VIDEO

VIDEO

Patrick Meier: Crisis Mapping

Patrick Meier: Crisis Mapping

Emerging Explorer Patrick Meier pioneers the lifesaving new field of crisis mapping, which is helping revolutionize the effectiveness of relief efforts worldwide.

Grades

5 - 12+

Subjects

Geography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Human Geography, Physical Geography

Program
NG Live

This video was filmed on Thursday, June 14th at the 2012 National Geographic Explorers Symposium at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., United States.

National Geographic Emerging Explorer Patrick Meier pioneers the lifesaving new field of crisis mapping and makes it available, accessible, and free to humanitarian organizations and volunteers across the globe. Using social media, texting, and other technologies, Meier is able to create real-time maps that help local disaster relief. Crisis maps help direct aid specifically to people or organizations requesting help. As director of crisis mapping at the nonprofit technology company Ushahidi and co-founder of the Standby Volunteer Task Force, he is helping to revolutionize the power and effectiveness of relief efforts worldwide.

Outline

  • Mapping the world live: recognizing a need after the earthquake in Haiti (start-1:53 min.)
  • Using social media to create a live crisis map of Haiti (1:54-04:34 min.)
  • Accidentally creating the most comprehensive and up-to-date map of Haiti (04:35-06:18 min.)
  • How the map was created: base maps, text messages in Creole, and social media (06:19-10:49 min.)
  • Live mapping on a global scale: getting the public involved (10:50-12:37 min.)
  • Crisis mapping in Somalia: using the crowd-sourcing model (12:38-15:05 min.)
  • Who are the mapsters? How to join the Standby Volunteer Task Force (15:06-16:05 min.)
  • What's next? Connecting communities in need to those who can help (16:06-17:41 min.)
  • Re-think the way we see and use maps: today's maps are alive (17:42-18:20 min.)

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Page Producers
Nina Page, National Geographic Society
Samantha Zuhlke, National Geographic Society
other
Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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