UN-SPIDER International expert meeting: Crowdsource mapping for preparedness and emergency response

In recent years, advancements in technologies have made it possible for virtual communities such as OpenStreetMap, Ushahidi, Sahana, CrisisMappers, Virtual Disaster Viewer, Google MapMaker and INSTEDD to provide increasing support to disaster preparedness and emergency response efforts. Important cornerstones of this virtual effort are the possibility to access and take advantage of post-disaster satellite imagery as well as the use of other space-based technologies such as telecommunications satellites and global navigation satellite systems.

Taking note of the need to connect these pioneering communities with the space industry as well as the disaster management community, the UN-SPIDER Programme is carrying out a one-year project (“Space-based information for Crowdsource Mapping”)aiming at identifying specific actions that could ensure a closer cooperation among the three communities. The first activity of this project will be an Expert Meeting to be held in Vienna to discuss strategies that will contribute to
supporting civil protection and emergency management agencies to make use of products generated by such groups in areas of preparedness and emergency response and provide a better understanding to these groups on the specific needs of the disaster management community.

Discussions will include: Feedback from experts from the disaster management community regarding how
information has to be generated and/or tailored to ensure that it can be used effectively; novel potential applications and products which could be elaborated by the crowd-sourcing communities that can support preparedness and emergency response, and; how to build upon existing solutions to facilitate the sharing of information to the emergency management community. Additionally, we will also be discussing strategies on how to adequately address intellectual property and copyright concerns.

The UN-SPIDER Programme was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2006 with the mandate to promote that all countries and international and regional organizations have access to and develop the capacity to use all types of space-based information to support the full disaster management cycle. This includes the need to ensure that space-based information supports the Crowdsource mapping efforts for the benefit of the disaster community.