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Community-led information sharing through PetaBencana.id supports response and relief efforts as Jakarta is inundated for the third major time this year

On February 20th, #banjir and #JakartaBanjir were the highest trending topics on Twitter Indonesia, as the capital city was inundated for the third major time this year, following particularly heavy rainfall from Friday night (19/2/2021) to Saturday morning (20/02/2021). As Jakarta residents turned to social media to share updates about the flood, they were greeted by “Disaster Bot” – a novel AI-assisted chatbot that monitors social media for posts about disasters and automatically invites users to submit more detailed disaster reports. These crowd-sourced reports are used to map disasters in real-time, on a free and open source website, PetaBencana.id.

As flooding blocked major thoroughfares and toll roads, disrupted commuter lines, and cut off electricity to over 60,000 homes, residents continued to share updates about the flood situation in order to stay alert and make timely decisions about safety and response. Hundreds of residents submitted flood reports to PetaBencana.id, alerting each other about water levels, broken infrastructures and road accessibility. The Jakarta Emergency Management Agency also updated the map with official information about flood affected  areas, and monitored the map to respond to resident needs. PetaBencana.id experienced a 2000% in activity in under 12 hours as residents actively checked the map to understand the flooding situation, avoid flooded areas, and make decisions about safety and response. 

Residents share updates about flood-affected road access through the open source information sharing platform, PetaBencana.id. Thousands of residents used the map to navigate safely as heavy rainfall inundated the city for the third major time this year.

As flooding incidents continue to occur with increasing intensity across the country, community-led information sharing is once again proving its significance in supporting response and planning at multiple scales. Data from PetaBencana.id is consumed by the National Emergency Management Agency’s (BNPB) InAWARE Disaster Monitoring platform to support decision making. BPBD DKI’s application Pantau Banjir also integrates real-time flood information from PetaBencana.id to push flood updates to residents. Over the course of the weekend, several media platforms turned to PetaBencana.id as a verified information source to support news coverage about the flooding situation across Jakarta’s neighborhoods, including the Jakarta Post, Kompas, Tribun, and the Jakarta Globe, among others. Once again, this weekend’s incidents highlight the significance of community engagement in disaster information sharing.

Government agencies and media platforms use crowd-sourced information from PetaBencana.id to share disaster updates. Left: screenshot of Pantau Banjir application; Right: screenshot of Jakarta Post graphic produced with data from PetaBencana.id

People on-the-ground are best equipped to provide location-specific information updates, and observations arising from lived experiences are critical to gain insight on how we collectively respond to the changing behavior of floods in the city. One of the most common observations shared by residents was the persistence of flood waters in their neighborhoods even several days after the rain had stopped; an observation that can be attributed to the increased concretization of the city and overflowing canals.

Yayasan Peta Bencana thanks all residents of Indonesia for continuing to share critical information, and applauds the indispensable role of all residents in helping neighbors, government agencies, responders, and researchers develop strategies for climate adaptation. 

As BMKG predicts extreme rainfall to continue until April, Dwikorita Karnawati, Head of BMKG, emphasizes the need for improved coordination and synergy between multiple stakeholders for climate adaptation efforts.

Residents of Indonesia can submit real-time flood reports by tweeting #banjir @petabencana, sending a Facebook message to @petabencana.id, or sending a Telegram message to @bencanabot. We remind everyone to check https://petabencana.id for up-to-date information and to stay safe!

PetaBencana.id is a part of the USAID BNPB InAWARE: Disaster Management Early Warning and Decision Support Capacity Enhancement Project in Indonesia. PetaBencana.id is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The project is made possible through collaboration with project partners including the Pacific Disaster Center at the University of Hawaii, the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team, and Civic Data Lab; our implementing partners at the National Emergency Management Agency (BNPB) and Jakarta Emergency Management Agency (BPBD DKI Jakarta); and, our data partners including Mapbox, Twitter, Qlue, and PasangMata.

Residents shared information through MapaKalamidad.ph in support of response efforts as a fifth storm hit the region in just two weeks.

