Data-driven Humanitarian Mapping and Policymaking: Toward Planetary-Scale Resilience, Equity, and Sustainability

Snehalkumar Neil S. Gaikwad, Shankar Iyer, Dalton D. Lunga, Takahiro Yabe, Xiaofan Liang, Bhavani Ananthabhotla, Nikhil Behari, Sreelekha Guggilam, Guanghua Chi

Abstract: Human civilization faces existential threats in the forms of climate change, food insecurity, pandemics, international conflicts, forced displacements, and environmental injustice. These overarching humanitarian challenges disproportionately impact historically marginalized communities worldwide. UN OCHA estimates that 274 million people will need humanitarian support in 2022. Despite growing perils to human and environmental well-being, there remains a paucity of publicly-engaged computing research to inform the design of interventions. Data science efforts exist, but they remain isolated from socioeconomic, environmental, cultural, and policy contexts at local and international scales. Moreover, biases and privacy infringements in data-driven methods further amplify existing inequalities. The result is that proclaimed benefits of data-driven innovations may remain inaccessible to policymakers, practitioners, and underserved communities whose lives they intend to transform. To address gaps in knowledge and improve the livelihood of marginalized populations, we have established the Data-driven Humanitarian Mapping and Policymaking, an interdisciplinary initiative.