4th May, 11am - 1pm, Rio de Janeiro / 3pm - 5pm BST

This webinar will consist of a talk on participatory mapping by Professor João Porto de Albuquerque (in Portuguese), followed by OpenStreetMap mapping of the URBE Latam project neighbourhood in Morro do Preventório, Rio. This activity is part of URBE Latam’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. We will use OpenStreetMap (“the Wikipedia of Maps”) to remotely create the geospatial baseline for identifying the most vulnerable residents in need of support from the community bank.

Link to join: https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/337f66b2155444a680316346aba9d13a

No previous knowledge is required, just a computer and internet connection. A mouse is not obligatory but makes mapping slightly easier. This exercise will be repeated for El Pacífico (Medellín) and we hope to encourage you to continue mapping independently.

Mapathon Background and Aims

Risk, vulnerability and resilience have different meanings for different communities, yet they are often implemented and measured in ways that overlook these variations. This bias especially affects so-called informal neighbourhoods which are characterised by self-constructed housing and infrastructure. In a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts, the different meanings of vulnerabilities and their connections become visible, and resident-led processes of resilience manifest. On the other side of the spectrum, traditional, centralised data providers, such as National Statistics Offices and early warning systems are now with urgency looking for alternative sources to enable the government response to such crises.

The aim of this project is to help bringing these two into dialogue through participatory, inclusive and empowering creation of data on vulnerability and factors of resilience. The maps produced here will enable the community-led identification of the most vulnerable households in Morro do Preventório, which in the first instance will be used to support a community bank with the provision of food, credits and grants to families in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.