The Philippines experienced five consecutive typhoons in late October and early November. While still recovering from Typhoon Molave (Quinta), Typhoon Goni (Rolly). Taifun Atsani (Siony), and Taifun Etau (Tonyo), rains lashed the eastern and northern parts of the country and compounded the impact of Taifun Vamco (Ulysses), the fifth storm to hit the region in just two weeks.

The typhoon left severe impacts on roads making them impassable due to flooding, and disrupted power and communications. The state of reservoirs in some areas exacerbated flooding in low-riverine areas such as Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Cordirella Administrative Region and Metro Manila.

Amidst the widespread flooding situation that halted the activities and movements of the people of the Philippines, the hashtags @FLoodPH and #RescuePH were trending on social media, where people called for help and posted flood information in their areas. MapaKalamidad.ph, a newly launched disaster information platform, has capitalized on the active social media presence to aid community-based risk reduction. Using an AI-based chatbot to monitor and respond to social media posts, the platform collects and confirms reports from citizens into real-time flood maps. The platform saw a significant increase in activity during Typhoon Ulysses due to active citizens reporting updates on the flood situation. The free and open web-based maps have been used to support citizens and disaster management units to identify areas in need of response and rescue. MapaKalamidad.ph was launched in late September 2020 as part of the PhilAWARE Program supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs (USAID BHA) in collaboration with the Philippine Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT).

Joseph Curry of USAID BHA said,

“While we rely on the government as the authority in charge of impact and relief, we also recognize that the affected parties have the most up-to-date information and play an important role. MapaKalamidad.ph adds a dimension to data and information by empowering citizens to report disasters, conditions and damages in their neighborhoods through social media and apps. In the spirit of bayanihan, MapaKalamidad.ph becomes a shared tool in disaster response, connecting each barangay with the higher levels of government.”

Recent unpredictable typhoons have underscored the importance of real-time, verified information in supporting response efforts under volatile conditions. As the storm quickly turns and floods inundate the country, netizens using the platform have great potential to be a key resource in sharing flood map information to aid safety and response decision-making.

MapaKalamidad.ph is currently available for Quezon City and Pampanga residents where citizens can share flood information anonymously via Facebook message @mapakalamidad, or Telegram message @kalamidadbot. Government agencies are also monitoring the map to respond to disaster situations and provide assistance to residents.

With La Nina conditions continuing, heavy rains are expected in the region in the coming months. The Disaster Map Foundation encourages Filipinos to share critical information to help others, the government, and response teams in the event of a disaster.

Check https://mapakalimad.ph for flood updates and stay safe!
MapaKalamidad.ph is part of the USAID DisasterAWARE Program for ASEAN Regional and National Capacity Development for Hazard Monitoring.

MapaKalamidad.ph is made possible through the support of the American people through USAID, and through collaboration with partners such as the Pacific Disaster Center at the University of Hawaii and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team; implementation partners Office of Civil Defense, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Pampanga Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office; data partners including Twitter and Mapbox.

“[PetaBencana.id] is a paradigmatic example of using the Internet to connect groups of people so they can share knowledge. [PetaBencana.id] confirms what we have long understood: expertise rooted in local knowledge and lived experience is widely distributed across society. Social platforms allow us to combine and scale this intelligence to aggregate knowledge, share work and increasingly, to solve problems collaboratively.”

A recent report published by The GovLab (an action research center based at New York University) and UK-based Nesta Foundation, features PetaBencana.id as one of 30 exemplary case studies demonstrating the commendable use of collective intelligence to address public challenges. As part of a larger undertaking of research on collective intelligence, the report argues that collective intelligence can support better and more inclusive public services. The research highlights case studies from around the world using technology to harness ideas and skills from the public, and presents this collaborative methodology as a critical component of addressing our most pressing challenges today. The full research documentation can be accessed at: https://www.thegovlab.org/collective-intelligence.html

Earlier this year, the GovLab also featured PetaBencana.id as part of their “Collective Crisis Intelligence” course. Initially launched to inform the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the free course includes lessons applicable for future disaster relief efforts. Each lecture features an organization that has successfully learned how to harness technology to engage public participation in emergency response.

