“Can we harness the same gotong-royong in the face of our planet’s changing climate?” – Laura Pennafort, Wildlife Filmmaker
Building on the momentum of the series, Frozen Planet II, BBC’s digital impact campaign, Our Frozen Planet, highlighted PetaBencana’s work as an exemplary model of community-led climate adaption. We are excited to see how the film spotlights the Indonesian spirit of gotong-royong that PetaBencana is inherently founded on!
Watch the full video here
CogniCity’s humanitarian chatbots now speak Spanish! In collaboration with UNDP, Yayasan Peta Bencana launched a pilot flood-mapping platform for Panama. In just its first week of release, the platform received several reports during flooding in the city as residents used the platform to share real-time updates and coordinate response.
MapaKalamidad.ph, the leading disaster information sharing platform in the Philippines, entered into an official partnership with Philippine Transmarine Carrier Inc.’s (PTC) Resiliency Improvement, Support, and Education (RISE) for Seafarer Communities in the Philippines Program, the flagship disaster risk reduction and management program of PTC.
This strategic partnership aims to promote and enhance disaster preapredness efforts in the Philippines, particularly PTC RISE communities, through the use of MapaKalamidad.ph’s platform that harnesses the power of social media during disaster events to gather real time and on the ground updates straight from the residents. These verified user updates or reports are displayed alongside relevant emergency data collected by local and government agencies. By integrating localized knowledge from various sources into a single, robust platform, MapaKalamidad.ph provides a comprehensive overview of disaster events, enabling residents, humanitarian agencies, and government agencies to make more informed decisions during emergencies.
Yayasan Peta Bencana, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and endorsed by Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB), as part of the USAID Cognicity OSS for Next Generation Community Engagement in DRM Program, through the Investing in Human Capital for Disaster Management initiative, officially launched the first WhatsApp Humanitarian Chatbot, BencanaBot. The first-of-its-kind, AI-assisted chatbot guides Indonesian residents to submit disaster reports. These reports are mapped in real-time on a free and open source platform, PetaBencana.id, where anyone is able to view and share real-time disaster updates in order to make coordinated, evidence-based decisions about safety and response.
Floodwaters up to 3 meters high destroyed dozens of homes in North Sulawesi on Friday, and torrential rains have flooded several areas in Indonesia during the first month of the year. BMKG has issued a warning for peak rainfall across the country this week, with the monsoon season expected to continue into March. In preparation for the upcoming extreme weather and in line with BNPB’s vision of Indonesia Tangguh 2045, the launch of BencanaBot on WhatsApp is a pivotal next step in strengthening preparedness and community-led disaster risk reduction.
As leaders convene at the G20 and UNCOP27 meetings to deliberate commitments to climate action, residents across the world are already experiencing the impacts of extreme weather and are struggling to adapt to unprecedented scales of weather-related disaster events. As Indonesia braces for peak monsoon flooding, a recently launched nation-wide digital media campaign is supporting residents to stay safe and adapt to extreme weather, from the ground-up. The #ThereIsHelp notification service was launched by Twitter, together with partners Yayasan Peta Bencana and BNPB. Now, when residents search for disaster related keywords in Indonesia, the social media site will include a notification encouraging them to click through to credible information and support provided by Twitter’s official partners, PetaBencana.id and BNPB.
Among Indonesians, the PetaBencana Twitter bot, or “BencanaBot” has become famous for its automatic responses to any post containing disaster-related keywords. The bot asks users to confirm their situation by submitting a disaster report. These reports are mapped in real-time on a free and open source platform, PetaBencana.id, where anyone is able to view and share real-time disaster updates in order to make decisions about safety and response. Since 2013, the platform has been used by millions of residents and first responders in Indonesia to make time-critical decisions about safety and navigation during emergency disaster events. Run by Yayasan Peta Bencana and supported by USAID Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, the platform is also monitored by BNPB who use the platform to view and respond to incoming resident reports. The launch of the #ThereIsHelp feature supports the amplification of this community-based risk reduction effort, as it ensures that all Indonesians will be directed towards verified and timely information during disasters, thereby supporting greater and more effective coordination for all.
In preparation for COP27, PetaBencana was invited to participate at the “Intergenerational Thinkshop for Hydromet Early Warning Early Action (EWEA): The Engagement of Young Professionals in Disaster Risk Reduction” in Cairo. The ‘Thinkshop’ gathered stakeholders from across 5 generations, representing a range of geographic backgrounds from across 4 continents, coming from a range of disciplines including academics, first responders, NGOs, emergency managers, and scientists. Participants gathered to discuss adaptation efforts to increasingly escalating hydrometeorological shocks due to climate change, and to reflect on the implications of the UN Secretary General Guterres initiative to ensure that “every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years”. The workshop was also attended by head of the Egyptian Meteorological Agency, , who iterated his commitment to ensure multi-hazard warning systems for all.
