tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/crowdsourced-crisis-mapping-4569/articlesCrowdsourced crisis mapping – The Conversation2022-03-21T12:13:04Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1790692022-03-21T12:13:04Z2022-03-21T12:13:04ZMaps show – and hide – key information about Ukraine war<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452890/original/file-20220317-13-hh77h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1533%2C463%2C1682%2C1451&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Maps contain useful information, but that means leaving out other information that is also useful.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/Russia-Ukraine-Invasion/3aff5f26d9704dd7be89fc2c174c6b4b/photo">Associated Press</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>“All maps are lies,” my colleague, <a href="https://geography.richmond.edu/faculty/dsalisbu/">geographer David Salisbury</a>, says.</p>
<p>He’s right. All maps are inherently incomplete, focusing on certain subjects and areas to the exclusion of others. These are crucial aspects of rhetoric, the field I study. Every map distorts the world, whether it’s of a local area or the whole Earth. No map can do otherwise, except a map exactly as large as the territory it depicts – though as the author Jorge Luis Borges famously pointed out, <a href="https://genius.com/Jorge-luis-borges-on-exactitude-in-science-annotated">that map would be useless</a>.</p>
<p>But maps’ lies can be productive. Maps can simplify the world and make it more easily comprehensible.</p>
<p>Geographers often speak in terms of what they call the “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1151014">silences</a>” of maps – what’s missing and unseen, hidden in the margins. Those silences are just as meaningful as what’s on the page. It’s important to ask what has been left out.</p>
<p>That’s certainly true when looking at maps depicting aspects of Russia’s war on Ukraine. News organizations around the world have published many maps of the crisis, but their standard views are not the only way maps can help people understand what is happening in Ukraine.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452887/original/file-20220317-13-tpsvmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A map of Ukraine with arrows showing Russian forces' advances" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452887/original/file-20220317-13-tpsvmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452887/original/file-20220317-13-tpsvmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452887/original/file-20220317-13-tpsvmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452887/original/file-20220317-13-tpsvmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=441&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452887/original/file-20220317-13-tpsvmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452887/original/file-20220317-13-tpsvmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452887/original/file-20220317-13-tpsvmi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Maps like this one from The Washington Post can signal an inevitability of Russian advancement and make a chaotic conflict seem orderly and organized.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/02/ukraine-russia-war-timeline-photos-videos-maps/#feb-26">Washington Post</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Surrounded</h2>
<p>Most typical news maps show Ukraine as an encircled and embattled nation.</p>
<p>Even without other markings, Ukraine appears small, with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682">Russia looming over it</a> from the north and east. Once <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/03/15/the-war-in-ukraine-explained-in-maps">annotated with arrows</a> showing the general directions of invasion forces, icons showing specific attacks, and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/24/europe/ukraine-visual-explainer-maps/index.html">dots highlighting Ukrainian nuclear plants and other strategic targets</a>, these maps can signal an inevitability of Russian advancement. They also tend to exaggerate the idea that it’s a coordinated, controlled assault – when, of course, war is famously chaotic.</p>
<p>These maps don’t show the topography of Ukraine or its road network. They mostly show political borders crossed by lines and arrows representing the movements of Russian soldiers, part of the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-russia-military-comparison-1.6365115">second-most-powerful military</a> in the world.</p>
<p>Ukraine appears on these maps as a puzzle piece amid the rest of the puzzle of Europe, a shape at the center surrounded by small pieces of surrounding nations. It could be an open container waiting to be filled with chaos, or one that is spilling chaos into the rest of Europe.</p>
<p>These maps do not often show the location or strength of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-weapons-get-to-ukraine-and-whats-needed-to-protect-vulnerable-supply-chains-179285">Ukrainian resistance</a>. Nor do they depict the <a href="https://theconversation.com/ukrainian-refugees-are-welcomed-with-open-arms-not-so-with-people-fleeing-other-war-torn-countries-178491">complex flow of refugees</a> fleeing the fighting, which is usually either simplified or left out altogether.</p>
<p>The everyday experiences of civilians on the ground in this war remain elusive in these maps. The maps appear to be authoritative and absolute, but the reality is much messier and uncertain.</p>
