United Nations names Nashin Mahtani, director of Disaster Map Foundation, “Rising Star in Disaster Risk Reduction”

We are thrilled to share that Director of Disaster Map Foundation (Yayasan Peta Bencana) is the recipient of the prestigious “Rising Star in Disaster Risk Reduction” award from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

According to UNDRR:

“Nashin Mahtani has transformed how disaster information is created and shared across the Global South through innovation. Mahtani’s work exemplifies how inclusive technologies can challenge extractive systems and reimagine disaster resilience as a shared civic practice, not just a technical outcome. She has reimagined DRR as a collective, community-led process, bridging cutting-edge technology with deep cultural practices of mutual aid. Under her leadership, a project that began as a pilot flood map for a few thousand users in Jakarta has scaled into one of the largest open-source platforms for DRR in Southeast Asia. Her work has shifted disaster risk reduction from top-down alerts to participatory risk governance, enabling residents to co-create verified, real-time risk information for first responders, government agencies, and their communities.” — United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

We are grateful for the recognition, and as Mahtani iterated: “This recognition is shared with the frontline communities who show up for eachother when it matters most, proving that when power is distributed, lives are saved.”