PetaBencana was invited to share our experience working with residents across Indonesia to adapt to extreme weather events, where we highlighted the role of local knowledge in risk reduction, and involving local communities as co-designers of risk reduction programs.
To commemorate the Month for Disaster Risk Reduction (Bulan PRB), BNPB hosted an annual event in Balikpapan on 12-14 October 2022, where PetaBencana was invited to participate as a speaker and exhibitor. We set up our famous 3D mural at the event, and hundreds of emergency managers from provincial and local disaster management agencies (BPBDs) all across Indonesia, stopped by to take selfies and practice simulating reports via PetaBencana.id. was successfully carried out and Peta Bencana contributed to presenting the platform on the Ignite Stage and taking selfies with BPBD colleagues from all over Indonesia at our booth.
The opening of the 2022 Disaster Risk Reduction Month Commemoration was held on October 12, 2022, at the BSCC Dome, Balikpapan City. This event was opened by the Deputy for Prevention, Prasinta Dewi, followed by the opening of a disaster preparedness exhibition where stakeholders representing Representatives of the Provincial Government, Ministry of Institutions (BMKG, BASARNAS, BPBD), NGOs / DRR Communities, Business Institutions, and SMEs and Universities, had the opportunity to showcase their work in DRR.
On International Disaster Risk Reduction Day, Yayasan Peta Bencana was featured on the South East Asia Morning Show for our work in community-led risk reduction in the region. During the interview with hosts Marissa Anita and Paul Palele, we discussed the history of PetaBencana.id, the development and expansion of MapaKalamidad.ph in the Philippines, disaster trends in the region, and of course, explained how #SelfiesSaveLives!
We also discussed the next trajectories of our work in community-led climate adaptation. We look forward to continuing to #ReduceRiskTogether and thank the SEA Morning Show for providing the space to share our work in the region. Watch the full interview here!
On September 16th, 2022, we collaborated with our partners at Twitter to launch a 24-hour nation-wide disaster preparedness campaign. In preparation for the upcoming monsoon season, we called on Indonesian residents to practice submitting disaster simulation reports to PetaBencana.id by uploading their best selfies to the map. With the #SelfieDermawan hashtag trending on Twitter, over 25 million Indonesians engaged with the campaign, and the PetaBencana.id map lit up with selfies from all over Indonesia!
Through this campaign, we celebrated the faces of everyone who has been in a disaster, has helped during a disaster, or is willing to help in future disasters. As a testament to the strong spirit of “digital gotong royong”, residents all over Indonesia joined in on the campaign to remind our respective communities about the importance of sharing real-time information for disaster response in preparation for the upcoming monsoon season.
Why selfies? More effective than any sensor, selfies contain valuable information about the relative severity of a flood (or other disaster) in relation to a body and place. Importantly, selfies shared on social media provide precise, real-time information about locally specific conditions, as these images are geo-tagged. According to the IPCC report, one of the greatest barriers to climate adaptation is the lack of locally relevant time-sensitive information. However, with the abundant data being shared on social media we know that this is a barrier that can be resolved. Powered by CogniCity Open Source Software, PetaBencana.id is able to collect, structure, and visualize this data in real-time, transforming the selfie into a life-saving tool for everyone to make time-critical decisions about safety and response.
The 7th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) was officially inaugurated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo along with UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, President of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid, UN Resident Coordinator for Indonesia Valerie Julliand, and the special representative of the UN for disaster risk reduction, as well as several Indonesian officials on May 25, 2022. Organized in a hybrid format, the Global Platform had over 6300 participants from a total of 185 countries.
During his opening remarks, President Joko Widodo encouraged the international community to enhance collaborative cooperation in disaster risk management, emphasizing the need for strengthened risk reduction culture and education, investment in science and technology, climate and disaster resilient infrastructure, and the implementation of global commitments.
As the main multi-stakeholder global forum to assess and discuss progress, share knowledge, and identify gaps in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030 (a global, non-binding agreement, adopted in 2015 at the Third UN World Conference on DRR in Sendai, Japan) the GPDRR provides a platform for reflection, evaluation, and commitment to more ambitious efforts for inclusive disaster risk reduction, based on the experience of practitioners and policymakers, as well as recent reports such as the IPCC Sixth Assessment report.
Heavy rainfall from February 27 to February 28th inundated almost the entire city of Medan, with some areas experiencing flood waters up to 2 meters high.
According to first-hand reports submitted to PetaBencana.id, the extreme weather has blocked major thoroughfares as embankments burst under the increasing intensity of rainfall. Residents have been sharing real-time updates through the PetaBencana.id platform to help keep each other informed, and support response efforts.
According to the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) extreme rainfall is expected to continue in the coming weeks across several areas in Indonesia, including Sumatra and Java.
We remind residents to check https://petabencana.id for up-to-date information. Residents can also submit real-time flood reports by tweeting #banjir @petabencana, sending a Facebook message to @petabencana.id, or sending a Telegram message to @bencanabot. When we share what we see, everyone can stay informed, avoid danger, and reduce risk together!