<p>This is not a critique of mapmakers who are depicting the war on Ukraine. Their work has often been productive and insightful, helpfully simplifying an incredibly complicated situation into one or two clear statements. They use a familiar mapping style, one that came into its own during World War II. Maps in the media were portrayed as documents that could help everyday citizens connect with the war. President Franklin Roosevelt even asked Americans to “<a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/fireside-chat-6">look at your map</a>” as he spoke over the radio about fighting in Europe and the Pacific. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453102/original/file-20220318-10592-16vu46x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black-and-white map of the world with key locations marked, such as Berlin and Japan." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453102/original/file-20220318-10592-16vu46x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453102/original/file-20220318-10592-16vu46x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453102/original/file-20220318-10592-16vu46x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453102/original/file-20220318-10592-16vu46x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453102/original/file-20220318-10592-16vu46x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453102/original/file-20220318-10592-16vu46x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453102/original/file-20220318-10592-16vu46x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Newspapers in the U.S. printed this map for readers to refer to when listening to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the radio.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.incendiarytraces.org/articles/2015/9/10/imagining-global-war-popular-cartography-during-world-war-ii">Los Angeles Times, Feb. 23, 1942.</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://scholarship.richmond.edu/rhetoric-faculty-publications/16/">news maps</a> of that time projected the anxiety and vulnerability of strategic areas for the United States and their allies. They signaled directly that U.S. involvement was necessary. As the Cold War emerged, and maps shifted their anxiety toward the Soviet Union, the simplicity and directness of many maps sought to sound the alarm about Soviet encroachment into the heart of Europe, and communist threats in Asia and Africa.</p>
<p>The maps of the war in Ukraine are often more sophisticated and sometimes interactive, but they still carry the alarm of inevitable Russian advancement and project the familiar concept of the battle between East and West.</p>
<h2>Multiple perspectives</h2>
<p>There are, of course, other ways to map this war. Some global news outlets are presenting a series of maps, rather than just one. <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/24/mapping-russian-attacks-across-ukraine-interactive">Al Jazeera</a>, <a href="https://graphics.reuters.com/UKRAINE-CRISIS/zdpxokdxzvx/">Reuters’ graphics division</a> and the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/4351d5b0-0888-4b47-9368-6bc4dfbccbf5">Financial Times</a> offer prime examples of putting a series of maps into conversation with one another and creating a kind of narrative of the war – for example, putting maps of NATO members alongside maps of oil and gas resources, while still portraying the essential military advancements.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452889/original/file-20220317-23-uwe70q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two maps showing various aspects of Ukraine" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452889/original/file-20220317-23-uwe70q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/452889/original/file-20220317-23-uwe70q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452889/original/file-20220317-23-uwe70q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452889/original/file-20220317-23-uwe70q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452889/original/file-20220317-23-uwe70q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452889/original/file-20220317-23-uwe70q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/452889/original/file-20220317-23-uwe70q.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Showing more than one map can help people understand different aspects of the issues at hand.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/24/mapping-russian-attacks-across-ukraine-interactive">Al Jazeera</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Specific approaches</h2>
<p>Groups other than news outlets are showing additional ways to use maps. The Centre for Information Resilience, a U.K. nonprofit seeking to expose human rights abuses, is using <a href="https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/02/27/follow-the-russia-ukraine-monitor-map/">crowdsourcing technologies to populate maps</a> of Russia’s war on Ukraine with civilian casualties, incidents of gunfire and explosions, and evidence of damage to infrastructure. That method gives readers themselves a chance to choose where and what they want to see of the invasion.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="576" src="https://maphub.net/embed/176607?panel=1&panel_closed=1" frameborder="0" scrolling="yes" class="iframe-class"></iframe>
<figure><figcaption><span class="caption">Maps like this “Russia-Ukraine Monitor Map” from the Centre for Information Resilience offer alternative and interactive ways to understand the war.</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>The <a href="https://liveuamap.com">Live Universal Awareness Map</a> is an independent journalism site that draws on news stories and social media from all over the world and connects them to an interactive online map. Its Ukraine map shows where reported incidents occur, with colored icons showing who is reportedly involved at each location. The icons represent many types of events, including speeches and rallies, refugees and hostage situations, and even computer hacking.</p>
