HOT, in collaboration with the Global Fund for Disaster Reduction and Recovery and SwissRE Foundation, is proud to announce the Open Cities Latin America and the Caribbean project.

HOT, en colaboración con el Fondo Mundial para la Reducción y Recuperación de Desastres (Global Fund for Disaster Reduction and Recovery) y la Fundación SwissRE, se enorgullece de anunciar el proyecto Ciudades Abiertas América Latina y el Caribe.

Con un Fenómeno del Niño en desarrollo para este 2023-2024, el mapeo preventivo de desastres se vuelve una herramienta crucial para minimizar daños y victimas en los territorios. Y eso es lo que estamos haciendo en Ecuador junto a la Secretaría de Riesgos.

With an El Niño Phenomenon developing for 2023-2024, preventive disaster mapping becomes a crucial tool to minimize damage and victims in the territories. And that is what we are doing in Ecuador together with the Risk Secretariat.

Mapear los desechos en tu barrio puede ser una actividad simple a la vez que útil y beneficiosa para nuestro entorno urbano. Veamos como diversos equipos de mapeadores en América Latina y el Caribe lo han estado haciendo.

Mapping waste in your neighborhood can be a simple activity that is both useful and beneficial for our urban environment.Let's see how various teams of mappers in Latin America and the Caribbean have been doing it.

Tras el huracán Otis en octubre de 2023, el Hub LAC lideró un mapeo digital humanitario en Acapulco, identificando estructuras dañadas y necesidades prioritarias en colaboración con la comunidad nacional y organizaciones internacionales, resaltando la importancia de la cartografía participativa y sentando bases para futuras acciones de mitigación mediante la colaboración interinstitucional en la construcción de resiliencia comunitaria.

After Hurricane Otis in October 2023, the Hub LAC led a digital humanitarian mapping effort in Acapulco, identifying damaged structures and priority needs in collaboration with the national community and international organizations, highlighting the importance of participatory mapping and laying the groundwork for future mitigation actions through interinstitutional collaboration in building community resilience.

Após o furacão Otis em outubro de 2023, o Hub LAC liderou um mapeamento digital humanitário em Acapulco, identificando estruturas danificadas e necessidades prioritárias em colaboração com a comunidade nacional e organizações internacionais, destacando a importância da cartografia participativa e estabelecendo bases para futuras ações de mitigação por meio da colaboração interinstitucional na construção de resiliência comunitária.

El mapeo humanitario colaborativo mejora la gestión del riesgo en América Latina y el Caribe, como demostró la rápida respuesta ante las inundaciones en Esmeraldas, Ecuador. La colaboración y los datos abiertos fueron clave para decisiones informadas y eficaces.

O mapeamento humanitário colaborativo aprimora a gestão de riscos na América Latina e no Caribe, como demonstrado pela rápida resposta às enchentes em Esmeraldas, Equador. A colaboração e os dados abertos foram fundamentais para tomar decisões informadas e eficazes.

Collaborative humanitarian mapping enhances risk management in Latin America and the Caribbean, as demonstrated by the rapid response to the floods in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Collaboration and open data were key to making informed and effective decisions.

After the 2024 floods in Porto Alegre, Brazil, the IDB and HOT partnered to map and assess damaged infrastructure. Using georeferenced data and community involvement, the collaboration supports sustainable recovery and resilience for the city’s most vulnerable.

Guatemala, en colaboración con HOT, el PNUD y el MARN, trabaja en la gestión de desechos y recursos naturales, identificando sitios críticos y capacitando funcionarios para mejorar infraestructuras.

The Annual National Anticipatory Mapathons (MANA) are an innovative strategy to close mapping gaps in Latin America and the Caribbean, strengthening risk prevention and management. In 2024, MANA made an impact in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Guatemala, showcasing the power of open mapping to build more resilient communities.

Discover how the mapathon led by HOT and UNDP is transforming road infrastructure in Guatemala. Routes for Development now has precise data on rural roads, enhancing connectivity and territorial development. Learn about the impact of citizen science on public planning.

Guatemala, in collaboration with HOT, UNDP and MARN, is working on waste and natural resource management by identifying critical sites and training officials to improve infrastructure.

Discover how collaboration between local communities and the use of lightweight drones are revolutionizing mangrove conservation in Mexico, strengthening territorial management, and promoting community resilience.

A pilot project involving CONABIO, the Mexican Climate Initiative, and HOT explores the use of MapSwipe to identify natural land cover, showcasing its potential for citizen science and participatory environmental monitoring.

HOT, together with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data and the National Statistics Office of the Dominican Republic, organized a regional workshop on sargassum monitoring. The training focused on the use of drones and open technologies for generating geospatial data. Participants included representatives from civil society, academia, and public institutions. This experience strengthens Caribbean collaboration in the face of growing environmental challenges.

Drone Tasking Manager (DroneTM) is a digital public good that enables communities to generate high-quality, high resolution aerial imagery using low-cost drones. Discover its potential for community-driven mapping and its use in protecting mangroves in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Help.NGO and HOT collaborated to strengthen emergency response efforts through drone technology and open mapping. From hurricane recovery in Acapulco to forest fire assessments in Ucayali, their partnership accelerates access to critical post-disaster imagery. These joint actions enable rapid damage assessment, informed decision-making, and more effective humanitarian coordination.

From Zitácuaro to Salina Cruz, communities, universities, and local governments across Mexico are creating open public transport maps. This national strategy is led by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), in collaboration with Codeando México and Trufi Association, to digitize routes, support transportation modernization efforts, and reduce gaps in urban mobility.

Freetown’s first citywide drone mapping project redefined urban planning by putting communities at the center — piloting drones, producing data, and shaping the future of their city.