Collaboration is Key Engaging communities and governments with Open Cities Africa

In the last decade, we’ve seen an exponential increase in data from satellites, drones, mobile devices, and smart sensors used to understand urban flooding and other hazards in Africa. At the same time, we have the enormous potential of human capital, with most developing countries seeing a growing proportion of youth and women entering the tech space. With community-driven data collection, such as OSM community mapping campaigns, any citizen can start using this technology for change. Disaster risk management and urban planning require geodata for informed decision-making, but roadblocks persist as we attempt to fill Africa’s “digital map gap.” It remains difficult to collect, access, and use urban planning data. Traditional methods for data curation make it unmanageable to collaborate across agencies and organizations.