.

April 9, 2025

Blogs

Can low-cost drones contribute to mangrove monitoring and conservation? Testing Drone Tasking Manager in La Paz, Mexico

Drone Tasking Manager (DroneTM) is a digital public good that enables communities to generate high-quality, high resolution aerial imagery using low-cost drones. Discover its potential for community-driven mapping and its use in protecting mangroves in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

March 26, 2025

Blogs

Innovating with MapSwipe: Citizen Science to Classify Natural Land Cover

A pilot project involving CONABIO, the Mexican Climate Initiative, and HOT explores the use of MapSwipe to identify natural land cover, showcasing its potential for citizen science and participatory environmental monitoring.

March 17, 2025

Blogs

Strengthening Disaster Preparedness in Belize Through Youth-Led Open Mapping and Open Data Collection

A cohort of 30 young volunteers in Belize was trained in open data collection and mapping tools to enhance disaster preparedness. The Emergency Resources Mapping pilot, led by HOT in partnership with CDEMA and NEMO, focused on identifying key emergency resources such as hazardous areas and communication towers. The initiative strengthens local capacity for disaster risk reduction and anticipatory action. This successful pilot sets the stage for scaling up open mapping efforts across the Caribbean.

Feb. 25, 2025

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