MAPME is an initiative to provide free and open access to GIS tools and earth observation in international development cooperation. We connect people from all over the world to leverage the power of geodata to fight global climate change, poverty and environmental degradation.
An initiative supported by
MAPME is a community-driven initiative to jointly develop tools and solutions that help us to plan, monitor and evaluate our projects with the help of earth observation and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). We connect and assist users, developers and donors alike.
Build up your own capacities and reduce your dependence on external expertise.
MAPME resources are used to gather information on the state of our ecosystems, external threats and stressors and the impact of our projects to e.g. reduce deforestation and desertification in and outside of protected areas.
MAPME resources are used to gather information about agricultural landscapes and the impact of our projects to e.g. increased agricultural productivity, water-use efficiency and drought resilience.
MAPME resources are used to gather information about the infrastructure to assess the accessibility and coverage of essential basic services such as schools or hospitals to improve planning and spatial targeting of projects.
MAPME brings rigorous impact evaluation methods to the world of geodata and remote sensing. Our goal is to create robust evidence of causal effects and quantify the impact of our work with a combination of geospatial information and econometrical estimation techniques.
MAPME allows you to travel through time and space using free satellite imagery and examine potential project sites before, during and after the implementation.
MAPME provides automated data flows and analysis to plan, monitor and evaluate faster, more accurately and at a lower cost.
MAPME proposes training materials to encourage our community to strengthen their own analytical capacities.
MAPME provides free tools developed with Open Source technologies and Open Data. The goal is to allow everybody to use, reuse and build on the existing toolbox.
Geodata comprises of information about a specific geographical location. Geodata can be stored, visualized and analyzed with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This data is often collected by satellites, GPS devices or land survey tools, and serves as the base for governmental zoning and land-use planning. Thousands of high-quality geocoded datasets are provided for free by researchers, the government or the open-data community and wait to be discovered and used by you.
Earth observation satellites orbit our planet constantly, during all hours and irrespective of the weather conditions to collect images that are sent back to receiving stations on earth. Every satellite fleet and every satellite have different features in terms of speed, coverage and sensor quality. This determines what we can see from space, how often we can see a given place or phenomenon and in how much detail we can see it (from several centimeters to multiple kms).
Remote Sensing describes a set of techniques to retrieve information about the earth’s surface. Images can originate from satellites, drones or aircraft and a large amount of free and commercial imagery allows us to monitor the impact of humans on natural landscapes in retrospective or near real-time. Therefore, Remote Sensing is an effective instrument to study global environmental challenges, monitor ecosystems, map disasters, explore resources and many more.
MAPME tools are designed for an easy start. We host different types of resources that can help you get in touch with the topic and deliver better results.
Our tutorials help you get a clearer picture. Step by step you can learn how to use the powerful tools of MAPME.
MAPME repositories contain R codes that will allow you to generate interactive statistics and insights on different impact indicators separated by sectors.
A community driven library referencing geospatial Open Data in the Geodata Locator.
A technical guide on using earth observation to measure different monitoring indicators in development cooperation.
“MAPME offers tools that help to get reliable data about the progress and impact of projects in the field.”
How MAPME resources help us to measure our impact and identify future challenges for conservation and development projects.
Do you work in international development cooperation, the conservation sector, for the government, in academia or as a consultant? See if the initiative is the right pick for you.
MAPME:
MAPME is for…
You have little experience with data analysis, but you are keen on getting reliable information not only for current but also for future projects.
Advantages for project managers
MAPME is for…
You have hands-on experience with remote sensing and geodata analytics working either for an institution or as a consultant.
Advantages for GIS analysts
MAPME is for…
As an institution you would like to extend your digital capacities but reduce the costs considerably by leveraging the synergies among multiple projects with similar information needs.
Advantages for institutions
You feel like you need assistance on how to get started with finding experts, setting up a contract and making sure your tools become Open Source? Get in touch and join our mission!
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