Collaborative Approaches to Mapping Damage in Lebanon
Lebanon is facing a recovery from crisis, and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), with support from the H2H Network and in partnership with OSM Lebanon, is leading a global and local effort to turn incomplete maps into reliable data for a stronger response. Using open mapping tools and a growing OpenStreetMap (OSM) community in Lebanon, we are building accurate infrastructure and land use datasets to help humanitarian organizations deliver aid where it is most needed and better understand the evolving humanitarian landscape in the country. This work is part of a larger initiative to raise awareness and mobilize support for displacement and safe migration as part of our program on Conflict and Displacement.
Table of Contents
Background
The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon has reached a critical point, with up to 25% of buildings along the southern Lebanese border damaged or destroyed as of October 2024. The conflict, which escalated in October 2024, has led to displacement, limited resources, and a need for accurate data to plan and implement humanitarian interventions. Understanding the extent of damage to infrastructure is essential for advocacy, resource allocation, and operational planning.
In such a complex environment, reliable geospatial data is not just useful—it is essential for humanitarian aid programming. To address critical information gaps, HOT, supported by the H2H Network, has initiated a project to enhance Lebanon’s mapped infrastructure, focusing on pre-conflict building footprints. This initiative aims to provide humanitarian organizations with theResources for understanding the opportunities associated with each damage assessment methodology., plan aid delivery, and understand the impact of the conflict on affected populations.
Understanding the Geospatial Gaps in Lebanon
Lebanon’s diverse geography, combined with the ongoing conflict, has created significant challenges in acquiring accurate and actionable data.
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Incomplete Building Footprints: Current datasets, such as Microsoft Machine Learning (ML) buildings, lack the precision needed for reliable damage assessments. For example, Microsoft ML buildings often miss structures or group multiple buildings together, leading to inaccurate damage estimates.
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Chart and maps from ML, google and overture
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Data Gaps in Rural Areas: Rural regions face a near-complete absence of reliable geospatial data, making it difficult to detect damage remotely or plan logistics for aid delivery.
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map on rural areas
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Multiple Damage Methodologies: There are various approaches to damage analysis, each with different inputs, outputs, and levels of transparency. This diversity complicates the data landscape for humanitarian decision-makers.
*Source: Damage analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data by* Corey Scher *of CUNY Graduate Center and* Jamon Van Den Hoek *of Oregon State University. Microsoft building footprints.*
The Role of Open Mapping, AI and Data Accuracy in Lebanon
HOT’s project leverages the power of open mapping and community-driven data collection to fill critical data gaps and improve the accuracy of damage assessments.
- Crowdsourced Mapping: Using HOT’s Tasking Manager, global volunteers and the OSM Lebanon community are digitizing pre-conflict building footprints across the most affected areas, including southern Lebanon. This effort is supported by MapSwipe, a tool that allows volunteers to quickly review aerial imagery for the presence of buildings, particularly in rural areas.
- Data Quality and Validation: HOT is conducting rigorous quality checks to ensure the accuracy of the building footprint dataset. This includes validating data through partnerships with local organizations like the Lebanese Red Cross and global stakeholders such as UNOSAT and Oregon State University.
- Assessing AI Methodologies: HOT is not using AI to fill data gaps but is instead evaluating the accuracy of AI-generated datasets and comparing their methodologies. This includes piloting a comparison between crowdsourced damage detection and automated methods to identify strengths, limitations, and gaps in AI-based approaches. By doing so, HOT aims to provide humanitarian actors with a clearer understanding of how different methodologies can be used effectively and responsibly in damage analysis.”
Source: Damage analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data by Corey Scher of CUNY Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University. Microsoft building footprints.
Building a Community of Practice for Damage Analysis
To address these gaps, HOT is working with the OSM community in Lebanon and global volunteers to create a complete and highly precise dataset of pre-conflict building footprints. This dataset will serve as a baseline for damage detection, enabling more accurate and timely assessments as the crisis unfolds. On top of that, HOT will create a comprehensive review of available damage analysis methods, summarizing their strengths, limitations, and use cases.
One of the key challenges in Lebanon’s crisis is the diversity of damage analysis methodologies. To address this, HOT is creating a landscape assessment of available damage methodologies, summarizing their strengths, limitations, and use cases. This resource will serve as a guide for humanitarian actors, helping them navigate the complexities of damage data and make informed decisions.
HOT is also fostering a community of practice among damage analysis stakeholders. This collaborative approach aims to create a shared understanding of how different methodologies can complement each other, ensuring that data is used responsibly and effectively.
*Source: Damage analysis of Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite data by* Corey Scher *of CUNY Graduate Center and* Jamon Van Den Hoek *of Oregon State University. Microsoft building footprints.*
Data Access and Use
Country-Level Data
All map edits are live in OSM and can be accessed through HOT’s Export Tool or the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX). Below are key datasets available for Lebanon:
- Buildings: Pre-conflict building footprints for damage analysis.
- Roads: Road networks for logistics planning.
- Health Facilities: Locations of hospitals and clinics.
- Education Facilities: Schools and universities.
- Points of Interest: Key landmarks and infrastructure.
Download Based on Areas of Interest
You can also create your own export using the HOT Export Tool, an open service that creates customized extracts of up-to-date OSM data in various file formats.
What’s Next? Upcoming Work and Focus Areas
As of January 2025, HOT’s work in Lebanon is far from complete. The next phase will focus on scaling these efforts to cover underrepresented areas and improve the accuracy of damage assessments. Key initiatives include:
- Expanding Mapping Coverage: Leveraging tools like MapSwipe to involve more volunteers in mapping rural and hard-to-reach areas.
- Community of Practice: Hosting workshops and consultations to strengthen collaboration among damage analysis stakeholders.
- analysis of damage methodologies
Get Involved
As this project continues, it will require sustained commitment from volunteers, partners, and the global community. Together, we can ensure that Lebanon’s maps are more suitable for recovery, relief, and planning.
If you would like to help, please refer to the wiki where you can find different projects, initiatives, and activities.
Are you with an organization working in Lebanon or other conflict-affected areas, or interested in supporting other ways? Contact us at info@hotosm.org to partner, volunteer, or donate to ongoing efforts in conflict-affected areas worldwide.
Cover photo: Wikipedia - NASA, Satellite picture of Lebanon - Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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