Why the excitement?

This December, Brazil takes center stage as the global geospatial and open data communities converge for an unprecedented week of events. From December 2–8, three major conferences will transform Brazil into a hub of innovation and collaboration: Open America in Brasília, FOSS4G Belém 2024, and State of the Map LATAM 2024 in Belém, Pará.

These events are more than just conferences; they’re a platform for groundbreaking discussions, knowledge sharing, and hands-on learning about the transformative power of open data and geospatial technologies.

At the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), we’re passionate about open-source tools and geospatial innovation that bridge critical gaps in humanitarian and development efforts. This year, we’re thrilled to not only showcase our latest advancements but also engage directly with the community—YOU!

Whether it’s at workshops, talks, or collaborative mapping sessions, these events are the perfect setting for our team to connect with the global and regional open data and geospatial communities, exchange ideas, and build partnerships. Join us as we explore how open data can address challenges like disaster response, urban planning, and community development while driving positive change and global collaboration.

How to get involved?

The week is packed with sessions, workshops, and talks where you’ll discover cutting-edge open mapping solutions and gain hands-on experience. Here’s what we have in store:

OPEN AMERICA

Wednesday, December 4, 14:00–14:45 hrs: Resilient cities: collaboration, data and openness facing climate change. Join our colleagues Fabrizio Scrollini and Mar Marín as they meet the Inter-American Development Bank, Open Government Partnership, and the Government of Maipu, Chile to share lessons learned on using open data and participatory technologies to address natural disasters, promote city resilience, and tackle climate challenges with sustainable tools.

FOSSFG

Workshops

Tuesday, December 3, 9:00–13:00: Community drone mapping: practical workshop. Learn to use low-cost, accessible drones and the Drone Tasking Manager for capturing high-quality aerial imagery. Perfect for exploring drone mapping as a tool for community development and disaster response.

Talks

Join our colleagues, Emi, Ivan, Celine, as they share insights into innovative tools and practical applications of OpenStreetMap (OSM) in Brazil and beyond:

• Thursday, December 5 - 11:00–11:30: Humanitarian Response Through Collaborative Data and Open-Source Tools in Rio Grande do Sul – Celine Jacquin

• Thursday, December 5 - 12:30–13:00: Using OpenStreetMap for Community-Based Territorial Management: The Amazon Mappings – Celine Jacquin

• Thursday, December 5 - 14:00–14:30: End-to-End Tech for Humanitarian Response and Disaster Relief – Emi Mariscal

• Thursday, December 5 - 14:30–15:00: State of fAIr: Free and Open AI-Assisted Mapping for Humanitarian Efforts – Emi Mariscal

• Friday, December 6 - 16:30–17:00: Humanitarian Data Collection Using Browser-Based Postgres – Ivan Buendía

STATE OF THE MAP

Workshops

Friday, December 6: Mapping in the Favelas. We will hold a collaborative drone workshop and open mapping activity with the Porto da Ceasa community, a traditional riverside Amazonian community with Parawara, Cabana, and Tupinambá heritage. The event will include a hands-on drone session led by Ivan, offering participants practical drone piloting experience. Additionally, the workshop will introduce the community to OpenStreetMap (OSM), enhancing them with tools to enhance local mapping and representation.

Talks

• Saturday, December 7 - 11:30–12:00: OpenStreetMap as a Tool for Making Indigenous Communities in the Amazon Visible - Juan Melo

• Saturday, December 7 - 18:50–19:40: Amazon Mapping Projects for Community Land Management - Juan Melo

• Sunday, December 8 - 8:30–10:30: HOT's End-To-End Free Technology for Open Mapping - Emi Mariscal

• Sunday, December 8 - 16:30–17:30: Preventive and Disaster Response Mapping: Building Expert Communities - Experiences in Latin America - Céline Jacquin

Stay in touch!

Attending in person? Say hello to Fabrizio and Mar in Open America (Brasilia); and meet Emi, Ivan, Celine, Giovanna, and Juan in FOSSFG and SoTM (Bélem)!

Not attending? Don’t worry! We’ll share event highlights afterward. In the meantime, connect with us:

• Email: tech@hotosm.org

• Slack: Join our channel #geospatial-tech-and-innovation

• Webinar: Watch our recent Community-Led Open Mapping Solutions session, and join the next one on Monday, December 16, 14:00–15:30. Register here