<p>These alternatives to the more standard news maps of war also have their benefits and drawbacks. Maps like the Live Universal Awareness Map rely on crowdsourced data that might be tricky to verify. But more importantly, they point out that mapmaking is a political and cultural effort that creates compelling and useful stories – even if not necessarily unvarnished truth. A critical eye and a sense of context can go a long way toward keeping the lies of maps productive.</p>
<p>[<em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179069/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Timothy Barney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Geographers often talk about the ‘silences’ of maps – what’s missing and unseen. Those silences can be as meaningful as what’s shown.Timothy Barney, Associate Professor of Rhetoric & Communication Studies, University of RichmondLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/244942014-03-17T17:19:37Z2014-03-17T17:19:37ZCrowdsourcing hunt for MH370 extends to millions of sq miles<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44113/original/jzbjp855-1395071672.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The picture so far as the crowd springs into action.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Google Earth</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The hunt for MH370 now involves 26 countries and an estimated <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10700892/Malaysian-Airlines-MH370-live.html">30 million square miles of terrain over both land and sea</a>. The missing aeroplane may have continued flying for up to seven hours after sending its last signal means it could be located anywhere along two vast corridors of inquiry, making this the biggest search for a missing aeroplane in history.</p>
<p>The search off the east of the Malaysian Peninsula has been aborted and the focus has shifted to the Andaman Sea and the Indian Ocean. The Vietnamese and Chinese governments have directed their national Earth observation satellites accordingly, so as to capture the Gulf of Thailand, thus expanding the range of imagery available for official searches.</p>
<p>Even before the search was moved, around 43 ships and 58 aircraft were being used to look for the plane. Now we are looking at areas across Burma, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Nepal, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, resources on the ground will be quickly stretched.</p>
<p>After initially searching for the missing MH370 aircraft using traditional methods, crowdsourcing techniques quickly began to be used to cover a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time. Now that the search area has expanded so dramatically, these efforts are more important than ever. </p>
<p>There has already been enormous interest in a crowdsourced search organised by <a href="https://www.digitalglobe.com/">DigitalGlobe</a>, a US-based company specialising in satellite imagery. To be able to identify an aircraft, images with a resolution of a few metres will suffice. Even if the aircraft had broken up, the concentration of floating objects in one area could be easily discriminated if the viewer struck upon the right area.</p>
<p>The images provided on the <a href="http://www.tomnod.com/">tomnod platform</a> are at a lower resolution but are good enough to allow volunteers to identify large objects such as aircraft, oil terminals and vessels.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44108/original/cmkssgp4-1395064818.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44108/original/cmkssgp4-1395064818.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44108/original/cmkssgp4-1395064818.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44108/original/cmkssgp4-1395064818.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44108/original/cmkssgp4-1395064818.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44108/original/cmkssgp4-1395064818.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44108/original/cmkssgp4-1395064818.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">TomNod locating oil terminals and vessels.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Under the guidance of the <a href="http://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/malaysiaknowledgetransfer/2014/03/14/crowd-sourcing-helps-search-for-missing-plane/">geospatial research team</a>, students at the University of Nottingham Malaysia campus are pitching in to analyse satellite imagery for clues.</p>
<p>The extended search area would be more difficult to cover using traditional, near-range methods. With two possible corridors, and the unclear number of flight hours after MH370 disappeared from radar, where would you send ships and aircraft? At the moment several Earth observation satellites are scanning these areas, generating images, which can be searched using crowdsourcing and providing possible hotspots where more traditional searches can be focused.</p>
<p>Most students have some knowledge of image processing, but participation in searching using the tomnod platform does not require a high level of expertise. The most useful skills are good eyes and patience.</p>
<p>The main challenge when looking for objects on open water is boredom. It’s relatively easy to spot an object in a vast expanse of blue but volunteer eyes soon become strained scanning similar-looking terrain for long periods of time. On the other hand, searching for objects on land is much more complicated as there are many more object types to distract you.</p>
<p>Nottingham volunteers are looking at low-contrast images showing very dark water as the images were captured in the early morning. We tried to develop a simple structure for searching between the team members but it became impossible since different members were assigned to different areas when entering the website. They also don’t really know exactly where they are looking because no geographical links have been provided. </p>
