Potential of Collaborative Mapping for Disaster Relief: a Case Study of OpenStreetMap in the Nepal Earthquake 2015

Poiani, T. H., dos Santos Rocha, R., Degrossi, L. C. and Porto de Albuquerque, J. (2016) Potential of Collaborative Mapping for Disaster Relief: a Case Study of OpenStreetMap in the Nepal Earthquake 2015. In: 2016 49th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Koloa, HI, USA, 05-08 Jan 2016, pp. 188-197. ISBN 9780769556703 (doi: 10.1109/HICSS.2016.31)

Abstract

In the aftermath of a disaster, there is an urgent need for base maps to support relief efforts, especially in developing countries. In response to this, the OpenStreetMap project has been leveraged to produce maps of disaster-affected areas in a collaborative way. However, there has been little investigation aimed at explaining the collaborative mapping activity itself. This study presents an exploratory case study on how the collaborative mapping activities that followed the Nepal Earthquake in 2015 were coordinated and structured, i.e. how volunteers were organized, and what were the main outcomes of their activity in the context of disaster management. The results show that a large number of remote contributors spread across the world carried out concerted efforts to support the relief work. Moreover, coordination mechanisms were used by local actors to share their knowledge with remote mappers, and, hence, to improve the accuracy of the map.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Porto de Albuquerque, Professor Joao
• Authors: Poiani, T. H., dos Santos Rocha, R., Degrossi, L. C., and Porto de Albuquerque, J.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• ISSN: 1530-1605
• ISBN: 9780769556703
• Published Online: 10 March 2016