Anticipatory action , mapping for landslides and flooding preparedness in the north western provinces of Rwanda

Project Launch with Online Mapping of 50,000 Buildings

The rainy season, from April to June always reminds us that we need to be more than ready, but one would wonder why? We have our brothers and sisters who reside in northern and western provinces who are periodically exposed to the consequences of climate change and experience extreme weather and heavy rain every season. We have resolved to not sit and wait again, so we have decided to take action, Not the heavy one to uplift or relocate every one in high risk but do what we do the best. mapping!
And our story here demonstrates that if we map together, we will overcome the disasters together. especially landslides upstream causing flooding downstream on a periodic frequency.

Saturday 27th April 2024 marked the launch of the Anticipatory action.

mapping, where young people came together to make their contributions in open mapping, The participation was amazing, more than 45 young people especially those in Universities campus pursuing courses in engineering, agriculture, and environment and so on. The launch coincided with Umuganda Saturday which is widely recognized for its contribution to the cleanliness of Rwanda and Kigali in particular. But people still fail to recognize that the concept of Umuganda, is not limited to physical activities, apart from the main objective to work collaboratively towards a common goal. The communities come together to share their concerns and share more updates on the current affairs on village level as well as on the nationwide programs. ![Alt text]

And this is a special occasion, for the tech communities, it’s a platform to contribute digitally and that’s where the contribution of open street map Rwanda comes in every month.
This special task, comes from the inspiration, though sad one, of the mapping done in 2023 responding to the flooding which outbreak specifically in Northern and Western provinces of Rwanda and claimed around 130 people’s lives. We specifically mapped around 50 thousands buildings involving more than 300 volunteers from all over the world and we did field mapping using an innovative tool FMTM, Field mapping tasking manager, at the testing mode where we collected more than 5000 buildings status after the flooding. Part of the action taken after the flooding, were the relocation of the people living in high risk zones in those areas and the buffer zone which were introduced around the Mukungwa River.

Anticipatory mapping in action.

The lessons learnt was a need to facilitate people ready to respond especially the youth, the youth need skills and equipment to map. Part of the youth contributing to the Shyira mapping were the ones who had been affected by the flooding on Nyamutera river affluent to Mukungwa River. The 2024 target for detailed mapping, is about mapping and collecting attributes information around Nyamutera river and other rivers which are prone to the flooding outbreak, we will also have a closer look at the causing factors, the rainfall induced landslides upstream, as it has been highlighted as one of many hotspots in need of attention in the wider logic of anticipatory action. We don’t need a story of disasters and from that statement we are ready, we need a resilient youth capable of contributing to their own community and going beyond. We mapped 77%, validated 35%, building - 75,422 building of the region of interest is so far mapped with time , until now as I speak. thanks to the contributors who started as early as possible to make anticipatory action a reality.

Eco Mappers OSM Rwanda ODD,

As we commemorated International Open Data Day and International Women’s Day, we embarked on a journey to intertwine these essential themes for equitable development. On Saturday, March 9, 2021, amidst a global celebration of Open Data Day, our event in Rwanda stood as a beacon of empowerment, bringing together over 50 enthusiastic participants eager to delve into the world of open data.

Before delving into the event’s highlights, it’s crucial to acknowledge the significance of Open Data Day. With more than 60 events worldwide, it underscores the global community’s commitment to promoting open data’s usage and accessibility. Thanks to the support from key funders, including the Open Knowledge Foundation, these events serve as catalysts for change, fostering collaboration and innovation.

Ahead of our event,

we conducted a survey to gauge participants’ understanding of open data. This initial assessment laid the groundwork for tailored sessions aimed at bridging knowledge gaps and empowering participants, particularly Rwandan women, in leveraging open data for societal progress.

During the event,

we focused on equipping Rwandan women with insights into their current roles and future prospects in the open data landscape. Drawing inspiration from success stories of young Rwandan women in the field, we showcased the transformative power of open data initiatives. By highlighting these narratives, we aimed to inspire and empower women to actively engage in projects championing equality through data-driven approaches.