<p>That’s understandable though. To encourage participation, the crowdsourcing task has to be designed to be as simple as possible. Images have to be in understandable form. That is, what people would normally expect to see, and consistent in terms of resolution across the search area. There is little time for training the crowd, although some searches can be enhanced with the <a href="https://theconversation.com/volunteers-and-algorithms-need-training-to-find-mh370-24364">help</a> of machine learning or artificial intelligence.</p>
<p>Because expertise is not required, we cannot expect a high level of accuracy from each individual but the wisdom of the crowd is what really counts. The more people agree on an item of interest, the more an official search effort can feed off information coming in from around the world.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44109/original/s99n62d2-1395064959.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/44109/original/s99n62d2-1395064959.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44109/original/s99n62d2-1395064959.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44109/original/s99n62d2-1395064959.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44109/original/s99n62d2-1395064959.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44109/original/s99n62d2-1395064959.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/44109/original/s99n62d2-1395064959.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Search area tagged by the crowd.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Searching for a missing aircraft is very different to disaster damage detection. Disasters occur at a specific location and the impact area can be easily tracked or located. In the case of MH370, we were originally facing a mammoth task to find the location of the plane. That task just got even bigger so the more eyes we get on the case, the better.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/24494/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The hunt for MH370 now involves 26 countries and an estimated 30 million square miles of terrain over both land and sea. The missing aeroplane may have continued flying for up to seven hours after sending…Tuong-Thuy Vu, Associate Professor, Faculty of Science, University of NottinghamGraham Kendall, Professor of Operations Research and Vice-Provost, University of NottinghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/208792013-12-02T06:25:46Z2013-12-02T06:25:46ZNatural disasters put Haiti and Philippines on the map<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36433/original/ty89qsn3-1385633349.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C0%2C1019%2C680&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Haiti is now one of the most mapped developing countries.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">RIBI Image Library</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the developed world where many people happily post their current locations on Facebook and can look up the exact locations of buildings online, it is often overlooked how poor locational information on people and settlements can be for lower income regions. </p>
<p>The Democratic Republic of Congo has gone without a population census <a href="http://radiookapi.net/actualite/2012/05/10/rdc-la-deputee-jaynet-kabila-recommande-matata-ponyo-de-recenser-la-population/">for 29 years</a>, and estimates of the number of people currently living in Angola can range between 13m <a href="http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=ANGOLA">and 20m</a>. These are extreme examples, but uncertainties remain common for many of the most vulnerable and disease burdened countries of the world, where such information is most needed. </p>
<p>How many children are at risk of malaria? How many pregnant women do not have access to maternal healthcare facilities? How many people would be affected by extreme flooding? We need to answer these questions to be able to effectively intervene and plan mitigation strategies. But that also requires up-to-date information on where people are and how many are there.</p>
<h2>Natural disasters</h2>
<p>Large-scale natural disasters such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/typhoon-haiyan">typhoon Haiyan</a> in the Philippines or the 2010 earthquake in Haiti can bring stark reminders of the importance of knowing how many people are living in which locations in order to rapidly assess and provide relief. These disasters have also shown that a range of existing datasets can be used to rapidly improve available information on where people live. </p>
<p>The donation of extremely detailed satellite imagery and aerial photos by private companies, the efforts of <a href="http://blog.ushahidi.com/2012/01/12/haiti-and-the-power-of-crowdsourcing/">“crowdsourced” volunteers</a> all over the world who converted these images into maps of buildings, villages and road networks and the sharing of all of this through online portals such as <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=5/51.500/-0.100">OpenStreetMap</a> have made Haiti, and now the Philippines, two of the best mapped countries in the developing world. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36434/original/8x6bfjgc-1385633718.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36434/original/8x6bfjgc-1385633718.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36434/original/8x6bfjgc-1385633718.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36434/original/8x6bfjgc-1385633718.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36434/original/8x6bfjgc-1385633718.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36434/original/8x6bfjgc-1385633718.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36434/original/8x6bfjgc-1385633718.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Planning aid.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">UNHCR </span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Such efforts massively improve the quality and availability of data on human population distributions that we can see remotely from satellites and aerial photos. It shows what we can do when we combine disparate datasets and expertise to tackle specific problems.</p>
