News
On the Front Line of Climate Change: End-to-End Open Mapping Tech for Wildfires
Climate change has led to an increase in wildfire season length, wildfire frequency, and burned areas around the world. The wildfire season has lengthened in many areas due to factors including warmer springs, longer summer dry seasons, and drier soils and vegetation.
Given this context, people from the Alpa Corral region in Córdoba, Argentina, who want to protect our native forests and towns, met from July 26 to 28 to see how the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team’s End-to-End Open Mapping Tech can help people prepare themselves to face disasters together.
The Power of Volunteers: Remote Mapping in Gaza and Other Conflict Areas
As damage reaches record levels in the Gaza Strip, expert volunteers coordinated by HOT have recently completed a 5-month project to create the most comprehensive building footprints dataset available for Gaza using OpenStreetMap. Looking at pre-October 2023 imagery, this effort added a net total of 59,223 buildings to the dataset and improved thousands of existing features. In this post, we share how our work in Gaza illustrates our approach to open mapping in conflict zones, and examines the potential role of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in the sector.
El Proyecto Bache: Mapeando una Problemática Ciudadana en San Martín de Los Andes
Estudiantes y docentes de la secundaria del CPEM-13 en San Martín de los Andes, Argentina, emplean herramientas de mapeo abierto para abordar problemas viales mediante el programa Open Mapping for All, facilitando la identificación de problemas y la búsqueda de soluciones.
Let’s Map the Caribbean: Training and Mapathon Series Piloted!
The HOT Caribbean Programme team led a series of mapathons with training components focused on the use of OpenStreetMap, and other field and remote mapping tools. The aim was to build capacity among the cadre of mappers in the Caribbean while also promoting mapping for anticipatory action. This is expected to positively impact the Caribbean’s capacity to use digital maps for disaster preparedness and response.
Creando Capacidades Mapeadoras en la Amazonía Ecuatoriana
Nuestra iniciativa en la Amazonía Ecuatoriana, con el LAC Hub y OpenLabEc, capacita a comunidades en mapeo de riesgos de desastres usando OSM y Mapillary. Las sesiones en ciudades como Tena y Macas permiten mejorar la gestión de riesgos naturales y la calidad de vida comunitaria mediante datos geográficos.
Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team joins the H2H Anticipatory Action Accelerator
The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) is excited to improve the humanitarian usability of open spatial data through OpenStreetMap (OSM) as part of H2H’s Anticipatory...
Open Mapping Experiences at the Rural Secondary School "San Ignacio"
Through the Open Mapping for All program, teachers and students at an educational institution in Argentine Patagonia use Open Mapping tools to document, recognize, and improve school physical infrastructure while connecting with their environment and cultural values.
Staff Spotlight Series: Carter Draper
Each quarter, we feature one of our all-star staff members in a Staff Spotlight Series. Staff featured in this Series have been peer-nominated for their superb performance and values-driven work. This quarter, we spotlight Carter Draper, our Programs Senior Manager at the West and Northern Africa Open Mapping Hub.
Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) joins the Overture Maps Foundation
After careful consideration, we realized that joining the Overture Maps Foundation will enable us to fulfill our role as an organization dedicated to the creation and use of open map data for humanitarian action and community development.
El Impacto del Mapeo Humanitario Colaborativo en la Preparación para Desastres en Ecuador
El mapeo humanitario colaborativo mejora la gestión del riesgo en América Latina y el Caribe, como demostró la rápida respuesta ante las inundaciones en Esmeraldas, Ecuador. La colaboración y los datos abiertos fueron clave para decisiones informadas y eficaces.
The Impact of Collaborative Humanitarian Mapping on Disaster Preparedness in Ecuador
Collaborative humanitarian mapping enhances risk management in Latin America and the Caribbean, as demonstrated by the rapid response to the floods in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Collaboration and open data were key to making informed and effective decisions.
O Impacto do Mapeamento Humanitário Colaborativo na Preparação para Desastres no Equador
O mapeamento humanitário colaborativo aprimora a gestão de riscos na América Latina e no Caribe, como demonstrado pela rápida resposta às enchentes em Esmeraldas, Equador. A colaboração e os dados abertos foram fundamentais para tomar decisões informadas e eficazes.
Together we map for good: building the Open Drone Aerial Tasking Manager
Leveraging drones and crowdsourcing, DroneTM equips local pilots and disaster-prone communities with tools to create high-resolution aerial maps, enhancing disaster response and community resilience.
Juntos mapeamos por el bien: construyendo el Gestor de Tareas Open Drone Aerial Tasking Manager
Aprovechando drones y crowdsourcing, DroneTM equipa a pilotos locales y comunidades propensas a desastres con herramientas para crear mapas aéreos de alta resolución, mejorando la respuesta a desastres y la resiliencia comunitaria.
Juntos mapeamos para o bem: construindo o Open Drone Aerial Tasking Manager
Aproveitando drones e crowdsourcing, a DroneTM equipa pilotos locais e comunidades propensas a desastres com ferramentas para criar mapas aéreos de alta resolução, melhorando a resposta a desastres e a resiliência comunitária.
OSM vs GIS: What I’ve learned about OSM from a GIS Perspective
When I started at the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) almost three years ago, I joined the organization with years of experience using geographic information systems (GIS) in the public and humanitarian sectors but little —okay, embarrassingly little— experience in OpenStreetMap (OSM).
