Humanitarian OSM Team/Open Mapping Hub - Asia Pacific/Mapping Cities for Climate/OM4R/Nepal Road Network Validation 2024
Introduction
Start Fund Nepal (SFN) and Open-Mapping Hub - Asia-Pacific (AP Hub) collaborated with local communities and KIRDARC to enhance the capacity of at-risk communities through transfer of technical knowledge on sustainable data generation and using of data from OpenStreetMap (OSM); improving community resilience in mitigating future risks. By fostering interactions between knowledge producers and users, SFN and AP Hub worked together to promote the accessibility of information among Start Network members and other humanitarian actors.
Since 2023, the pilot focused on improving existing data of road networks and key disaster response infrastructures in the region, through a series of technical workshops that engaged and built capacities in local stakeholders.
Background
Road networks play a crucial role in supporting economic and humanitarian activities within societies. In rural areas, roads are paramount for enhancing accessibility, fostering economic development, and promoting social integration. Improved road infrastructure also facilitates easier access to essential services like healthcare, education, and markets.
Currently, the rural regions of Nepal face a lack of reliable road network data. Moreover, existing poor-quality OSM road network data can result in inaccurate routing. Additionally, inaccurate and inaccessible data can also slow down or impede effective humanitarian aid during emergencies.
Open-source technologies, such as OpenStreetMap (OSM) and open-source GIS tools, play a pivotal role by providing accessible, collaborative, and cost-effective solutions for mapping and managing road infrastructure in remote areas. These technologies empower local communities to contribute their knowledge and participate in the mapping process, ensuring that the resulting maps are accurate and relevant to their needs.
Problem Statement
Poor-quality OSM road data can result in inaccurate routing, causing frustration for users who may become lost or choose inefficient routes. Additionally, during emergencies, inaccurate and inaccessible information can slow down or impede effective humanitarian aid.
The decentralised nature of OSM allows actors such as humanitarian agencies and local governments to reflect rapidly changing situations like accessibility, closure, surface quality etc. with the continuous involvement of local stakeholders in regions of interest. By adding missing features, correcting inaccuracies, and updating outdated information in OSM, stakeholders can have access to a more comprehensive and reliable map that can support better decision-making and resource allocation in the mapped area.
However, currently, knowledge on OSM, including remote mapping and utilisation of OSM datasets is still limited. Hence, it is critical that the community’s capacities in OSM is developed, so that they can (1) leverage it as a tool in their decision-making processes; (2) continue to maintain and update local data to support development and humanitarian efforts in the remote hills of Nepal.
Piloting in Karnali Province
The rugged geography in Nepal’s Karnali Province creates significant challenges for travel and transportation - potentially impeding humanitarian aid delivery and economic activities in peacetime. Moreover, the region already faced significant issues which further exacerbated the humanitarian impact of the 2023 earthquake in Karnali. Hence, the Karnali Province will be a critical pilot location, allowing the project to demonstrate how enhancing the road network data in remote areas like Kalikot, Mugu, and Jumla will be crucial for improving accessibility, fostering economic development, and promoting social integration. Furthermore, the region’s experience in developing the “Multi-Hazard Health and Nutrition Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan”, which was critical in Karnali’s disaster response, will be an important value-add to delivering the project.
Project Objectives
The project aimed to achieve the following:
- Implement an immediate strategy to rectify inaccuracies and address gaps in OpenStreetMap road network data using a systematic approach by coordinating remote mapping and remote validation activity in the OpenStreetMap ecosystem."
- Focus on mapping and validating major road networks (100% of trunk and primary roads) and significant settlement regions within the three priority settlements.
- Collaborate with communities and stakeholders to transfer knowledge and enhance capacity through sustainable knowledge generation.
- Prioritize critical sections of the national road network to provide immediate benefits.
Project Design
The project co-designed and implemented the following workflow with local stakeholders, including Start Network and KIRDARC:
- The foundational phase improved and reviewed the OSM road data with local stakeholders to understand their needs, gaps, and challenges.
- The project planning phase was co-created with local stakeholders, and priority open-mapping capacities were identified to be developed.
- The building local capacities phase worked with key local stakeholders, such as KIRDARC and local government representatives, through training and hands-on practice on the grounded foundational dataset.
- The building networks phase provided local stakeholders opportunities to network with the wider OSM Nepal Community for future collaborations.
Foundational Phase
Mobilisation of OSM Experts and Volunteers
AP Hub tapped on its global and local (Nepal) pool of OSM community to support open-mapping of the missing and outdated road networks. To ensure that the project is localised and address local needs and gaps, national OSM experts were also mobilised, including to support data quality and validation efforts.
Remote Road Network Mapping & Validation Phase
Remote mapping and OSM data validation campaigns were launched on Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT)’s Tasking Manager (TM) to map the areas of interest, between 2023 and 2024. The updated data served as a foundation to review needs, gaps, and challenges with local stakeholders.
Project Planning Phase
Kathmandu Co-Creation Planning Workshop
The Kathmandu Co-Creation Planning Workshop was held on 28 March 2024, and was joined by a total of 16 participants from eight communities, organisations, and governments. Stakeholders (1) developed a baseline understanding of the state of mapping in the districts; and (2) co-created a localised plan for open-mapping initiatives. Participants also shared feedback on the challenges they faced with mapping, identified priority data and potential use cases.
Building Local Capacities
Preliminary Field Navigation Tests were conducted to conduct local validation of the remotely mapped and validated OSM data.
