Between micro mappers and missing maps: Digital humanitarianism and the politics of material participation in disaster response

Abstract

Crisis mapping is a new modality of participatory humanitarian action in which global publics are mobilized to trace digital maps of disaster-stricken sites and to classify, verify, and plot on maps Big Data produced by disaster-affected people. This article untangles the political rationalities behind this emergent form of digital humanitarianism by looking at two platforms that shape the self-organizing crowds in which crisis mapping is grounded: MicroMappers, a microtasking platform for processing messages from disaster zones, and the Missing Maps Project, which traces maps of disaster-prone areas in poor countries. While looking at the increasingly prominent interplay between device-based participation and technologies of advanced liberal governance in humanitarianism, I make two interrelated claims. First, I argue that ICTs do not promote the democratization of disaster response as much as they put at its disposal new tools for establishing order and security in crisis zones by facilitating the transfer of responsibility to humanitarian crowds. Second, I claim that the emergence of the crowd as a new humanitarian actor that serves the dual and potentially incommensurate purposes of resilience and witnessing perpetuates the ambiguities of a humanitarian endeavor whose inherent tensions had grown deeper since it gained its current political prominence.

Geospatial preparedness: Empirical study of the joint effort to provide geospatial support to disaster response

“…When considering the application of different forms of crowdsourced information such as VGI (See et al, ), studies state the potential of this source of information in disaster response but also challenges such as data quality, bias in contributions, data management, and security issues (Haworth & Bruce, ). OpenStreetMap, particularly Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), applies the principles of open source and open data sharing to humanitarian aid (Dittus, Quattrone, & Capra, ; Givoni, ; Poiani, Rocha, Degrossi, & de Albuquerque, ; See et al, ; Soden & Palen, ). As Neis and Zielstra's () review shows, research related to OpenStreetMap has been focused on data quality and contributor patterns.…”

“…The use of geospatial big data presents numerous challenges; nevertheless, it also opens up several research opportunities (Robinson et al, 2017), particularly when it is applied to disaster management (Qadir et al, 2016). Crisis mapping, the processing of big data by volunteers in response to an emergency, represents a new paradigm for the humanitarian community (Givoni, 2016). When considering the application of different forms of crowdsourced information such as VGI (See et al, 2016), studies state the potential of this source of information in disaster response but also challenges such as data quality, bias in contributions, data management, and security issues (Haworth & Bruce, 2015 In general, the work of crowdsourced mapping is positively assessed.…”

“…"[…] duplications or information missing due to political reasons… That cannot be explained in the metadata, even if it should be" (P1). That is where relationships and data source contacts become important (Givoni, 2016;Mehta, Bruns, & Newton, 2017).…”

“…). OpenStreetMap, particularly Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), applies the principles of open source and open data sharing to humanitarian aid(Dittus, Quattrone, & Capra, 2017;Givoni, 2016;Poiani, Rocha, Degrossi, & de Albuquerque, 2016;See et al, 2016;Soden & Palen, 2016). AsNeis and Zielstra's (2014) review shows, research related to OpenStreetMap has been focused on data quality and contributor patterns.…”

Des TIC au TOC1. Contribuer à OpenStreetMap : entre commun numérique et utopie cartographique

“…4 « Groupes de discussions », la parole livrée dans l'enquête en ligne nous est apparue si riche qu'on a souhaité rencontrer celles et ceux formant les communautés de contributrices et contributeurs pour d'une part, leur livrer les premiers résultats de nos traitements qualitatifs (ce que nous avons aussi pu réaliser en plénière quelques mois après lors des rencontres State of the Map à Clermont-Ferrand en mai 2016) mais aussi pour les « voir » réagir aux empreintes de leurs contributions en leur livrant la cartographie des traces laissées sur OSM. (Givoni, 2016). Ce sous-projet est une des applications les plus concrètes, les plus actives et les plus médiatiques associée à OpenStreetMap.…”