Page - 408 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options

408 R.Mechler et al. Fig.17.7 Community andNGOmembersmapping intoOpenStreetMapwithmobile devices in theKarnali basin,Nepal. PhotoSourceW.Liu of existingmaps ondisaster risk and community resourceswhere the locations of, forexample, rivers,houses, infrastructureandemergencysheltersareusuallyhand- drawn by selected community members. Such maps provide critical information used by local stakeholders in designing and prioritising among possible flood risk managementoptions.Communities inNepal,Peru, andMexicohaveuploadeddata to thesiteandareworkingondevelopingit further.For localcommunitieswhohave uploadedspatial information to thesite, it allowsthemtovisualise their information overlaiduponsatellite imageryorOpenStreetMap(OSM)(Fig.17.7). In collaborationwith Practical Action, IIASA researchers worked side-by-side within-countryprofessionalsandcommunitiestodemonstratethevalueandpotential of thisgeneralparticipatoryandcollaborativedigitalmappingapproachintheflood- prone lower Karnali River basin inWestern Nepal. As Fig. 17.8 shows, the new digital communitymaps are richer in content,more accurate, and easier to update and share than conventional hand-drawnVCAmaps. The process engaged awide range of stakeholders to generate geographic information on resources, capacities andfloodrisksofpilotcommunitiesbasedontheir localneeds.Thisapproach,asan inclusiveformofriskknowledgeco-generation,canmakeimportantcontribution to evidence-based understanding of disaster risk and thus enhance disaster resilience at all levels. Thework has since been taken forwardwith the collaborators tomap communities inWesternNepal,Peruand theTabasco region inMexico.