Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team

Couldn't be more proud of my team at The Open Mapping Hub - Asia Pacific support and for the great collaboration from the World Vision Bangladesh on the completion of this project. if you interested to learn more, please visit our website at Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team Nama Budhathoki Dr Rahul Mathew Rahat Ara Sirajum Monir Bernard Heng Honey Grace Fombuena

As 2024 Wraps Up... This year, we’ve achieved incredible milestones together, creating life-saving maps, empowering local communities and advancing resilience. We’re deeply grateful for your unwavering support and partnership. Thank you for being part of this journey with us! As we step into 2025, we’re excited to build on this momentum, strengthen collaborations, and achieve even greater milestones together. ✨ Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a hopeful, prosperous new year! ✨ Check out the full reflection on our website: https://bit.ly/4gR47cI

🌍 Reflecting on the 24-Hour Telemapathon Participants from across the globe came together to discuss and contribute to impactful mapping projects addressing real-world challenges. Using MapSwipe, a humanitarian mapping tool, they helped identify critical infrastructure essential for disaster response, humanitarian aid, and sustainable development. MapSwipe is as easy as swiping satellite images to identify and select those that contain requested humanitarian features, such as buildings, roadways, waterways, and more. Easy to use, and anyone can participate! The event’s live mapping sessions showcased how anyone can make a difference by taking part in challenges that rely on collective effort and technology. This initiative proved that small, actionable steps like swiping your screen , can drive meaningful change. 🌟 Keep the momentum going! If you haven’t tried MapSwipe yet, now’s the perfect time. Download the app and start making a difference today! https://bit.ly/3Pa2PNR

It was a pleasure to share stories about QGIS at this event, thanks for inviting me to contribute! #QGIS

Insights from Telemapathon Speakers The 24-hour Telemapathon brought together humanitarian experts and mappers from around the globe to exchange insights, inspire action, and promote open mapping solutions for critical challenges. Here are a few statements from speakers that reflect the spirit of innovation and collaboration at the event.

When artificial intelligence is developed with intention and understanding, it becomes a catalyst for radical change. The The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation partnership fuels the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team mission to provide map data that revolutionizes disaster management, reduces risks, and supports the Sustainable Development Goals, showcasing #AI as a resource to uplift and strengthen communities. With their support, our fAIr initiative continues to enhance AI-assisted, community-driven mapping for vulnerable regions worldwide. Together, we’re building a future where technology complements our shared purpose, laying the groundwork for lasting change. Learn more about their commitment to AI for good: https://bit.ly/3P75k3G

Check out the article by ClimateWatch on the Dhaka Thrive project, a groundbreaking initiative leveraging open map data to enhance urban resilience in Dhaka’s informal settlements, particularly in Mirpur, a critical entry point for migrants. Dhaka, the rapidly growing capital of Bangladesh, is home to 23.9 million people, nearly 40% of whom live in slums. The city grapples with ecohealth issues, worsened by urban-climate migration. Amid these challenges, the Dhaka Thrive Project, led by The Open Mapping Hub - Asia Pacific and World Vision Bangladesh is paving the way for resilience through open mapping. This community-driven initiative engages local youth and stakeholders to create detailed geospatial data, offering insights for designing sustainable solutions. This effort has identified three critical threats facing slum communities: flood risks, dengue hotspots, and fire hazards. The project used tools such as Mapillary for geo-coded photographs and Open Data Kit (ODK) for detailed slum assessments. Early findings also revealed the link between dengue hotspots and environmental issues, exacerbated by inefficient waste handling. In Mirpur, the project has achieved the following: ✅ 7,700 buildings mapped ✅ 12 kilometers of roads mapped ✅ 696 amenities identified As Dhaka continues to grow, initiative like Dhaka Thrive shows how innovation and community action can help create cities that not only survive but thrive. 🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/4gi7vgR #ClimateResilience #MappingForChange

A Successful Telemapathon: Map, Give, and Impact ❤️ In many parts of the world, entire communities remain uncharted, vulnerable to disasters, displacement, and neglect due to the lack of accurate mapping data. This gap in information creates significant challenges for NGOs, policymakers, and disaster response teams, making it harder to deliver aid and allocate resources efficiently. That’s why the 2024 Telemapathon was such a monumental success. For 24 hours, a global community of passionate mappers, OSM community members, philanthropy partners and other stakeholders came together to create an extraordinary impact. This collaborative effort focused on creating critical open data to aid disaster preparedness, humanitarian response, and development in under-mapped regions. 📌 Key Highlights 💰 $47,760 raised to sustain and expand humanitarian mapping efforts. 🌎 1,500 attendees from around the world united to swipe. 🎙️ 77 speakers and thought leaders inspired attendees with insights on mapping, disaster response, and humanitarian innovation. 📱 3,308 MapSwipe contributors worked on 15 projects, targeting critical areas in need of disaster readiness and support. This first-of-its-kind event demonstrates how collective action can bridge gaps and make a tangible difference. This global effort ensures that vulnerable regions gain the visibility needed for swift emergency responses and sustainable development planning. Thank you to everyone who participated, donated, and supported this groundbreaking event. Together, we’ve shown that when communities come together, we can solve even the most pressing challenges. Let’s keep mapping for a brighter, more resilient future. 🌟

🚨 Urgent call for action🚨 Tropical Cyclone Chido-25 made landfall a couple of days ago, causing significant devastation across Madagascar, Mayotte, and Mozambique. The cyclone struck the southern part of Pemba in Mozambique as a Category 4 storm, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Our hearts go out to the people affected by this disaster. Tragically, 45 lives have been lost, and 319 individuals have been injured in Mozambique alone. An estimated two million people have been impacted, with nearly 35,000 homes destroyed or severely damaged. The situation in rural areas is even more dire. In light of this, we are urgently working to create datasets to support the relief efforts. Your contributions in identifying buildings in the affected rural areas of Mozambique are crucial. By doing so, we can provide the necessary data to aid in response and recovery operations, ultimately helping save lives and livelihoods. We invite you to join us in this vital effort. Please access the project via this link: https://buff.ly/3BnWA60 under "Buildings Cyclone Chido Mozambique." Your participation can make a significant difference in these communities during this critical time.

🌟Q4 Staff Spotlight: Mar Marín Villagrana 🌟 Meet Mar Marín Villagrana, Senior Communications Manager for the Open Mapping Hub in Latin America and the Caribbean! 🎤🌎 Mar’s journey into open mapping began with inspiring encounters at the Code for All Summit and Creative Commons Summit—experiences that sparked her passion for leveraging open data to drive meaningful change. Now, she plays a pivotal role in crafting communication strategies, like for one of her favorite projects, Mapping for Climate-Ready Cities in Latin America, and leading the Humanitarian Mapping Laboratory. What fulfills Mar the most? “Witnessing firsthand the power of maps to tell compelling stories about people and places, uncovering patterns of ideas and issues across space and time.” Mar’s dedication to enhancing communities through open mapping reflects HOT’s mission: creating a more equitable world by harnessing local knowledge. 🗺️Mar’s Bucket List Destinations in 2025: Guatemala, Portugal, and Kenya—where she hopes to map on the ground! Learn more about Mar and her impactful work: https://bit.ly/3VIqM2I #StaffSpotlight #HOTOSM