PetaBencana.id is grateful to be featured among exemplary case studies from around the world, and we commend all residents of Indonesia for demonstrating the strength of shared intelligence in the spirit of gotong-royong! As demonstrated in many of these case studies, it is collaboration that enables practices of adaptation and endurance. PetaBencana.id is possible through the collaboration of several partners, and operates together with the larger ecosystem of disaster risk reduction tools and programs aimed to support disaster response. Funded by USAID BHA as a component of the Pacific Disaster Center’s InAWARE program, the platform is made possible through a collaboration with several partners including the Humanitarian Open Street Map Team, the National Emergency Management Agency (BNPB), the Jakarta Emergency Mangagement Agency (BPBD DKI Jakarta), Twitter, Mapbox, Qlue, and PasangMata. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively to continue to #ReduceRiskTogether! 

MapaKalamidad.ph, a free and open source platform for emergency response and disaster management in the Philippines, was officially launched on September 10th, 2020 during a virtual webinar titled “Digital Bayanihan! Social Media for Humanitarian Response”. The platform uses both, crowd-sourced reporting and government agency validations, to map flood events in real-time.

During the opening remarks, Joseph Curry from the USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, said,

“While we depend on the government to be the authoritative source on damages and needs, we also recognize that those affected have the most up to date information and have an essential role to play. MapaKalamidad.ph adds a new dimension to data and information collection by empowering citizens to directly report hazards, critical lifelines and damages in their neighbourhoods via social media apps and mobile apps. In the true spirit of bayanihan, MapaKlamidad.ph gives us a tool that everyone can use together in disaster response, potentially connecting every barangay right to the top.”

Developed by Yayasan Peta Bencana (Disaster Map Foundation), a South-east Asian based non-profit organization, the platform draws on the award-winning crowd-sourced disaster mapping platform, PetaBencana.id in Indonesia. The PetaBencana.id platform has been used by millions of resident users since 2013, to make time-critical decisions about safety and navigation during emergency flood events in Indonesia. It has also been adopted by the National Emergency Management Agency (BNPB) to monitor disaster events, improve response times, and share time-critical emergency information with residents. Having proven beyond any doubt that community-led data collection, sharing, and visualization reduces disaster risk and assists in relief efforts, our software has now been developed to support real-time disaster mapping for the Philippines.

Featuring talks from Gil Francis Arevalo from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Bryan Damasco from the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team Philippines, and Michael Vincent Mercardo from the Center of Disaster Preparedness, the webinar focused on the indispensable role of community-led response in mitigation and adaptation efforts.

In response to the launch of MapaKalamidad.ph, Asec Casiano C. Monilla from the Office of Civil Defense, said,

“The contribution of social media and expansion of democratic space and public participation in govt activities and issues cannot be understated. It has been proven, time and again, that the successful disaster risk reduction and management endeavors depend on public support; co-owernship of the concepts of safety, preparedness and resilience. [MapaKalamidad.ph], which draws verified and reliable information through crowd sourcing on social media, is a very welcome development. Open mapping and information sharing through crowd sourcing enables people to not simply be audiences and recipients of systems and products, but also participants in the process of assisting communities and the government in reporting and responding to emergencies. This will translate to more lives safeguarded, properties and livelihoods protected, and development sustained.”

Now, any resident in Pampanga and Quezon City can submit a flood report anonymously by tweeting #flood or #baha @mapakalamidad, sending a Facebook message to @mapakalamidad, or sending a telegram message to @kalamidadbot. Government emergency management agencies also monitor the map to assess the disaster situation and respond to resident needs.

With current ENSO models indicating a trend towards La Nina conditions, above-normal rainfall is expected in the coming months. We remind everyone to check https://mapakalamidad.ph for up-to-date information and to stay safe!

MapaKalamidad.ph is a part of the USAID Program for ASEAN Regional and National Capacity Development for Hazard Monitoring, Early Warning, and Disaster Management Decision Support. As part of the Pacific Disaster Center’s PhilAWARE project, the project represents a multi-partner collaboration between the Philippines Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), Yayasan Peta Bencana, and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT). The project is made possible through collaboration with implementing partners Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction Mangagement Office (QCDRRMO) and Pampanga Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO), and data partners Twitter and Mapbox. 