<h2>The numbers game</h2>
<p>The increasing volumes of detailed digital map data are a first step in improving our understanding of how populations are distributed in low income regions. But working out the number of people living in different locations is still a challenge. </p>
<p>The recently launched <a href="http://www.worldpop.org.uk">WorldPop project</a> aims to tackle this, by building an accurate picture using rapidly changing digital map data and combining it with detailed data from population censuses, household surveys and satellite imagery. The idea is to provide open access estimates of numbers and demographic characteristics of people living in each 100x100m grid square across low income regions around the world. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36435/original/hcytttk2-1385633805.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36435/original/hcytttk2-1385633805.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36435/original/hcytttk2-1385633805.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36435/original/hcytttk2-1385633805.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=627&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36435/original/hcytttk2-1385633805.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=788&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36435/original/hcytttk2-1385633805.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=788&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36435/original/hcytttk2-1385633805.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=788&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vietnam in 3D: population density spikes in Ha Noi (top) and Ho Chi Minh City (bottom).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">WorldPop</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The value of accurate population estimates in health and development work has been shown in assessments <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22380352">of the impact</a> of the recent Somalia famine, the numbers <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/24/malaria.map/">at risk of malaria</a> and also <a href="http://www.fspmaps.com/">people’s access</a> to financial services. </p>
<p>Substantial WorldPop downloads and requests for Philippines data by aid agencies after the recent typhoon also underscore the value of detailed population maps to measure the impact of disasters. </p>
<p>But population maps are far from perfect. Even when built using the best available data available, they still remain limited by often poor information on how many people live in each location for many low income countries.</p>
<p>So researchers on the project are now exploring new digital data sources to add extra information that gives more detail about population distribution. These include anonymised mobile phone call records, which were invaluable to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14761144">working out where</a> displaced people were after the Haiti earthquake. </p>
<p>Population density indicators are also being found from sources <a href="https://www.mapbox.com/labs/twitter-gnip/locals/">such as Twitter</a> – which is widely used in countries such as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia – and satellite images of <a href="http://www.thebloomsburgdaily.com/2011/12/14/satellite-images-nighttime-lights-track-disease-outbreaks/">the Earth at night</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36436/original/p3rhynmq-1385634038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/36436/original/p3rhynmq-1385634038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=298&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36436/original/p3rhynmq-1385634038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=298&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36436/original/p3rhynmq-1385634038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=298&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36436/original/p3rhynmq-1385634038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36436/original/p3rhynmq-1385634038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/36436/original/p3rhynmq-1385634038.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=374&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Population hotspots.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Whoopie Cat</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These digital datasets not only show potential for improving estimates of the densities and absolute numbers of people in different locations in resource-poor areas, but they also open up the possibility of the ultimate in terms of mapping people: information on how they change location seasonally or between day and night. </p>
