OpenStreetMap
Getting Started - Türkiye Syrian Earthquake and OSM
Posted by Heather Leson on 11 February 2023 in English. Last updated on 16 February 2023.Editor note: Written by Heather Leson, Dinar Adiatma, and Can Unen
Having the most up-to-date and accurate map data is crucial for emergency response. The OpenStreetMap community and partners create this to support humanitarians. The OSM data is shared on the Humanitarian Data Exchange and is used to develop information management (IM) products for decision-makers responding to emergencies.
This short note is to help new mappers get started and to encourage data quality. The local Turkish community, Yer Çizenler, and HOTOSM coordinate this activation. For Syria, mapping is more complex as it is a conflict zone. HOT is working closely with OSM colleagues and partners to assess any HOT tasks in Syria carefully. As it is a conflict zone, we will collaborate to ensure that HOTOSM Task Manager OSM contributions cause no harm. We are here to help the helpers. We know that many want to help. We ask that you talk with other mappers to learn and help the responders while respecting the local guidance.
Data quality is important in OpenStreetMap (OSM) because it directly affects the accuracy and usefulness of the map. All data should be fit for purpose, and to make it fit purpose, it requires a minimum gap. Poor data quality can lead to incorrect or outdated information, negatively impacting the people relying on OSM for navigation, planning, and decision-making. Learn more here.
Contacts - The HOT Activation Coordinator contacts can be found on the OSM wiki
New Mappers
Are you new to OSM? This is a complex emergency, and we are glad to help you get started:
- See basic videos on how to map via MapGive
- Review Learn OSM and see the OSM wiki guidance for this emergency
- Observe the daily live stream and join a mapathon
- Use the MapRoulette challenges of Yer Çizenlerto tag the collapsed buildings from verified datasets.
- Join the HOTOSM slack channels for #disastermapping and #mappersupport
- Ask for help - the community is here to support your OSM journey
Intermediate and Expert Mappers
Welcome! Here’s how to get started:
- Here are the tasks on HOT Task Manager - UPDATED
- Small tasks on MapRoulette via Yer Çizenler and the MapRoulette main page
- Due to the large project areas, AI-assisted mapping is encouraged using RapiD Editor
- Join the mapathons
- Monitor the HOT slack channels
- Read all the guidance on the wiki
- Help new mappers, give kind feedback, and support the data validation /data quality teams.
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