Community-led information sharing through the PetaBencana.id platform supports response and relief efforts as extreme rainfall inundates Jakarta for the fourth major time this year. Over 800 residents submitted flood reports to PetaBencana.id in under 24 hours.

Two tropical cyclones triggered torrential rainfall across Java, inundating the capital city of Jakarta and its surrounding areas for the fourth major time this year.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the series of floods that have inundated the capital region over the past two months are a result of climate change-driven global warming. Average temperatures in Indonesia peaked in 2019, with Jakarta experiencing an annual temperature rise 1.4 times higher than global trends. The agency recorded 278 millimeters of rainfall in 24 hours, categorizing the weather as ‘extreme rain’ with the city receiving one month’s worth of rain in a single day.

As flooding paralyzed traffic on major thoroughfares, disrupted commuter lines for over two consecutive days, inundated the state national hospital, and cut off electricity to over 1,600 substations, residents continued to search for verified information about the flood situation in order to make timely decisions about safety and response.  Amidst a spread of misinformation, the National Emergency Management Agency (BNPB) endorsed PetaBencana.id as the official information sharing platform to collectively mitigate risk.  

Thousands of residents contributed to crowd-sourced flood mapping by submitting flood reports to PetaBencana.id; informing each other about the severity of the flood, infrastructure failures, and response efforts. PetaBencana.id experienced a 26,000% increase in activity as residents actively checked the web-based map to understand the flooding situation, avoid flooded areas, and make decisions about safety and response. The Jakarta Emergency Management Agency (BPBD DKI Jakarta) monitored the map to respond to resident needs, coordinate response, and also updated the real-time map with information about flood affected neighborhoods.

On February 25th, MetroTV featured PetaBencana.id thrice on its breaking news segment, advising residents to check the open-source platform in order to stay up-to-date on the flooding situation and mitigate risk. Google Maps also sourced and linked to PetaBencana.id for verified flood information. As various news agencies shared the platform as a primary information source, thousands of residents used social media channels to share the real-time flood map, commenting on its ease of use, and commending its usefulness in navigating unanticipated disaster events.

Google Maps sources and links to PetaBencana.id for verified flood information

As floodwaters disrupted the city, community-led information sharing continues to support response and planning efforts at multiple scales. Agus Wibowo, Head of the Center for Data, Information and Public Relations at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), urged residents to share flood reports through PetaBencana.id, highlighting the significance of community led data collection, sharing, and visualization in reducing disaster risk and assisting field response. 

Yayasan Peta Bencana thanks all residents of Indonesia for continuing to share critical information, and applauds the indispensable role of all residents in helping neighbors, government agencies, responders, and researchers develop strategies for climate adaptation. 

As BMKG predicts extreme rainfall to continue until March, Dwikorita Karnawati, Head of BMKG, emphasizes the need for improved coordination and synergy between multiple stakeholders for climate adaptation efforts.

Residents of Indonesia can submit real-time flood reports by tweeting #banjir @petabencana, sending a Facebook message to @petabencana.id, or sending a Telegram message to @bencanabot. We remind everyone to check https://petabencana.id for up-to-date information and to stay safe!

PetaBencana.id is a part of the USAID BNPB InAWARE: Disaster Management Early Warning and Decision Support Capacity Enhancement Project in Indonesia. PetaBencana.id is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The project is made possible through collaboration with project partners including the Pacific Disaster Center at the University of Hawaii and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team; our implementing partners at the National Emergency Management Agency (BNPB) and Jakarta Emergency Management Agency (BPBD DKI Jakarta); and, our data partners including Mapbox, Twitter, Qlue, and PasangMata.

To inaugurate the national launch of PetaBencana.id, over 3,376 residents across Indonesia participated in the first country-wide disaster preparedness event of its kind, the #112Challenge.

To inaugurate the national launch of the PetaBencana.id disaster management platform, Yayasan Peta Bencana and BNPB, supported by PLN and Bank BRI, hosted the first country-wide disaster preparedness event of its kind—the #112Challenge. Over 125 organizations and 3,376 residents across 17 provinces in Indonesia participated in the nation-wide competition, where residents simulated real-time flood reporting and information sharing through PetaBencana.id. 

