Europe and Central Asia

Serbia

OpenDRI works with Serbia on enhancing open data and using data for disaster preparedness.

Kyrgyz Republic

Key stakeholders like the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MoES), have identified the critical need to improve the mechanism for collection, management, and dissemination of disaster risk data in Kyrgyzstan.

Armenia

The World Bank Group is offering support to further advance disaster resilience in the country by launching the Armenia National Disaster Risk Management Program. The OpenDRI team is just starting to support programs in Armenia.

Disaster Risk Management in Armenia

The Government of Armenia has recently received US$1.75 million for 2.5 years to improve disaster risk information, enhance disaster risk reduction, strengthen disaster preparedness, and improve understanding of fiscal disaster risks and risk financing options.

Paying it forward in a digital age: A global community committed to a mapped world

​​When I first heard about OpenStreetMap (OSM) – the so called Wikipedia of maps, built by volunteers around the world – I was skeptical of its ability to scale, usability in decision making, and ultimate longevity among new ideas conceived in the digital age. Years later, having working on many disaster risk management initiatives across the globe, I can say that I am a passionate advocate for the power of this community. And I continue to be struck by the power of one small initiative like OSM that brings together people across cultures and countries to save lives. It is more than a technology or a dataset, it’s a global community of individuals committed to making a difference.

People may be surprised to find that the maps we take for granted in metropolitan areas of the developed world may be completely absent, vastly out of date, or pay-per-view in the developing world. Imagine an urban area without a transportation network, government agencies without access to the location of their assets (schools, health facilities, etc), or even a map without village names. This is the reality for many of the countries most vulnerable to disaster risk. Now, imagine this urban area facing an unprecedented crisis brought by flooding, an earthquake, a pandemic – think about the challenges of planning a response.