Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team

Featured Project

Just a few hours after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti in January 2010 the OpenStreetMap Community began tracing.... What did they begin tracing? Roads in the beginning all from imagery that was previously available from Yahoo. This initial tracing enhanced the base data that was already present. The initial data was from responses to 2008 cyclones Ike Hanna and Gustav that was imported in OSM in Jan 2009. This data served as a starting place for the mapping that would take place...

Recent Updates

First Use of New Imagery Agreement: Join HOT to Trace Refugee Camps in Kenya and Ethiopia

Posted by john on May, 18 2012

Over the past year, HOT has been working with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development to obtain current high-resolution satellite imagery during humanitarian emergencies. After working through the legal and technical issues, we have developed an experimental workflow for delivering imagery to the volunteer community, and now we are looking to test it.

Update from HOT's Strategic Planning Meeting

Posted by kate on May, 14 2012

Two weeks ago through a micro-grant from the Wilson Center; the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team board of directors, the Meridian Institute and staff from the Wilson Center met in Washington D.C. The goal of these two days of meetings was to develop a strategic plan for HOT to continue to grow in the next 3-5 years.

Back the First Haitian Creole OpenStreetMap Book!

Posted by kate on May, 10 2012

When the January 2010 Earthquake happened in Haiti the OpenStreetMap community began mapping. We mapped and mapped until OpenStreetMap was the most detailed base map for Port-au-Prince available. In March of that year the handover of the map began. Two years later the handover is not complete, HOT and Community OpenStreetMap Haiti continue to work together coming closer to that day. One very important missing step is having adequate training materials available in Haitian Creole.