Wajir County Harnesses Community Mapping for Disaster Preparedness

Nairobi – In the arid and semi-arid region of Wajir County, Kenya, where climate-related disasters such as droughts and floods pose persistent threats, an innovative approach is reshaping the landscape of disaster preparedness.

The Community Participatory Mapping for Disaster Resilience project, implemented by the Kenya Red Cross Society in collaboration with the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap (HotOSM) and other key stakeholders, is exploring a community-led strategy to enhance the county’s preparedness and response capabilities.

Wajir County, predominantly relying on agro-pastoral livelihoods, faces recurring hazards that impact the lives and property of its population. To address these challenges, the project leverages open data and engages the community in mapping their surroundings. This strategy aims to provide real-time, up-to-date information crucial for disaster preparedness, with a focus on mitigating climate-related disasters.

The project’s cornerstone lies in the organization of mapathons, three of which were conducted during the project duration. These mapathons aimed to enhance the accuracy and currency of maps by involving the community in adding features like roads, buildings, dams, and other infrastructure to the OpenStreetMap (OSM) database. The mapathons, held both on-site within Wajir County and virtually in Nairobi, mobilized local stakeholders and volunteer mappers to contribute their expertise. The collective efforts resulted in an impressive addition of 50,000 buildings and 300 km of roads to the OSM database in Wajir County.

In addition to the mapathons, the project organized data collection campaigns to address the limitations of spatial data. These campaigns focused on collecting attribute data critical for comprehensive assessments, covering sectors such as Education, Health, Wash (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), and other key features. Participants were trained on mobile data collection tools, including Kobo, enabling them to design customized digital forms for diverse datasets. The collected data, integrated into OSM, enriched the available dataset and facilitated better understanding of the existing infrastructure and resources within the communities.

“Community and stakeholder engagement is key in ensuring project success,” emphasizes Abdikadir Mohamed of the Kenya Red Cross Society. Communities were placed at the center of the initiative, treated as experts capable of providing recommendations and solutions to address disasters in their locality. Trainings were customized to fit their needs, and data collection focused on hotspot areas for disasters, preventing duplication of efforts and ensuring effective resource utilization.

The participatory mapping strategy has not only improved the accuracy of spatial data but has also fostered community awareness and comprehension of disaster risks. To further this, a training program on Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) was implemented, building technical capacity and enhancing knowledge and skills in disaster risk reduction and management. The program engaged sub-county administrators, key decision-makers in disaster response and reduction activities.

Through this community-led initiative, Wajir County is not only fortifying its disaster resilience but also creating a platform for informed decision-making based on real-time data. The project’s impact extends beyond mapping, influencing various sectors such as youth empowerment and anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) efforts.

Wajir County pioneers this community-driven approach, the positive social and economic impacts of open data initiatives become increasingly evident.

The lessons learned from Wajir County’s experience highlight the potential of participatory mapping to transform disaster preparedness.

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