News — 24 April, 2013

Hottie Humberto Yances presents the La Boquilla Project

Humberto Yances has written up his wonderful OSM community work in La Boquilla, and HOT wants to share great work by HOT members (note, this is not a formal HOT project). From an idea, to engagement, to mapping, to distribution, to use, La Boquilla clearly demonstrates what can happen with an open, networked, community based approach. [inline:equipo.jpg]From these evocative beginnings ...

Humberto Yances has written up his wonderful OSM community work in La Boquilla, and HOT wants to share great work by HOT members (note, this is not a formal HOT project). From an idea, to engagement, to mapping, to distribution, to use, La Boquilla clearly demonstrates what can happen with an open, networked, community based approach.

[inline:equipo.jpg]

From these evocative beginnings …

April 2011, I was sat in one of the high stools positioned on the side of the walls of a historic spanish bulwark, with 180º degrees view of the Caribbean sea, talking about possibles uses of OSM maps and ICTs to create early alerts systems for recent colombian floods, intern conflict and strategies for economic development with Robert Soden (a former HOT board member). Soon after his depart, he introduce me to --a now commom friend-- Viviana Mourra, Executive Director of Ecoprogreso, a small local conservancy NGO focused in resolve enviromental issues at Ciénaga de La Virgen & Juan Polo, part of Tesca Wetland, an hidrological system surrounding La Boquilla village.

… Humberto engaged and began to understand the community challenges …

More recent, national and international hotels chains are buying more buildings and filled areas to arise modern hotels with more than 400 rooms. With a high rate of population triggered by teen pregnancies, poor families forced to move more at north to new areas (Marlinda and Villa Gloria) between sea and Ciénaga de Juan Polo, building huts without water or electricity, deforesting more mangroves and suffering floods. Weak institutions, lack of law enforcement, and society’s permissiveness, that stems from ignorance of the value of the ecosystem. Few schools in the area, low education, sexual tourism, loss of cultural heritage and land conflict, give them low chances for a better human and economic development.

… and facilitated great map making and uses.

[inline:mapbox-laboquilla.png]

Definitely read the whole blog post here.