Reflecting on the event,

several lessons emerged, offering valuable insights for future endeavours. Firstly, we learned that inclusivity is paramount in fostering equitable development. Regardless of one’s background or prior knowledge, there’s always room for individuals to contribute meaningfully to open data initiatives. By providing accessible information and creating welcoming spaces, we can effectively engage citizens in driving societal change.

Furthermore, our experience highlighted the importance of fostering a supportive community for women in open data. In Rwanda open community, we witnessed a diverse landscape of women, ranging from newcomers to seasoned veterans, each contributing unique perspectives and initiatives. Facilitating platforms for knowledge sharing and collaboration among these women is essential for nurturing talent and fostering innovation in the pursuit of equal development.

As we navigate the evolving landscape of open data and women empowerment, it’s imperative to remain committed to our collective goal of creating a more inclusive and equitable society. Through initiatives like OpenStreetMap and Eco Mappers Rwanda, we continue to harness the journey in open Mapping in 3 Planetary Crisis , (Climate change, Biodiversity loss and Pollution) to Influence future Resilient Rwanda through youth open mapping participation. Since power of data drive positive change, empower marginalized communities, and pave the way for a brighter future.

In conclusion,

Our event served as a testament to the transformative potential of open data and the pivotal role of women in shaping its future. As we celebrate our achievements, let us thank and appreciate all the Men who are always theirs to push the agender of promoting Women in geospatial tech and the open data representation Intentionally, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to harnessing data for the greater good and advancing the cause of equality, one map at a time. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/International_women%27s_day_2024_Celebration_in_Rwanda_and_Open_Data_Day778.jpg

OpenStreetMap Rwanda Monthly Mapathon 2024 Updates.

24th Feb 2024.

Open Mapping is growing in Rwanda , with amazing stories , after facing challenges of open data representation and severe disaster outbreak and after 2021_2022 the pandemic out break the story has changed 💔. Since then Rwandan youths and women realized that open mapping initiatives are key 🗝️ activities to drive the community into transformative journey and especially being well represented in data. we took a step ahead and map our community as a passion and fun to support data driven decision making where in need.

Local problems , local solutions.

OSM Rwanda started 2015 with limited skills about mapping tools , the journey was not easy to grow the community with passion in data representation among the global competitive communities well equipped. But equipping women means this to Us. we consider Men as Brain and Women as heart as the saying goes that, “The heart represents a more compassionate approach, whilst the brain usually plays a more stern and analytical part.”

Feb 20th 2024 The Community gathering to learn and map urban green in Kigali city and building in Muhanga District city, many from the team were beginners young Men and Women. They all had a passion to participate in Open Mapping development. In most cases Men are the decision makers, but women are decision implementers in our daily usual activities , putting more effort in this ecosystem means a lot for sustainable future especially in three planetary crisis , Climate change, Biodiversity loss and and Pollution. This is why we decided to encourage and train women and girls about open mapping projects as championship program for sustainable change.

We organize mapathon Events every month with 30% of women participation affirmative action. This drive is to smooth, smart and soft fun mapathon Events of course because of that small number of women and girls the work and number of edits goes slow , but the impact is bigger even for the future we look forward to have more collaboration among the world experienced Mappers to take these initiatives on the next stage.

Never Stop learning Because OpenStreetMap Never Stop upgrading

We’ve got to know that slow by slow makes journey. I encourage Local communities as well as underrepresented ones ,Mothers , Girls To keep mapping as long as it gives fun and no specific time to do so. Map in your lovely moments slow by slow we shall have a Women community of active Mappers.

OSM Rwanda community.

Good Morning dear fellow mappers ! It has been always a pleasure to share the exciting story from State of The Map Africa 2021 . in 2017 I attended in person conference in Kampala Uganda it was awesome and great we interacted , learned, shared experience, as well as connecting with different communities , and that is the only state I had in my mind.

