Mapping

Over the past year, our OpenStreetMap Pakistan community has been actively working to map high-risk flood zones across the country—both areas historically affected by extreme flooding and regions facing critical vulnerability during upcoming monsoon seasons.

Shifting from Reactive Response to Proactive Preparedness

During last year’s monsoon floods, our mapping response began after the disaster had already struck. While those post-disaster edits were vital for ongoing emergency response, we recognised the need to get ahead of the curve.

This year, we shifted our strategy completely: we initiated pre-disaster mapping well before the monsoon season arrived.

By leveraging flood projections and high-risk zone data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and prominent emergency monitoring sources, we identified priority regions across Pakistan. We began our efforts by focusing heavily on areas categorised as the highest risk of severe flooding, ensuring that digital infrastructure is in place before rising waters cut off communities.

Community Coordination & HOT Tasking Manager

Together with two fellow community members, I took charge of creating, organizing, and managing dedicated projects on the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) Tasking Manager.

To drive contributions and sustain momentum, we have been organising community mapping parties and mapathons. Local mappers and volunteers across Pakistan came together to trace the following:

*Missing road networks and bridge connections

*Remote village footprints and building clusters

*Key natural landmarks and waterways

These precise layers are already empowering ground rescue teams, military logistics, and international aid agencies to plan evacuation routes, calculate population exposure, and navigate flood-affected corridors.

Global Recognition

Our community’s proactive mapping drive was recently highlighted in a feature article by the UK newspaper Oxford Herald:

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On Saturday, September 14, 2024, Pakistan hosted its first-ever mapathon, a collaborative event aimed at contributing to the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community. The mapathon took place in Islamabad, Karachi, and online, bringing together a diverse group of participants.

In Islamabad, mappers gathered at the “Calmkaj” workspace, while in Karachi, they convened at the Habib University computer center. The day began with opening remarks by Mr. Shaji from COP, followed by an introduction to maps by Ms. Zainab Makti, a lecturer at Habib University.

I then provided an overview of OpenStreetMap, covering its purpose, community, global impact, and applications. Given the presence of many new mappers, I conducted a hands-on training session on editing and participating in Maproulette challenges. Training materials were also shared through WhatsApp and other social media groups prior to the event.

With over 60 participants in total (20 onsite in Islamabad, 30 in Karachi, and 16 online), the mapping session was a productive and engaging experience. I closely monitored edits and provided assistance to new mappers, ensuring the quality of contributions. To maintain enthusiasm and encourage participation, we announced prizes for the top Maproulette scorers.

Throughout the day, we enjoyed a lunch break provided by the COP team and participated in a fun quiz based on the training session. The event concluded with the distribution of prizes to the top three Maproulette performers.

The mapathon was a resounding success, attracting 30 new members to the Pakistani OSM community. Participants expressed interest in working on various mapping projects, including pharmacies and health centers in Peshawar and Islamabad, banks and their branch codes, water sources and union councils, and mangroves.

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