OpenAerialMap Diffusion

WHAT IS THE HUMANITARIAN NEED?

Satellite and drone imagery is becoming increasingly available after a disaster. It is often difficult to determine what is available and how to access it easily. OAM seeks to solve this problem by providing a simple open way to host and provide access to imagery for humanitarian response and disaster preparedness.

WHAT IS THE INNOVATIVE SOLUTION?

After deploying OpenAerialMap in mid-2015 with funding from the HIF, the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) working with humanitarian response agencies to help incorporate the platform into their activities. Following this by 2017, imagery had been contributed in Tanzania, Philippines, Nepal, Mongolia, Mexico and many other places across the world. Having such a global framework in place enables imagery to be contributed and sourced from a single location and means that responding organizations can save critical time locating imagery after a sudden onset disaster. Instead of waiting hours, days, or even weeks, value added activities (such as using the imagery to create base maps of affected areas, undertaking rapid damage assessments, and other analyses) can begin immediately; leading to more effective decision making during humanitarian crises.

WHAT DID THE PROJECT ACHIEVE?

Through the diffusion grant the project was able to:

• Partner with imagery providers to increase volume of data shared and available through OAM.
• Raise awareness among humanitarian organisations on the benefits of openly licensed imagery.
• Develop a communication (including social media) campaign and publish success stories about open imagery.
• Implement interoperability standards for OAM to work efficiently with GIS mapping software.