News — 16 April, 2024

Climate Mapping Campaign: Help map Eastern & Southern Africa to fight climate change!

The devastating impacts of climate change, from intense cyclones to prolonged droughts, are threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions in Eastern and Southern Africa. At HOT's Open Mapping Hub (OMH-ESA), we are dedicated to advancing open mapping solutions for community development and social impact.

That’s why we’re launching the Climate Mapping Campaign, a critical initiative to empower communities across Eastern and Southern Africa. With the power of OpenStreetMap, we aim to create vital data that will be instrumental in supporting preparedness, response, and early recovery efforts for those facing climate-related disasters.

The campaign runs from April 18th to the end of September 2024.

How it works:

Together, we will map critical infrastructure (buildings, roads) in vulnerable areas. This data helps disaster response teams plan for faster aid delivery, allocate resources to those most in need, and respond more effectively after disasters.

Our Focus:

• Mozambique: Rebuilding after Cyclone Filipo with local communities.
• Zambia: Mapping land use to combat drought with government agencies.
• Kenya: We partnering CIAT for climate-smart agriculture solutions.

Who can join?

Mappers from all over the world are welcome to join this campaign and help us map and validate projects. 

Here is how to Join

1. Register using this form. Registering will help to easily stay in touch with everyone contributing to these campaigns.
2. Log into Tasking Manager to access the mapping projects.
3. Select a task to map from this list.
4. Start mapping!

New to mapping? No Problem!

If you’re new to mapping and want to learn, or want to advance your mapping skills, we are hosting weekly virtual mapathons every Thursday from 3pm to 4pm Central African time and will be mapping in Tasking Manager using JOSM and ID editor - sign up here.

Mappers who take part from the start to the end of the campaign will receive a certificate, and weekly top mappers will receive recognition.

If you are interested in partnering or collaborating with the Open Mapping Hub—Eastern and Southern Africa differently, send an email to esahub@hotosm.org. You can also follow us on our social media accounts: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.