News
Mapping and Open Data Critical to Disaster Response
The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) released an impact report on September 18, 2024, highlighting two years of enhancing open data for disaster response in West and Northern Africa. Key successes include vital infrastructure mapping in Morocco, Senegal, Liberia, and Nigeria, showcasing the importance of accurate data and community collaboration.
Will OpenStreetMap meet your needs? HOT’s move towards more data insights
In the spirit of FAIR data (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) and with support from the H2H Network, HOT is improving the reusability of OpenStreetMap (OSM) data through improved metadata of its datasets.
From Brainstorm to (Almost) Blastoff: Building ClearPath, an Accessible Navigation App
ClearPath, a mobile navigation app, leverages OpenStreetMap to enhance accessibility in Downtown Kingston for persons with disabilities. Developed with support from HOT’s microgrant and collaboration with MSBM, ClearPath aims to map key accessibility features like curb cuts and pedestrian crossings.
Recuperación de la Infraestructura Social en Porto Alegre: Mapeo para la Resiliencia
Después de las inundaciones de 2024 en Porto Alegre, Brasil, el BID y HOT se asociaron para mapear y evaluar la infraestructura dañada. Utilizando datos georreferenciados y la participación comunitaria, esta colaboración impulsa una recuperación sostenible y resiliente para las poblaciones más vulnerables de la ciudad.
Recuperação da Infraestrutura Social em Porto Alegre: Mapeamento para a Resiliência
Após as enchentes de 2024 em Porto Alegre, Brasil, o BID e a HOT se uniram para mapear e avaliar a infraestrutura danificada. Utilizando dados georreferenciados e o envolvimento da comunidade, essa colaboração promove uma recuperação sustentável e resiliente para as populações mais vulneráveis da cidade.
Building Resilience through Open Mapping: HOT Caribbean Microgrant Recipients Tackle Flood Risks
HOT Caribbean Microgrant Programme is enhancing local communities in Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Lucia to build resilience against flood risks through open mapping. Learn about community-led disaster risk reduction, youth engagement, and geospatial data's role in enhancing disaster preparedness in the Caribbean.
HOT and Sonje Ayiti Join Forces to Enhance Haitian Communities Through Open Mapping
HOT and Sonje Ayiti Organisation are enhancing Haitian communities by leveraging open geospatial data. This collaboration equips local students with essential mapping skills, enabling them to contribute to disaster management and development efforts. Through this initiative, a new generation of mappers is being cultivated, enhancing community resilience amid Haiti’s socio-political challenges.
Export Tool Update: New vector tiles format and improved metadata
For over 15 years, the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) has been helping users access OpenStreetMap (OSM) data through the Export Tool, an easy interface that allows downloads in popular spatial data formats. This week we introduce two new tile formats and the ability to get User Info + Timestamps.
South America in Flames: Fighting Fires with Open Mapping
Wildfires in South America are consuming thousands of hectares of crops and forests in conservation areas in countries such as Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and others. Let's learn about the relief efforts emerging from open mapping communities.
Sudamérica en Llamas: Combatiendo los Incendios con Cartografía Abierta
Los incendios forestales en Sudamérica están consumiendo miles de hectáreas de sembríos y bosques de áreas de preservación en países como Bolivia, Perú, Ecuador y otros. Conozcamos los esfuerzos de ayuda que van surgiendo desde las comunidades de cartografía abierta.
Staff Spotlight Series: Kshitij Sharma
Each quarter, we feature one of our all-star staff members in a Staff Spotlight Series. Staff featured in this Series have been peer-nominated for their superb performance and values-driven work. This quarter, we spotlight Kshitij Sharma, HOT's Product Owner for Map Data Access Services.
Implementación de Mapeo Abierto en la Gestión Municipal: Proyecto de Mapeo Colaborativo de Transporte Público en Zamora
El proyecto Rutatón-Zamora, liderado por la Dirección de Movilidad del Municipio de Zamora, Codeando México y CoMapper, busca mapear colaborativamente las rutas de transporte público en Zamora y sus municipios vecinos. Con el apoyo de HOT, se han generado datos precisos sobre rutas y unidades de transporte, facilitando a las autoridades locales tomar decisiones más informadas para optimizar el transporte público y mejorar la accesibilidad en la región.
Boosting Caribbean Resilience: Collaborative Efforts using Drone Imagery in Coulibistrie, Dominica
Discover how our collaboration with the University of the West Indies, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University, and the Caribbean Islands Higher Education Resilience Consortium is enhancing resilience planning in Coulibistrie, Dominica, through the use of drone imagery.
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On the Front Line of Climate Change: End-to-End Open Mapping Tech for Wildfires
Climate change has led to an increase in wildfire season length, wildfire frequency, and burned areas around the world. The wildfire season has lengthened in many areas due to factors including warmer springs, longer summer dry seasons, and drier soils and vegetation. Given this context, people from the Alpa Corral region in Córdoba, Argentina, who want to protect our native forests and towns, met from July 26 to 28 to see how the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team’s End-to-End Open Mapping Tech can help people prepare themselves to face disasters together.
The Power of Volunteers: Remote Mapping in Gaza and Other Conflict Areas
As damage reaches record levels in the Gaza Strip, expert volunteers coordinated by HOT have recently completed a 5-month project to create the most comprehensive building footprints dataset available for Gaza using OpenStreetMap. Looking at pre-October 2023 imagery, this effort added a net total of 59,223 buildings to the dataset and improved thousands of existing features. In this post, we share how our work in Gaza illustrates our approach to open mapping in conflict zones, and examines the potential role of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in the sector.
El Proyecto Bache: Mapeando una Problemática Ciudadana en San Martín de Los Andes
Estudiantes y docentes de la secundaria del CPEM-13 en San Martín de los Andes, Argentina, emplean herramientas de mapeo abierto para abordar problemas viales mediante el programa Open Mapping for All, facilitando la identificación de problemas y la búsqueda de soluciones.
