Through our Mapping for Climate Ready Cities program, HOT is supporting the development of a thriving ecosystem focused on the creation, interpretation, and use of maps to respond to and reduce climate risks in urban areas across four priority regions. This project page highlights our work in Jumla, Nepal through HOT's Asia Pacific Hub (AP Hub).

Summary

Start Network Nepal (FOREWARN Nepal) and the Open Mapping Hub-Asia Pacific will collaborate with communities and non-profit organizations to transfer technical knowledge and utilize data from OpenStreetMap to comprehensively understand and mitigate future risks regarding climate change.

Our collaborative effort aims to enhance the capacity of at-risk communities through sustainable data generation and knowledge transfer. By fostering proper interaction between knowledge producers and users, we will promote accessibility of information among START Network members and other humanitarian actors especially during wet seasons.

Background

The road network plays a crucial role in economic and humanitarian activities. Accurate data on OpenStreetMap is vital for reliable navigation because it helps users avoid delays and hazards and enables real-time updates for better routing.

Although road mapping in Nepal has experienced significant growth on OpenStreetMap, there is still incomplete coverage, especially in the more remote rural regions of the country. Moreover, within the existing road network data, issues related to data quality - particularly in routing - have surfaced especially in terms of road accessibility status during wet seasons. It is imperative to implement a validation strategy to address these concerns promptly.

Poor quality or out-of-date road data in OpenStreetMap can cause users to become lost or choose inefficient paths. Additionally, during times of crisis, inaccurate and inaccessible information can be detrimental, affecting the speed at which aid and rescue services can be delivered.

Another pressing concern is accessibility to remote and potentially uncharted areas. If road data quality issues are not resolved, specific locations or routes may be inaccessible or impractical to access when using OpenStreetMap, posing challenges for rural communities connecting to the rest of Nepal.

Approach

Methodology

• Implement a strategy to rectify inaccuracies and address gaps in OpenStreetMap road network data through systematic remote mapping and validation activities in OpenStreetMap.
• Focus on validating major road networks (trunk and primary) and significant settlement regions within the focus areas.
• Collaborate with communities and stakeholders to transfer knowledge and enhance capacity through sustainable knowledge generation.
• Prioritize critical sections of the national road network to provide immediate benefits.

Datasets Collected

• Roads, buildings, and critical infrastructures such as health posts, water sources, schools, and evacuation centers.

Expected Outcome and Impact

• Humanitarian and development actors utilize open data to enhance their effectiveness in reaching communities that were previously uncharted on the map. Community members and local stakeholders acquire necessary skills and actively participate in mapping and validation activities, especially to reflect changes in the road network accessibility during wet seasons.
• Consolidation of data and local knowledge with the related actors in this project, including Start Fund Networks members, local NGOs, community, government, and universities, to discuss and identify needs and addressable gaps for effective operations planning during wet seasons.
• Mobilization of OSM experts nationally to support data quality and validation efforts.

Next Steps

• Conduct one co-creation workshop within the first month of the project and organize one local-level workshop focused on data use cases during the last quarter of the project.
• Activate OSM community volunteers to map the missing road network by leveraging social media promotion.
• Train Start Fund Nepal members to manage mapping projects using the Tasking Manager, MapRoulette, and other relevant open mapping tools. Engage the government, private sectors, and humanitarian actors to increase their awareness and understanding of open-source data, promoting its use in disaster response.

Feature image courtesy of the US Embassy, Kathmandu. Photo by Mohan Mainali.