Friday lunchtime lecture: maps that save lives

In a humanitarian emergency, maps save lives. MapAction is a UK based charity that provides expert mapping and information management support in the wake of emergencies all over the world. Consisting mostly of volunteers, MapAction aims to be on the ground within 48 hours, gathering information and making maps to ensure the right help gets to the most vulnerable people as soon as possible. Johnny Henshall will introduce what MapAction do, how they work and his experiences of being a volunteer for them. About the speaker Johnny Henshall is a MapAction volunteer currently training to become a deployable member of the team. As with the majority of MapAction’s volunteers, Johnny’s background is in Geographical Information Systems (GIS), in which he has a masters and 5 years experience. In recent years, Johnny has moved into web analytics and now works in the digital team at the British Red Cross. He is also an active member in the London Missing Maps community. In 2017, Johnny visited Nepal with MapAction to host a Missing Maps event aimed at mapping areas affected by flooding. MapAction fast facts Two current deployments Over 78 emergency responses attended 12 staff and over 80 volunteers Ready to deploy in 48 hours Responded to emergencies in 34 countries Training and preparedness activities in 19 countries