I never new that an online virtual conference would be super great as this one we had this year after Pandemic slowing dawn , and of course because of the pandemic , a lot of challenges was there in some communities , some were no longer really active as before , in some local communities were no skills to be able to attend virtual meetings because of different reasons , for some of the Local community members it was not easy to cope with the virtual big conference Platform.

Nevertheless all the challenges , But also This conference opportunities included most of us , The fact that organizes could support everyone who showed interest to participate, as well as data reimbursement and most all , the way program were organized talks, Presentations, Testimonies as well as Mapping Marathon Increased our motive about OSM in general. This marks the social Interesting part of 2021 State of The Map Africa I would love to share with everyone. Have a good day.

Nitwa Nyinawumuntu Jeannete Rebecca ! nka ndumwe mubagize umuryango mutoya wa OSM Rwanda nka nanawubereye umuyobozi, mumwaka wa 2017 nitabibiriye SOTM Africa muri uganda icyo gihe icyorezo cyari kitaratera kwari uguhurira hamwe nibihugu bitandukanye, twahagiriye ibihe byiza twahuye na za kominote nyishi ziturutse hirya no hino kwisi ndetse ubunararibonye bwazo twabwigiyeho byinshi

Ariko muruyu wa 2021 SOTM Africa yabereye kuri murandasi yaradutunguye cyane ntago twari twitezeko izatunyura bingana kuriya kuko ntago twari tubimenyereye Gusa igitangaje nuko naho twagise experience nziza ibiganiro byayo twari tumeze nkabahuye barikumwe muri salon neza neza!

habayeho Mapping Marathon ishimishije nubwo bamwe batabashije gutanga umusanzu nyawo ,kubera impanvu zubunararibonye budahagije ariko twigiyemo byishi , yewe dufata ningamba zitandukanye zishingiye kubyavugiwemo.

Mbonereho gushimira byumwihariko abagize uruhare mugutegura iyi State of the Map Africa ya 2021.

During the State of the Map Africa 2021 conference especially on theme of leaving no one behind and underrepresented communities as well as emerging from a global pandemic, as a women I understood the importance of inclusion and equity, I got to know the role of Representing a local community in the geospatial data collection on the OSM and discovered that is no longer impossible but it easy and applicable on any achievable scare any local growing Local community can afford .

Therefore, with all the ideas speakers emphasized at the conference we fully explored the topic of Beyond mapping and Reusing Open Street Map data/FOSS4G where we were able to learn how community can make use of available Geodata for personal and institutional development.

Also taking about the free software we were able to understand further the four major advantages that come with the free software like the run, improve, share , and Study. Generally, on our side, the experience was good especially the marathon, keynotes from different speakers, panel discussions, and lightning talks were really exciting . During this conference, I came to learn about the Open Mapping Hub ESA and the roles the hub has played to expand the Mapping communities in the region through the funding of various projects like the Open Cities Project in collaboration with other international institution.

In fact what I can say is, yes we still have a lot to learn about challenges and opportunities available , as well as tools to use . but the biggest interest everyone took as a take away considering my local community members who managed to attend , is that , it is no longer impossible for women , mothers and underrepresented community youths in general .

As a Rwandan young woman a mother and a teacher it was an honor to attend STATE OF THE MAP Africa for the second time , it was a great experience to attend such huge platform online after pandemic loneliness. I was excited to see and to hear from other experienced OSM communities , it was fun! I was impressed to my fellow Rwandan community member joining for the first time and Youth Mappers as well, the Team is now hungry and willing to learn more about advanced mapping on OSM.

https://twitter.com/Crowd2Map/status/1463873169618522123?t=OfpGgqBXHmfbSxEHFtrHJg&s=19 Local communities especially in rural areas including marginalized groups need also to understand these open source tools which have proved to be cost effective and reliable in addressing challenges in several sectors. From the presentation from Janet chapman, these groups are called digital champions. As organizations and groups in OSM, we should cultivate many digital champions, and from this we invest our efforts to the right people