PetaBencana.id is a free and open source platform that provides real-time disaster information and transparent communication between residents and government agencies, in order to reduce risk and increase emergency response times. The online platform harnesses the use of social media to crowdsource disaster information from residents on-the-ground, who often have the most up-to-date information, and displays this information on a live web-based map. 

During the opening remarks of the official launch, Doni Monardo, Head of BNPB, said: “PetaBencana.id will become a primary channel of interactive crisis communication between the government and residents. By enabling all residents across Indonesia to submit real-time disaster reports through social media, the platform will support faster response and reduce disaster risk”.

In this unprecedented community-led disaster preparedness event, over 125 schools, BPBDs, NGOs, and businesses across Indonesia simultaneously set up disaster-themed murals in their neighborhoods as part of the #112Challenge. They invited their friends, neighbors, and nearby communities to take photos with the mural, post #banjir on social media, and submit test reports to PetaBencana.id. Throughout the course of the day, the platform received more than 3,376 reports as organizations competed to train millions of community members about real-time disaster information sharing. 

Now, any resident in Indonesia can submit a disaster report anonymously by tweeting @petabencana, sending a Facebook message to @petabencana, or sending a telegram message to @bencanabot. Government emergency management agencies also monitor the map to assess the disaster situation and respond to resident needs as part of a two-way communication system; they can also update the map to alert residents about the severity of a disaster. 

In response to the platform’s national launch, Agus Wibowo, Head of the Center for Data, Information, and Public Relations at the National Disaster Management Agency, said, “The transparency of the platform provides all residents, community organizations, humanitarian agencies, and government agencies, free access to time-critical information needed to make informed decisions, thereby fostering collaborative resilience and coordinated response to disaster events across the country”.

Since its debut in 2013 (as PetaJakarta.org), the PetaBencana.id platform has been used by millions of resident users to make time-critical decisions about safety and navigation during emergency flood events in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya. The platform has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including the prestigious 2019 United Nations Public Service Award. In the 2015 World Disaster Report of the International Federation of the Red Cross, the project was recommended as a model for community engagement in relation to disaster response. 

Having proven beyond any doubt that community-led data collection, sharing, and visualization reduces disaster risk and assists in relief efforts, in 2020 the platform expanded to support all of Indonesia. Later in the year, PetaBencana.id will also expand its reporting mechanism to include reports for all other hazards, including volcanoes, earthquakes, extreme wind, and forest fires and haze.

PetaBencana.id is a part of the USAID BNPB InAWARE: Disaster Management Early Warning and Decision Support Capacity Enhancement Project in Indonesia. PetaBencana.id is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The project is made possible through collaboration with project partners including the Pacific Disaster Center at the University of Hawaii and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team; our implementing partners at the National Emergency Management Agency; our data partners including Mapbox, Twitter, Qlue, and PasangMata; and financial sponsors for the #112Challenge, PT. PLN and Bank Rakyat Indonesia.

In preparation for the nation-wide launch of PetaBencana.id, @america hosted an interactive session on February 5th: “Banjir, Bots, and Gotong Royong: Strengthening Civic Participation for Climate Adaptation in Indonesia”. 

Opened by Jason Seuc, Deputy Director of the Environment Office of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the session focused on the significance of community-led information sharing during disaster events. 

Harlan Hale, Regional Advisor for the US Agency of International Development Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID OFDA), shared the importance of resident reporting in supporting response efforts by humanitarian and government agencies. Residents on-the-ground often have the most up-to-date information – the knowledge of local communities and the dense network of mobile sensors connected via social media, provides a data source of unprecedented resolution for mitigating urban risk. 

In order to transform the “noise” of social media into actionable information, Nashin Mahtani, director of Yayasan Peta Bencana, shared how the PetaBencana.id platform employs chatbots to engage in AI assisted conversations with residents to confirm flooding. 

As new tools, applications, and software are adopted by governments and NGOs for the identification and management of urban risk, Maryanto, S. Kom, Head of data management and information systems at BNPB, iterated the significance of data sharing and integration of various data.

