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 page highlights our work in Latin America.

Summary

This project builds upon HOT’s work over the past two years with municipal and national governments in Latin America. We’ve collaboratively expanded local map data and technical competencies in government agencies, organizations, and universities, and installed support networks with universities. This project will focus on offering training for selected municipal governments throughout the region in partnership with the Open Government Partnership (OGP) network.

This project will use public participation, data creation, and systemic reforms to generate experienced networks in these cities that will be the basis for inclusive planning for improving the living conditions in many communities that have been ignored until now.

Background

Most countries in the Latin America region have official national cartographic data sets that are incomplete, outdated, and unequal across their territory. This means that many of the localities that tend to be the most vulnerable and isolated are not represented on official maps. This, in turn, impedes evidence-based public planning, as well as the development of public policies to benefit these underrepresented communities.

Approach

The Latin America and Caribbean Hub (LAC Hub) will create a network with an initial group of selected municipalities within the Open Government Partnership network. The municipalities will be selected based on their level of need and priority for disaster risk issues, their commitment to follow an intensive one-term training curriculum, and their previous linkages with local universities in order to build a permanent relationship of support for students in careers related to territorial management.