A cloud for good
Published Apr 19, 2020 12:00 am
Amid rising incidences of COVID-19, there is a clear need for data to help frontliners and decision-makers efficiently manage crisis situations in real-time.
"With more accurate maps, decision makers can make better decisions in times of crisis. Real-time map data on hospital vacancies and quarantine facilities can facilitate that during the COVID-19 response, " posited Nick Brown, Country Manager of HOT Philippines, an open source platform of maps dedicated to community development and revolutionizing disaster management.
HOT aims to create a world where every place and every person exists on the map—allowing disaster-response teams to improve overall risk assessment, predictive tools, and inform disaster-management decision-making for communities around the world, including the Philippines.
HOT is democratizing the mapping process by providing simple technology for people to contribute their local knowledge to maps. Using the OpenMapKit app, people can tap blank areas and then describe what establishment it is. This information then becomes visible to everyone who accesses OpenStreetMaps. “What we’re doing is we’re crowdsourcing map data,” said Brown.
To date, HOT has built a dedicated community that has grown to nearly 200,000 volunteers around the world. It has provided life-saving map data for 92 disasters and crises and mapped an area home to 150 million people across 50 countries.
“All this is possible using cloud technology,” added Brown. This open-source mapping technology requires rapid scaling and deployment to alert affected communities. Powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), it utilizes a number of cloud solutions, including Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, Amazon CloudFront, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and AWS Lambda.
“Better maps drive better decisions, and that’s why AWS has worked closely with HOT for the past several years around the world to power open-source mapping technology that is building resilience in disaster-prone communities,” said Werner Vogels, AWS’ Chief Technology Officer. “At AWS, we pride ourselves on building a culture of innovation, and using our technology resources to help customers, employees, and society—and this collaboration is a great example of that.”
The partnership goes beyond technology. To date, over 500 AWS volunteers have been engaged in HOT projects and mapathons, which have put entire communities on the map in just a matter of hours to ensure these communities’ needs are taken into consideration in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Together, AWS volunteers have helped HOT make over 26,000+ edits to the map.
According to Brown, the HOT platform is an avenue for all Filipinos to help prepare their communities for disasters. “We’re seeing more and more the immense value of fast and reliable data, especially in times of crisis. And the best way to ensure reliable maps is to engage people in their own community to map that community themselves, using local knowledge and ensuring the data is accurate. When we have an entire community of community willing to help, we can make sure that everyone is on the map,” he said.
For those interested in helping plot the country, they can go to https://tasks.hotosm.org/, where they can volunteer and join “mapathons” to help on active mapping tasks. HOT is currently mapping areas in the province of Pampanga since their launch in the country last July 2019.
Additionally, HOT is also part of a project called PhilAWARE, a new hazard monitoring and early warning system that also runs on AWS. It was created by the Pacific Disaster Center and will make use of the HOT’s map data to aid local government units in disaster management. (Edgard Hilario)