Open mapping for community development and disaster response
MLC VOYAGER | Created by Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team
One billion people live in places that do not appear on maps, leaving them out of critical decisions that will save or improve lives. By combining innovative technology with a global volunteer base and support for local communities, Humanitarian OpenStreet Map Team (HOT) seeks a world where every community exists on the map and decision-makers have the data they need.
150,000,000 Lives Impacted
There is an urgent need for a free, open and comprehensive map of the world. This problem manifests in two critical contexts: 1) Crisis response: When disasters and crises occur, humanitarians must quickly answer a set of basic questions about the locations of people and infrastructure for an effective response. 2) Providing essential services: Accurate, up-to-date data is a basic foundation for any development program.
With this open-source, up-to-date, free and digital public good, information will be available to make better and faster decisions. As a result, missing maps will no longer be a factor in human suffering or loss of life.
We want to help one billion women, men, and children in the most at-risk places — those who are affected by disaster or are multidimensionally poor and lacking basic services. The target population includes all genders and ages, based 94 countries. Our goals include that women and girls are fully represented on the map.
The Innovation
Our innovation is a social model which involves open-source technology, partnerships and most importantly, a community-led movement:
1. We democratise the mapping process, providing simple technology for people to contribute their local knowledge to maps. We do this by ensuring communities have the technology and skills to lead on mapping their communities.
2. We provide open-source technology so that humanitarian organisations can request data and anyone, anywhere, can contribute to the map. Similar to Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap is free for anyone to use or update, and our rigorous methodology and volunteers ensure up-to-date, high-quality data. Our technological innovation ensures mapping is even easier, more accessible, and entirely accurate.
3. We activate a global volunteer community when a disaster strikes.
4. We partner with some of the world’s largest NGOs like the Red Cross, United Nations (UN) agencies, and governments to help them use the maps to increase their impact.
About Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT)
HOT is an international team dedicated to humanitarian action and community development through open mapping. We work together to provide map data that revolutionises disaster management, reduces risks, and contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
When a major disaster strikes anywhere in the world, HOT volunteers come together online and on the ground to create open map data that enables disaster responders to reach those in need.
HOT enables communities, NGOs, international organisations, and government partners to use and contribute to OpenStreetMap for locally relevant challenges by providing training, equipment, knowledge exchange, and field projects.
Implemented in
Humanitarian OpenStreetMap has been implemented in 94 countries spread across four regions: Asia-Pacific, Eastern and Southern Africa, Western Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean, with four focus countries in each region.