The event was live streamed at several American Chapters including ITB, UMY, and UIN. Participants engaged in a lively discussion, raising questions about the verification of crowd-sourced reporting, privacy and ethics of information gathering, and the potential latency of online platforms during high periods of surging activity. 

Following a live-demo led by Hotniida AMW Sinambela, Research Operations Coordinator of Yayasan Peta Bencana, participants simulated real-time flood reporting and information sharing through PetaBencana.id.  

In preparation for the national-launch of PetaBencana.id, to be held on February 11th, @america set up an exclusive preview of their participation in the #112Challenge. The #112Challenge is the first country-wide disaster preparedness event of its kind, where over 125 organizations in Indonesia will participate in a nation-wide competition to increase disaster awareness. On the 11th of February, 3D flood murals will be set up in over 125 locations across Indonesia. Organizations will encourage their communities to use their mural selfies to practice submitting flood reports via Twitter, Facebook, and Telegram. @america is one of the participating locations, and the event on February 5th enabled participants to engage in an exclusive preview of the #112Challenge! Make sure you visit the venue on February 11th to support your city in winning! To find locations near you check the map at: info.petabencana.id/112challenge.

PetaBencana.id is a platform run by Yayasan Peta Bencana as a free, transparent platform for emergency response and disaster management in megacities in South and Southeast Asia. PetaBencana.id is a part of the USAID BNPB InAWARE: Disaster Management Early Warning and Decision Support Capacity Enhancement Project in Indonesia.

Residents and government agencies share real-time flood information on PetaBencana.id during the January 2020 flood in Jakarta. Crowd-sourced reports through the platform have supported efforts for response, planning, and analysis.

In January 2020, record-breaking rainfall inundated Jakarta with more water than its infrastructures were able to cope with. Severe flooding affected large parts of the city, resulting in dozens of casualties and thousands of displaced residents. 

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) attributed the unusually intense rainfall to a convergence of wind patterns, and warned of more frequently occurring extreme weather events as a result of climate change. The agency recorded 377 mm of rain, the highest daily volume Jakarta has experienced since records began in 1866. 

As rising waters blocked roads, shut down one of the city’s airports, and cut off electricity, millions of residents continued to search for and share up-to-date information through various social media channels. Thousands of residents submitted flood reports to PetaBencana.id, informing each other about the severity of the flood, infrastructure failures, and response efforts. PetaBencana.id experienced a 24,000% increase in activity as residents actively checked the web map to understand the flooding situation, avoid flooded areas, and make decisions about safety and response. The Jakarta Emergency Management Agency (BPBD DKI Jakarta) monitored the map to respond to resident needs, coordinate response, and also updated the real-time map with information about flood affected neighborhoods. 

Agus Wibowo, Head of the Center for Data, Information and Public Relations at the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), urged residents to share flood reports through PetaBencana.id, iterating the significance of information sharing and community-based disaster response.

Head of BNPB Pusdalops, Bambang Surya Putra, said that PetaBencana.id was very useful in enabling his team to monitor disaster events and in providing a greater understanding of events to all residents.

Jakarta residents also acknowledged the increase in response times due to two-way information sharing through the platform. Chaidir A. Adlan, Jakarta resident, said “PetaBencana.id is providing actionable insight for BPBD and rescue teams. It’s the best available approach to date.”

Flood data from PetaBencana.id was also used by NASA to calibrate satellite flood maps with crowd-sourced ground observations, in order to support flood analysis and planning efforts. In an article published by NASA, Dr. Sang-Ho Yun, lead of disaster response for NASA’s Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explains the significance of corroborating satellite overviews with on-the-ground crowdsourced reporting in order to map flood extents.

“This is the first time that we were able to rapidly generate a flood proxy map from so many satellite scenes and calibrate it with ground observations,” said Yun. “This is really important for mapping flood extent in urban areas.”

The spirit of gotong-royong displayed through these difficult times is a testament to the strength of community-led information sharing, supporting response and planning efforts at multiple scales. Yayasan Peta Bencana thanks all residents of Indonesia for continuing to share critical information, and applauds the indispensable role of all residents in helping neighbors, government agencies, responders, and researchers develop strategies for climate adaptation. 

