Automating a country’s basic data to gain time in a disaster involves many complex variables. Since 2022, MapAction, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and the University of Georgia, Information Technology Outreach Services (ITOS) have been working on strengthening data quality for what are referred to as Common Operational […]
Advocacy
Madagascar (Video): Impact of MapAction Anticipatory Action programmes
In 2023, MapAction began working in Madagascar as part of a global programme to strengthen anticipatory action. In the video below, local partners and stakeholders report on the impact of various activities, including training on mapping and modelling with geospatial data, humanitarian information management and the INFORM Risk Index methodology for anticipatory action risk forecasting; […]
Understanding how floods affect at-risk communities ‘off the map’ in Cartagena, Colombia
Understanding the impacts of flooding in cities is a complex and multifaceted issue, influenced by competing environmental, social, economic, and political factors. Lack of comprehensive data and information on flood events exacerbates the issue, hindering the ability of cities and their residents to effectively prepare for and respond to disasters. No one understands the importance […]
Strengthening data quality for shared humanitarian data sets can reduce human suffering
Since 2022, MapAction, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and the University of Georgia, Information Technology Outreach Services (ITOS) have been working on strengthening data quality for what are referred to as Common Operational Datasets (COD): ‘best available’ shared datasets that ensure consistency and simplify the discovery and exchange […]
Putting children on the map in West and Central Africa through geo-spatial analysis
UNICEF, CartONG and MapAction are announcing a new partnership in six countries: Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali and Nigeria. The ‘Reach the Unreached’ initiative aims to use analysis of geographic information (GIS) to find families that may be overlooked by those providing services such as birth registration and vaccination. When traditional ways of identifying […]
Meet a MapAction pioneer on International Women’s Day
She survived a volcanic eruption and helped rebuild her island afterwards. Meet Lavern Ryan, a MapAction volunteer and GIS aficionado. ‘Be the change that you want to see in the world’ is a quote often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi but on International Women’s Day 2024, MapAction volunteer Lavern Ryan says it captures her thoughts. “I […]
CoP 28 : Good use of data is key to mitigating the climate emergency
MapAction urges world leaders and stakeholders gathered at COP28 to promote data-driven solutions to improve the lives of people on the front lines of climate change. (A version of this article was first published before CoP27 in Egypt in 2022. It was updated for CoP28 in November 2023. ) In recent years we have seen a […]
MapAction urges wider adoption of GIS for disaster resilience at UN Expert Meeting
MapAction’s Head of Programme Development spoke at the UNGGIM this week, promoting the efficiencies that can be gained by effective use of geospatial services to meet the priorities of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in understanding risk and vulnerability, governance, financing and especially in early warning and preparedness to respond in emergencies. The UNGGIM is the […]
Why we must address the gender gap in humanitarian data
Without a consistent approach to sex-and-age-disaggregated-data (SADD) in local, national and international data collection, the specific needs of women and girls – as well as men and boys – will continue to be misunderstood or overlooked by international development agents and disaster relief operators. The same is true for understanding the needs of the LGBT […]
How maps can save lives when disasters strike
Prompt mobilisation of MapAction volunteers is helping the earthquake response in Türkiye and Syria. But as natural disasters intensify, the charity is appealing for funds to meet growing demand Read more in the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Land Journal.