<p>Being able to measure and map typical daily movement patterns could be vital in keeping up with a rapidly evolving natural disaster or even something as simple as working out exposure to disease-spreading mosquitoes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/20879/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew J Tatem receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the US National Institutes of Health and the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.</span></em></p>In the developed world where many people happily post their current locations on Facebook and can look up the exact locations of buildings online, it is often overlooked how poor locational information…Andrew J Tatem, Reader, Geography and Environment, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/116262013-01-16T19:52:35Z2013-01-16T19:52:35ZSpread the word: the value of local information in disaster response<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19278/original/h9h37nxk-1358313428.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In many cases, first-hand accounts from citizens can be as valuable as reports from official sources.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP Image/Tony McDonough.</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As dozens of bushfires continue to burn across the country (not least <a href="http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?cat_id=683">in New South Wales</a>) many Australians find themselves <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-15/crews-make-progress-on-fire-in-north-west-nsw/44648120">unable to return home</a> while many others have <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-14/homes-destroyed-in-nsw-bushfire/4463136">no home to return to</a>.</p>
<p>While we all rely on the media for information about imminent threats, it’s at the local level that some of the most valuable information-gathering is being done.</p>
<p>Local communities, and especially those who are at “the first mile”, are the first responders in the case of a bushfire: the people that take immediate action when danger is imminent and that provide crucial information as the event unfolds.</p>
<p>Accessing, managing, and sharing this ground level information is indispensable in all phases of the emergency management cycle.</p>
<h2>Disaster management technology</h2>
<p>Increasingly, emergency authorities everywhere are providing warnings and updates about incidents via <a href="http://cfa.vic.gov.au/">official web sites</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QldFireandRescueService">social media</a> accounts, and text messages.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19272/original/bjxcsjdy-1358312239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19272/original/bjxcsjdy-1358312239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19272/original/bjxcsjdy-1358312239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19272/original/bjxcsjdy-1358312239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19272/original/bjxcsjdy-1358312239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=482&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19272/original/bjxcsjdy-1358312239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19272/original/bjxcsjdy-1358312239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19272/original/bjxcsjdy-1358312239.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=606&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A recent warning message on Facebook from the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">QFRS</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But in emergency situations, heavy usage of communication networks may cause traffic disruptions, severely compromising the delivery of updated information.</p>
<p>One such disruption occurred on Friday January 4 when Victoria’s Country Fire Authority (CFA) <a href="http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/">website</a> and <a href="http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/fireready-app/">mobile app</a> crashed under heavy strain. (Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley told Fairfax that the CFA site received more than <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/cfa-website-cant-handle-the-heat-20130105-2ca9f.html">12 million hits in 12 hours</a>.)</p>
<p>Such disruptions highlight technical glitches under huge volumes of traffic. They also highlight the fact that we often wrongly assume credible information only travels in one direction: from authorities to citizenry.</p>
<p>In the era of ubiquitous social media, linked open data, and kaleidoscopic conversations, where is the Plan B?</p>
<p>If, as Ross Bradstock <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-worst-fire-season-ever-until-next-year-3452">suggested on The Conversation</a>, fire events “could also increase in environments where human exposure is greatest and most vulnerable,” locals will need to rely on locals as well.</p>
<p>The question then becomes: “Which tools are most appropriate to reinforce local networks (or to help build new ones) so local residents can improve their own preparedness and recovery?”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19270/original/6ct8k95r-1358311809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19270/original/6ct8k95r-1358311809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19270/original/6ct8k95r-1358311809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19270/original/6ct8k95r-1358311809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19270/original/6ct8k95r-1358311809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=483&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19270/original/6ct8k95r-1358311809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19270/original/6ct8k95r-1358311809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19270/original/6ct8k95r-1358311809.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=607&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A screenshot from the NSW Rural Fire Service “Current Fires and Incidents” page.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">RFS</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A team effort</h2>
<p>First responders can make a granular assessment of needs, resources to be pooled, and provide assistance to the most vulnerable or isolated people in the area.</p>