Heavy rains are expected to continue throughout the monsoon season. Residents of Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang, and Bandung can submit real-time flood reports by tweeting #banjir @petabencana, sending a Facebook message to @petabencana.id, or send a Telegram message to @bencanabot. We remind everyone to check https://petabencana.id for up-to-date information and to stay safe!

Agus Wibowo of the National Emergency Management Agency (BNBP) (left), Ayu Kartika Dewi of the Presidential Staff Office (middle), and PERMIAS Indonesian Students Association (right) recommend residents to share flood information through PetaBencana.id during the January 2020 floods in Jakarta

Jakarta Smart City uses data from PetaBencana.id to update the Pantau Banjir application, using the PetaBencana.id map as a base map to add shelter locations.

PetaBencana.id is a platform run by Yayasan Peta Bencana as a free, transparent platform for emergency response and disaster management in megacities in South and Southeast Asia. PetaBencana.id is a part of the USAID BNPB InAWARE: Disaster Management Early Warning and Decision Support Capacity Enhancement Project in Indonesia.

On December 14th, 2019, actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, known for his role in Game of Throne, presented PetaBencana.id at the Royal Albert Hall in London, at an event hosted by John Legend. The event was in recognition of the Global Citizen Prize, a ceremony that honors the individuals who have made strides to end extreme poverty. The Cisco Youth Leadership Award was established in 2018 as an annual award to recognize and lift up a young person positively impacting the world, as a way to demonstrate the impact that young people are having on achieving our common goals.  Nashin Mahtani, director of Yayasan Peta Bencana, was selected as one of the five finalists of the prestigious Global Citizen Cisco Youth Leadership Award.

Hosted by World Culture Open, the 2019 Better Together Challenge invited thinkers, activists, changemakers, scientists, and creatives from around the world to share diverse projects addressing some of today’s most pressing social issues. Held on the grounds of the historic 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, the 3-day gathering was attended by over 300 people. The Challenge provided an open stage where 30 finalists, selected from over 1200 projects and 122 countries, were invited to share their stories in a unique contest format. Based on public voting from hundreds of audience voters and a special jury panel, 6 projects were awarded the final 2019 Better Together Challenge award. We are excited to share that PetaBencana.id was among the final winners, awarded with the 2nd place prize! 

The 1st place prize was awarded to Korean finalist Sangho Yi, founder of Mand.ro, for using 3D printing technologies to develop affordable electronic prosthetics for amputees. Other award winners included Eseyam Nyador, founder of Miss Taxi, a female-driven taxi service in Ghana; Momal Mushtaq, founder of The Freedom Traveller; Jiyeoung Lee, conserving and spreading awareness about the forests in Gotjawal; Camilo Herrera founder of Litro de Luz, developing infrastructures for communities in conflict zones to mitigate electric exclusion; and Abdul Wahab and Haejin Kim from Help Syria, an organization helping Syrian refugees. 

Finalists shared diverse experiences and projects including upskilling programs in conflict-affected communities, empowering residents with land and property rights information to reduce land conflicts in Uganda, sustainable methods of honey production to empower rural communities in Zambia, developing accessible technologies to support agriculture and food security in East Africa, among many others. 

The 3-day event included workshops and talks by Dave Hakkens (named as one of MIT Technology Review’s Innovators under 35 Europe 2017), Raed Alsaleh (Head of The White Helmets organization providing humanitarian support in Syria, and named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2017), Pyeongchang Mayor Han Wang-Gi, President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach, among many others. 

We are grateful to have had the opportunity to share our story and learn from so many inspiring projects around the world! We are honored by the recognition and grateful to be able to share this award with all project partners including USAID Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB), the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), as well as with all residents of Indonesia and contributors to the PetaBencana.id platform for reducing risk together!

PetaBencana.id is a platform run by Yayasan Peta Bencana as a free, transparent platform for emergency response and disaster management in megacities in South and Southeast Asia. PetaBencana.id is a part of the USAID BNPB InAWARE: Disaster Management Early Warning and Decision Support Capacity Enhancement Project in Indonesia.