The evolution of humanitarian mapping within the OpenStreetMap community.

Area of Science:

• Geographic Information Science
• Humanitarian Studies
• Data Science

Background:

• OpenStreetMap (OSM) data supports humanitarian efforts and development frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Assessing the spatial and temporal evolution of humanitarian mapping within OSM is crucial for understanding its impact and limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively assess the evolution and footprint of humanitarian mapping in OpenStreetMap.
• To analyze the spatial and temporal contributions of humanitarian mapping efforts.
• To identify and address data inequalities in open geographic data.

Main Methods:

• Spatio-temporal statistical analysis of OpenStreetMap's historical data since 2008.
• Quantitative assessment of buildings and roads added by humanitarian mapping efforts.
• Comparative analysis of mapping bias across different Human Development Index (HDI) regions.

Main Results:

• Humanitarian mapping added 60.5 million buildings and 4.5 million roads to OSM.
• While general OSM mapping favors high-HDI regions, humanitarian efforts focused on medium and low-HDI areas.
• Despite efforts, low and medium-HDI regions remain underrepresented (28% buildings, 16% roads) despite hosting 46% of the global population.

Conclusions:

• Humanitarian mapping significantly enhances open geographic data, particularly in underserved areas.
• Substantial data inequalities persist, highlighting the need for improved spatial coverage and equitable data distribution.
• Recommendations include enhancing mapping monitoring, redesigning data generation projects for sustainability, and empowering local communities.