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How Forecasting Models Are Changing the Way We Fight Fires

Jenessa Duncombe

August 17, 2018 |

Eos |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Salt Lake City, Utah

The National Weather Service has been helping firefighting crews better prepare for and fight wildfires. They’ve developed a model called the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh-Smoke (HRRR-Smoke) to show where there’s higher smoke density and what direction it’s heading toward. The agency is hoping to continue their work to become better at preventative measures so that towns and cities can prepare ahead of time.

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In Kenya's Slums, Mapping A Path To Less Destruction

Eleanor Orao

August 08, 2018 |

Bright Magazine |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Kibera

Slums around cities like Nairobi are threatened as city governments seek to demolish them. One way to help, or at least give residents time to prepare to seek new homes, is a host of different types of mapping. By defining the problem - the problem being the thousands of residents and homes in slums - it becomes harder for governments to ignore those people. Map Kibera uses the software OpenStreetMap to allow for “participatory mapping,” and physical maps have proven success too. Mapping isn’t always enough, but it is an important starting point in the fight for slum residents to keep their homes.

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How tech is putting the needs of impoverished Kenyans on the map

Fred de Sam Lazaro

August 06, 2018 |

Under-Told Stories Project |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Kenya

In Kenya, mapping technology is helping to raise the standard of living by ensuring that the location of urban slums are being recorded, along with locations of electric lines, water tanks, public toilets, and more. Residents are trained in how to enter locations in the map so that public and private entities can provide better services - and this is just one of many technological initiatives helping Kenyans living in poverty.

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Leeds is fighting loneliness with an app and a map

Anoush Darabi

July 04, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Leeds

With a single tap, public health workers in Leeds can use a mobile app to record signs of loneliness in the city. Their observations generate a heat map of social isolation, which then guides community outreach efforts and increases efficiency.

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How a novel wireless technology is helping conserve wildlife, fight pollution, save farmers money and more

Chloe Warren

June 06, 2018 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Tanzania

In Tanzania, low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN) are a form of telecommunications technology that have the power to potentially stop poachers in their tracks when coupled with geolocation sensors. The application doesn't stop there, however, as others throughout the world are finding other proactive uses for this wireless technology advancement.

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Tracing Illegal Guns

Roxanne Patel Shepelavy

May 23, 2018 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Albuquerque, Pennsylvania

A publicly available online platform launched by the New York Attorney General fills in big data gaps on guns being used in crimes and trafficked from elsewhere. “We were able to get a snapshot really quickly of where the worst guns are ending up and where they started.” The data can establish groundwork for interstate trafficking cases and also inform policy decisions and New York is happy to share the technology other communities can build their own databases.

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Paint the Town with Data in Boston's New 3D Model

Sandra Larson

May 16, 2018 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

A newly developed 3D smart model of the city of Boston will be accessible to the public, allowing anyone to look at projects being built, areas prone to flooding, and even how shadows affect the city. Different map views also show zoning, public transportation lines, schools, and more. The openness of this model is providing groundbreaking access to information that will help both citizens and the local government plan better for Boston’s future.

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Treating violence like a disease helped cut Colombia's murder rate by 82%

Edward Siddons

May 15, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Cali

Colombia used a public health model of prevention to attack violent crime and has seen the homicide rate drop by 82 percent. The approach required the work of numerous public sectors, not just law enforcement, and a reliance on data to drive strategy. The country still has a higher-that-average murder rate, but the experience of several cities taking this approach offers key lessons for others to follow.

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Navigating drought: The app saving Kenya's herders

Ndoni Khanyile

May 01, 2018 |

Al Jazeera |

Broadcast TV News |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Kenya, Namanga

An app, using satellite mapping technology to locate green pasture and water, helps herders in southern Kenya navigate droughts. The tool may go a long way towards saving both herds and livelihoods from the ravages of a dry climate.

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Motorbike-sharing app helps tackle Nepal's transport woes

Deepak Adhikari

March 24, 2018 |

Nikkei Asian Review |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nepal, Kathmandu

Motorbike sharing apps provide an alternative to traffic congestion and crowded public transportation in Nepal. The tech startup, Tootle, connects users to motorbike drivers with its ride-sharing app. Motorbikes offer a cheaper alternative to taxis and a less-crowded alternative to public transportation—a feature particularly lauded by female users. The startup has also received a grant from the United Nations Capital Development Fund to expand the services it offers.

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