<p>Current approaches, therefore, often involve a mix of technologies (such as SMS, mobile apps and so on) and collaboration between humanitarian actors, emergency response agencies, corporations, and citizens.</p>
<p>When the end game is to save lives, collaboration is key to an effective and efficient response and can forge relationships that can continue post-response.</p>
<p>A good example is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%932011_Queensland_floods">2010–11 Queensland floods</a>. This emergency response saw a collaboration between <a href="http://esriaustralia.com.au/">Esri Australia</a>, the <a href="https://www.fire.qld.gov.au/">Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS)</a>, and citizen volunteers to develop technology that visualised, in real-time, vital information such as flood peaks, damaged property, and road closures.</p>
<p>In addition, information from social media feeds – crowdsourced tweets, Flickr photos and YouTube videos – were geolocated on the map, providing responders with another level of insight to what was happening on the ground. </p>
<p>Brisbane was under water for four days at the height of the floods. During this time the flood map received more than 3 million hits.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19267/original/3crgs4zd-1358311558.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19267/original/3crgs4zd-1358311558.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19267/original/3crgs4zd-1358311558.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19267/original/3crgs4zd-1358311558.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19267/original/3crgs4zd-1358311558.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=325&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19267/original/3crgs4zd-1358311558.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19267/original/3crgs4zd-1358311558.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19267/original/3crgs4zd-1358311558.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A map of Brisbane with flood-affected areas overlaid. Click for larger view.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Brisbane City Council</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The technology used for the Brisbane floods (which was developed into the <a href="http://www.esri.com/news/arcwatch/0311/graphics/power-of-vgi5-lg.jpg">Total Operational Mapping (TOM)</a> system – the solution operated with QFRS to visualise emergency data across the state), has also been used to help South Australia’s <a href="http://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/home.jsp">Country Fire Service (CFS)</a> volunteers and to develop bushfire prediction technology used by Western Australian emergency responders.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://firewatch.landgate.wa.gov.au/">fire prediction tool</a>, developed by the University of Western Australia, predicts the path of a fire based on data such as vegetation type and condition, weather forecasts, and topography. The results are then used by emergency services to help inform preparedness activities. The data are also accessible to the public via an early-warning website.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19268/original/vxmk4xdg-1358311637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19268/original/vxmk4xdg-1358311637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/19268/original/vxmk4xdg-1358311637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19268/original/vxmk4xdg-1358311637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19268/original/vxmk4xdg-1358311637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19268/original/vxmk4xdg-1358311637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19268/original/vxmk4xdg-1358311637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/19268/original/vxmk4xdg-1358311637.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Click for larger view.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Brisbane City Council</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Lessons from Sandy</h2>
<p>In New York, Hurricane Sandy also fuelled a crowdsourced, people-centered approach to emergency management and recovery.</p>
<p>The #OccupySandy movement, relying on the experience gathered in the days of <a href="https://theconversation.com/topics/occupywallstreet">Occupy Wall Street</a>, established distribution hubs, transportation, first aid and medical supplies.</p>
<p>Participants in #OccupySandy also partnered with other organisations and platforms such as <a href="http://sahanafoundation.org/sahanas-sandy-relief/">Sahana</a> (to manage requests and the dispatch of items, meals, volunteers and so on) and <a href="https://redhook.recovers.org/">Recovers</a> (a site allowing people to offer/request assistance).</p>
<p>It might well be too early to assess the long-term impact and effectiveness of these crowdsourced, “horizontally distributed” initiatives. But such technologies will continue to empower citizens and local communities in building peer-to-peer disaster management networks that can come to the rescue when public agencies and large organisations are overwhelmed.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><em>This article was co-authored with <a href="http://esriaustralia.com.au/events-our-speakers/keera-pullman-ssd-109">Keera Pullman</a>, Consultant – Professional Services at Esri Australia.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/11626/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marta Poblet does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As dozens of bushfires continue to burn across the country (not least in New South Wales) many Australians find themselves unable to return home while many others have no home to return to. While we all…Marta Poblet, Director of the Institute of Law and Technology, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.