Help us save lives with your smartphone.

ianp5a

ianp5a

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Ian
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Many parts of the world don't have reliable maps. Which can be essential in times of disaster relief. With the smartphone app Mapswipe, you can help us create accurate maps from satellite images by just swiping and marking roads and buildings etc. It's incredibly easy and quick. And actually fun to do if you've got a few spare moments. And these maps have the potential to save lives.
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This app has been created by the Missing Maps project, whose aim is to add the much needed new information into Open Street Maps. Which is a crowd sourced map of the world that is freely available for everyone.
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=5/48.802/15.193

You can also contribute to the exact mapping data on your PC
http://www.missingmaps.org/
I'm just a volunteer and have already mapped hundreds of square kilometres and found thousands of items on the satellite images. But I'm sure some of you here are very enthusiastic, and will overtake me in no time.

Get the app and start helping today
http://mapswipe.org/
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Then spread the word.
 
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Let us know if you join up. It's good to hear about your experiences. And maybe we can get more people on board. And let me know if you have beaten my high score!
 
The question of 'classification' only relates to Open Street Maps (and for clarity, is not required for the Mapswipe App above). OSM Contributors need only classify a path as a footpath. It will be validated by a survey. The same applies to the road classifications. Which are complicated and differ in different countries. And local validation is always necessary.
 
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We're back in the news again:

Online mapping tool gives FGM runaways a path to help
"Volunteers around the world are helping to trace roads and buildings making navigable maps, which allow rescuers to get help to stranded girls in Tanzania.
Having better maps helped prevent 2257 girls from being cut this year. However change is a slow process. 1076 girls were cut, down from 3700 the previous year, and 4 girls died, down from 12 last year."
*Female Genital Mutilation


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Tanzanian girls at a safe house in Mugumu, Serengeti district. Photograph: Megan Abbott

Stories of Fighting FGM in Tanzania
"Before, Zeze, a village of 9000 people showed a completely blank map. I was driving round in circles through muddy rivers in torrential rain trying to find it."

I've contributed quite a lot to these maps in Tanzania. I'm now ranked at 3rd place overall in the Missing Maps project. But we still need as many people as possible to help map these places. It's easy to do. You get to know the places. And maybe you can beat my contributions.
You too can help us map
 
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