Surkhet Mapping Validation and Local Capacity Building Workshop
The Surkhet Mapping Validation and Local Capacity Building Workshop was held on 30 - 31 May 2024, and was joined by a total of 21 participants from 12 communities, organisations, and governments.
Building on the insights from the Kathmandu Co-Creation Planning Workshop, key topics were identified and syllabus developed. Over the course of two days, participants were:
- Trained on open-mapping, such as validation, analysis, and dissemination of data.
- Trained on open-mapping tools, such as Tasking Manager, Field Papers, and mobile data collection.
- Guided to support local mapping and validation of their local areas - as part of hands-on training.
| OpenStreetMap (OSM) | |
| Intro to OpenStreetMap | Introduction to OpenStreetMap & Open Mapping Tools |
| OSM Data Structures | OSM Tagging Basics |
| Tagging on OSM (Features Updating) | OSM Tagging Practices |
| Downloading and Processing OSM Data | Accessing OSM Data |
| Open-Mapping | |
| Quality Assurance & Validation | Quality Assurance Tools |
| Open-Mapping Tools | Introduction to iD Editor |
| Open-Mapping Mobile Tools | Organic Maps |
The workshop also served as an important platform for participants from NGOs and governments to network with fellow peers, and for KIRDARC and AP Hub to identify OSM champions to engage with in the future.
Building Networks
Missing Features Mapathon and Map & Chat Hour (MACH)
Building on the training from the Surkhet Map Validation and Local Capacity Building Workshop, a Missing Features Mapathon and MACH was conducted for local stakeholders to learn about the workings of a Mapathon; and learn by contributing their local knowledge to ensure that the wider OSM Nepal Community members’ mapping and validation efforts on Tasking Manager are accurate.
The Mapathon was also designed as a MACH to bridge the two groups of stakeholders: (1) local stakeholders such as KIRDARC and government representatives; and (2) the wider OSM Nepal Community. The Mapathon served as a platform for both sides to learn about each other, and connect with each other - creating opportunities for future collaborations.
Chandannath Use Case Discussion and Handover Workshop
The Chandannath Use Case Discussion and Handover Workshop was held on 28 June 2024, and was joined by 14 participants from nine local communities, organisations, and governments. Stakeholders reviewed the mapped and validated OSM data, and discussed how the data can strengthen existing use cases and identified potential use cases. At the end of the Workshop, the OSM data was symbolically handed over to the local stakeholders.
AP Hub also prepared 100 booklets - covering the outcomes of the project, the methodologies, and tools used - for the local stakeholders to disseminate to their local networks. Please find access to the booklet here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gsw0UPcpAs6_ylKhhfxG_tKwINHZARhG/view?usp=sharing.
How to get involved?
Learning to Map
To start contributing to OpenStreetMap, please refer to a simple-to-use beginners guide called LearnOSM (learnosm.org) developed by the community. It is a series of quick lessons that will guide any new user through setting up an account to beginning mapping.
Edit the Map
Tasking Manager
The Tasking Manager project aims to coordinate public efforts to add OSM road data in Karnali and make it publicly accessible. We've set up our own mapping project while also working with local initiatives in the same area to avoid duplicating work. This approach helps streamline efforts and make the most of available resources for mapping in the region.For the purpose of this project, we are using the specific hashtag #SNRMNepal along with a human-readable comment.
| Project | Name | Organization Name |
| #14423 | OSM Data Mapping and Validation of Tilagufa Rural Municipality | Youth Innovation Lab |
| #14424 | OSM Data Mapping and Validation of Naraharinath Rural Municipality | Youth Innovation Lab |
| #14425 | OSM Data Mapping and Validation of Khandachakra Municipality | Youth Innovation Lab |
| #14898 | Mapping and Updating of Road and Paths in Jumla District, Nepal | Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific |
| #15639 | Mapping and Updating of Road and Paths in Mugu District, Nepal | Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific |
| #15638 | Mapping and Updating of Road and Paths in Kalikot District, Nepal | Open Mapping Hub Asia-Pacific |
| The Tasking Manager is a tool that divides large mapping tasks into small sections to make them easier for volunteers to manage. The Tasking Manager also includes background information on the locale to be mapped, as well as information about what kind of data is needed (road, schools, etc., and how to recognize them). Volunteers can contribute directly to current activities through HOT's Tasking Manager. |
MapRoulette
We're asking people from all over, including the Nepal local community, to help improve OpenStreetMap (OSM) road data quality in Karnali province. By joining remotely, anyone can spot and fix mistakes in the road network on OSM.
| MapRoulette is an application for OpenStreetMap (OSM) that provides microtasks to users to complete in a short amount of time, mostly under 5 minutes. Tasks are grouped into larger challenges that are completed by the community. Map Roulette is largely used to crowdsource and organize tasks for improving the accuracy and completeness of OpenStreetMap data. |
Currently, there's a MapRoulette challenge targeting road data quality problems in Karnali. These issues, like disconnected roads and overlapping highways with buildings, can mess up routing. Fixing them ensures better navigation accuracy for users relying OSM data.
| Project | Name |
| 44315 | Fixing Data Quality Error of Highway in Karnali Province |
Testing The Map Data
Routing Test
Testing routing in pilot areas with mobile phone applications that utilize OSM data, such as Organic Maps, Maps.Me, OSMAnd, etc., to assess the suitability of mapped roads for navigation
| Routing services (in some countries called navigation services) help people get from one place to another. OpenStreetMap data includes information for routing by many modes including car, foot, bicycle and horse. There are many offline, embedded and web-based routing services using OpenStreetMap data. |