OSM911: Disaster Response Portal for Mozambique 🇲🇿
#OSM911 was our team name! Together with Joseph Munyenze and Mary Muthee, we participated in the OSM Kathon competition. 🏆
Even though we did not make it to the top 3, we are glad that our project was featured by the team behind the Kathon! 🎉
🚨 The Question
We built a disaster response portal for Mozambique with a simple goal: to help answer one critical question during an emergency.
Where is the nearest help, and how long will it take to get there?
🗺️ What the Portal Does
Users can select any location in Mozambique by dropping a pin or searching for a place. The portal then identifies the closest facilities across key response categories:
- 🏥 Health facilities
- 🏠 Shelters
- 🚒 Rescue services
- 💧 WASH services
- 🚌 Transport facilities
Users can also visualize road routes and estimated travel times to these facilities, and export the assessment as a bilingual PDF briefing for easier communication and decision-making.
🌍 Built for the People Who Need It
To make sure the application benefits locals, we integrated a bilingual feature. The application is accessible in Portuguese (the local language) and in English.
🎯 Takeaways
Hackathons move fast, and this one was a great reminder of what open data can do. Taking OpenStreetMap data and turning it into something that could help people find help during an emergency is exactly the kind of work I enjoy at the intersection of mapping and open-source development.
Placing in the top 3 would have been nice, but being featured by the organizers and building something we are proud of made it worthwhile. 🙌
Have fun interacting with the dashboard! 👇
🚀 OSM911 Disaster Response Portal