Wednesday 20 August 2014

WWHGD calls for Ebola Datasets

Image Credit: http://wwhgd.org/
In 2011, the World-Wide Human Geography Data Working Group (WWHGD WG) was created to focus on the need for human geography global foundation data in order to provide a basis for a deeper understanding of cultures, activities, and attitudes. Well-organized and comprehensive human geography data can be applied to analysis that allows us to better anticipate the behavior of people over space and time and to inform decision-making that supports human security, including crisis mitigation and humanitarian response.  The Working Group focus, is on understanding why people do what they do where they do it.

The Working Group is designed to build voluntary partnerships around human geography data and mapping focused on the general principle of making appropriate information available at the appropriate scales to promote human security. This involves a voluntary "whole-of-governments" national and international approach to create a human geography data framework that can leverage ongoing efforts around the world to identify, capture, build, share, and disseminate the best available structured and unstructured foundation data. 

Human Geography Theme Areas
  • Communications
  • Demographics
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Ethnicity
  • Groups (civil, political, ideological)
  • Land-Use (cover, ownership)
  • Language
  • Medical / Health
  • Religion
  • Significant Events
  • Transportation
  • Water
DDRS is reaching out to the public safety community to assist in collecting datasets relevant to the Ebola crisis unfolding in Africa. 

WWHGD members are supporting the Ebola crisis that is challenging global Human Security.  We want to provide all with a listing of locations for data services, data sources, map products and information.  Feedback collected and shared is already well underway. But there are always new requirements or needs and new contributions are always really appreciated and will be shared with all WWHGD members. The following is a list of data sources WWHGD has collected as of August 20, 2014.
Some areas of interest that need data and mapping for Human Security provided by WWHGD members include:   
  • Health & Medical:  What are the locations of clinics?  
    • Numbers and locations of humanitarian workers involved in providing health care?   
  • Significant Events:  Detailed geospatial chronology of the disease spread?   
  • Transportation Use: From where do in-country medical personnel come.
    • By what means and routes do they use to get to Ebola treatment facilities? 
  • Demographics: Demographic breakdown of those infected compared to the rest of the population?
    • Compared to those with other types of morbidity?  
  • Land Use: What are the specific areas that national governments are trying to physically isolate, and by what means?
  • Education / Communications & Media Use: How are governments attempting to educate the public about preventive measures?  
    • From which facilities?
  • Religion / Ethnicity: What religious / cultural practices are contributing to the spread / prevention of the disease? 
    • If there are facilities associated with these practices, where are they?
If you can help, please join the WWHGD working group. Registration is free. Or if you have any Ebola Crisis-related mapping, data sources, data services and products you would like to share, please send it to support@wwhgd.org and we will make sure it is made available to all WWHGD members.

Reference material supplied by WWHGD members, Kevin Kurtz and Dr. Eric Rasmussen.




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