Crowdsourced geographic information use in government
This report focuses on government use of information relating to a location, illustrated by different projects intended to reduce vulnerability to natural disasters. It describes “crowdsourcing” as the process of obtaining information from many contributors amongst the general public, regardless of their background and skill level. It is based on a six-month study of the use of volunteered geographic information (VGI) by government.
The aim of this report is to provide a guide for the successful implementation of VGI in government. It identifies several factors specific to VGI projects which influence their success: individuals, organizations, business models, technical problems, and conceptual issues.
The report documents cases of close collaboration between government and the public, which range from land management and biodiversity monitoring to disaster response. One such example is a project from the Philippines whose goal was to use participatory mapping and InaSAFE impact modeling software to support disaster risk reduction activities.