Long-Lasting Impact of Ramani Huria Project: A Look Back at How Community Map-Data Generated from 2015–2019 is Making a Difference for Disaster Responders in Dar es Salaam
By Iddy Chazua (in memory) Hawa Adinani and Aisha Hamis
This blog post was co-written with Iddy Chazua before his passing. It is published in his memory, honoring his invaluable contributions and passion for community mapping.
For years, OMDTZ has worked to generate geodata to transform disaster response in Dar es Salaam and across Tanzania through the power of data, a journey that began with the Ramani Huria project back in 2015. Ramani Huria, Swahili for “open map,” was a community mapping initiative funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) between 2015 and 2020. Its goal was to create detailed, openly accessible maps to strengthen flood resilience, support disaster management, and inform urban planning.
The project introduced a novel approach by training local university students, working with community members, and using volunteers to collect geographic information such as roads, buildings, and flood-prone areas, and uploading the data to the OpenStreetMap platform. Through this initiative, critical areas, especially informal settlements, were mapped, enabling more informed decision-making for risk reduction and urban development. Ramani Huria stands out as a powerful example of how local knowledge, technology, and community participation can combine to strengthen resilience and promote sustainable urban growth.
When a community is hit by flooding, especially in a congested and unplanned area like Dar es Salaam, every second matters… responders need to reach affected communities quickly, understand available resources, and most importantly, know what routes to take. If evacuation is required, they must know where the safe locations are. This is where we, as mappers, consider maps a life-saving tool. This may sound trivial to ‘first-world’ countries because most of the places are mapped, but imagine yourself as a first responder, and the map of the affected area is close to a blank canvas. These questions and scenarios are what drove the Dar es Salaam Multi-Agency Emergency Response Team (DarMAERT) to turn to the Ramani Huria Atlases developed back in 2018.
DarMAERT, a key stakeholder during the Ramani Huria project, uses the Ramani Huria atlas to support field response during disasters, which was created back in 2018. DarMAERT is playing a vital role in coordinating disaster response efforts for agencies such as the fire department, Red Cross, ambulance services, and police, who are legally tasked to support the coordination of these responders by providing essential information, such as navigation data, identifying available resources at emergency sites, such as water wells and supplies, and coordinating with local support teams. For effective operations, DarMAERT needs detailed spatial information of the city, including road networks, amenities, resource distribution, and accessibility information. In cases of flooding, they need crucial data on flood-prone areas, evacuation centres, and safe routes.
“ Whenever there’s an incident, the respective responder receives the call, if it’s a fire, for instance, the number is 114. The response team quickly prepares to head to the scene, while DarMAERT steps in to provide crucial information such as accessibility of the area, the easiest paths to take, and whether there are any local support teams nearby. For local supporters, we use our database, and for spatial information, we use the Atlas. In cases like floods, we use the Atlas to identify potential flooded areas and share that information with the local teams on the ground.”
Kamugisha Longino — DarMAERT
The Atlas itself is a comprehensive collection of maps built from extensive data on flood extents, building footprints, and different points of interest. It includes thematic maps of infrastructure, roads, amenities, and significant landmarks, as well as threat and asset maps at the sub-ward level, highlighting vulnerable areas, safe zones, evacuation routes, and community resources, making the Atlas a dependable tool for disaster preparedness and response.
Despite its impact, challenges remain. Much of the Atlas data was collected between 2015 and 2020, and rapid urban growth has left some areas unmapped or outdated. Points of interest frequently change, city expansions alter road networks, and some important features, such as fire hydrants or emergency facilities, were never fully captured. Coverage is also uneven, with detailed data concentrated in flood-prone wards while other areas remain less represented. Nevertheless, the Atlas continues to serve as a vital resource.
Efforts to improve and update the data are ongoing. OMDTZ has been enriching OpenStreetMap through anticipatory actions and mapathons (where volunteers update maps in collaboration with partners like dLab and CartONG). The use of 360-degree imagery via Mapillary has enabled AI to detect features like traffic signs that are later added to OpenStreetMap. In addition, contractual projects such as OMDTZ’s World Bank-supported data collection on solid waste management have helped refresh and expand map coverage.
Looking forward, OMDTZ recognizes the need to transition beyond printed atlases to a regularly updated digital dashboard. Such a platform would centralize geospatial data, support coordination, and improve decision-making with clear data and visualizations. By overlaying incident reports with other datasets, responders can spot patterns, target interventions, and act more effectively. Even with recent funding from the Zayed Sustainability Prize, our focus remains on working with communities and youth to update data, test new mapping methods, and push for digital tools that save lives when every second counts.
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