Using open data softĀ­ware , the students in assistant professor ā€™s Civil EngiĀ­neerĀ­ing in DevelĀ­opĀ­ing ComĀ­muĀ­niĀ­ties class joined an into maps and aid the earthĀ­quake relief effort. These digĀ­iĀ­tized maps provide emerĀ­gency responĀ­ders and relief coordinators responding to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and powerful aftershocks in Nepal with critĀ­iĀ­cal data to guide teams deployed on the ground.

ā€œFindĀ­ing that one litĀ­tle vilĀ­lage with no major highĀ­ways and being able to tell someĀ­one that that vilĀ­lage is there is really rewardĀ­ing. Because if itā€™s not marked on that map, then there are a lot of cracks that it could slip through,ā€ said civil and environmental engineering gradĀ­uĀ­ate stuĀ­dent Leigh Allison.

The has mobilized more than 4,000 volunteer mappers to provide basic information and help establish relief priorities in Kathmandu and remote mountainous regions that were affected or leveled by the quake. The massive project is divided up into discrete tasks, such as mapping roads, residential neighborhoods, villages or landslides in a particular area. The volunteer mappers also look for open spaces that could serve as helicopter landing zones to deliver supplies and identify impromptu camps where large numbers of displaced residents have gathered.

With each UW stuĀ­dent conĀ­tributĀ­ing five hours of assigned emerĀ­gency mapĀ­ping, the classā€™ efforts totaled 120 hours of meanĀ­ingĀ­ful disĀ­asĀ­ter response work, and some students plan to continue that work. Even just a few hours makes a difĀ­ferĀ­ence with thouĀ­sands of volĀ­unĀ­teers workĀ­ing around theĀ globe.

ā€œIf you look at the staĀ­tisĀ­tics next to the maps, itā€™s really cool to see how much time peoĀ­ple have donated,ā€ said gradĀ­uĀ­ate stuĀ­dent JamesĀ Lew.

StuĀ­dents remarked on how accessible the worldwide crowdsourcing process was and how rewardĀ­ing it felt to see their skills make an immeĀ­diĀ­ate impact beyond the walls of the classroom.

ā€œItā€™s almost like sayĀ­ing, ā€˜Donā€™t forĀ­get us,ā€™ā€ said Lew. ā€œThereā€™s a tenĀ­dency to want to do the major cities and the infraĀ­strucĀ­ture thatā€™s closĀ­est to the major highĀ­ways, but as you get furĀ­ther and furĀ­ther out, thereā€™s still houses out there that are disĀ­conĀ­nected. Itā€™s really cool to draw a box around them and say, ‘thereā€™s a famĀ­ily here, donā€™t forĀ­getĀ them.’ā€

EngiĀ­neerĀ­ing in DevelĀ­opĀ­ing ComĀ­muĀ­niĀ­ties examĀ­ines infraĀ­strucĀ­ture and conĀ­strucĀ­tion in very poor, often remote locaĀ­tions, and it dives into topĀ­ics such as sanĀ­iĀ­taĀ­tion, energy, cross-cultural comĀ­muĀ­niĀ­caĀ­tion and disĀ­asĀ­ters. The emerĀ­gency mapĀ­ping project tied into many of the class themes, KaminĀ­sky explained, and ā€œstuĀ­dents feel like theyā€™re makĀ­ing a meanĀ­ingĀ­ful conĀ­triĀ­buĀ­tion with their classwork.ā€

ā€œIn this class, we try to look beyond the techĀ­niĀ­cal aspects of engiĀ­neerĀ­ing to how what we do affects comĀ­muĀ­niĀ­ties,ā€ said senior Nick Orsi. ā€œWith this project, the work that you did could directly relate to savĀ­ing lives. Just havĀ­ing that thought process behind you, it really motiĀ­vated you to do good work that will hopeĀ­fully make it easĀ­ier for peoĀ­ple to help out some of the vicĀ­timsĀ there.ā€

For more information, contact Kaminsky at jkaminsk@uw.edu.