Yayasan Peta Bencana, supported by USAID BHA and endorsed by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), conducted a nationwide disaster preparedness event with barangay community leaders from all over the Philippines!
Attended by more than a thousandbarangay community leaders, participants simulated real-time disaster information sharing via the MapaKalamidad.ph platform. MapaKalamidad.ph is a free and open-source platform that provides real-time disaster information and transparent communication between residents and government agencies, to reduce risk and increase emergency response times during the sudden onset of disasters. The online platform harnesses the use of social media to crowdsource disaster information from residents on the ground, who often have the most up-to-date information, and displays this information on a live web-based map.
An average of 20 typhoons per year enter the Philippine area of responsibility. In 2021, the country was struck by a total of 22 storms, 9 typhoons, and 5 super typhoons. The most recent one, Typhoon Odette, strengthened from category 1 to 5 in just one day making it difficult, if not impossible, for people to prepare. As the rapid intensification of storms becomes more common due to climate change, real-time information is increasingly becoming the most important resource to understand and respond to rapidly changing situations.
Disaster Map Foundation (Yayasan Peta Bencana), supported by USAID BHA and endorsed by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), officially launched MapaKalamidad.ph, a free and open-source real-time flood mapping platform for the Philippines.
In 2021, the Philippines was struck by a total of 22 storms, nine typhoons, and five super typhoons. The most recent, Typhoon Odette, strengthened from a Category 1 to 5 typhoon in just one day making it difficult for people to prepare for the arrival of the storm or to evacuate. As the rapid intensification of storms becomes more common due to climate change, real-time information is increasingly becoming the most important resource to understand and respond to rapidly changing situations.
MapaKalamidad.ph is a free and open-source platform that provides real-time disaster information and transparent communication between residents and government agencies, in order to reduce risk and increase emergency response times during the sudden onset of disasters. The online platform harnesses the use of social media to crowdsource disaster information from residents on the ground, who often have the most up-to-date information, and displays this information on a live web-based map.
In 2020, M+ Museum of visual culture in Hong Kong acquired CogniCity OSS for their permanent collection of 21st century urban design in Asia; the source code remains open and in use, but they also commissioned Yayasan Peta Bencana to make a video to tell the story of the project for their visitors.
The Same River, Twice is a two channel film installation that narrates the story of Jakarta as a megacity struggling to adapt to climate change during the tropical monsoon season, and how an integrated approach to software design is harnessing collective resident epistemologies to mitigate urban risk. The film made its first public preview at the opening of the museum on November 12th, 2021 and is available to view in person as part of their permanent collection.
Yayasan Peta Bencana, supported by USAID BHA and endorsed by Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), officially launched a regional disaster risk reduction youth program for Indonesia and the Philippines. As more frequently occurring extreme weather events continue to strike both countries, young leaders expressed their solidarity and commitment to reducing risk with the hashtags #Youth4GotongRoyong and #Youth4Bayanihan. The launch was opened by Dr. Raditya Jati, Deputy of Systems and Strategy of BNPB, Usec Ricardo B. Jalad, Executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and administrator of the OCD, and Mr. Harlan Hale, Regional Advisor of USAID BHA, who welcomed hundreds of youth and over 60 community organizations attending the online opening.
Led by the conviction that mitigating disaster risk must involve all residents, the youth ambassador program commits to amplifying the agency of young people all across the region so that they can equally participate in disaster recovery efforts and make informed and safe decisions for themselves and their communities during emergencies. Half of the world’s population are youth under the age of 30, and they are often the first and most affected when weather related disasters strike. According to the 2020 World Disasters Report, Indonesia and the Philippines are among the most vulnerable to weather related disasters and it is inevitable that the countries will continue to experience an increase in extreme weather. To cope with the increasing frequency and severity of weather-related events, experts emphasize the necessity to focus efforts on adaptation; minimizing exposure and vulnerability by increasing capacities forresidents to respond to shocks, which must necessarily include the most vulnerable groups.
As part of AHA Center’s 2021 Humanitarian and Emergency Logistics Innovation Expo (HELIX), Yayasan Peta Bencana organized the first public gathering of contributors to CogniCity OSS as part of a session titled “Urban Collective Intelligence: From Crowd Sourcing to Crowd logistics”. Bringing together experts with a diverse set of backgrounds and experience in utilizing and contributing to CogniCity OSS, the public session explored how the design and development of open source systems can harness the power of crowdsourcing to aid disaster and humanitarian response and recovery.
Speakers included Etienne Turpin, co-founder of CogniCity OSS; Ferth Manasay, Project Manager of MapaKalamidad.ph in the Philippines; Daisy Tam, Founder of Breadline; Deepthi Chand Alagandula, Director and Co-Founder at CivicDataLab in India; Nguyen Minh-Tam, Former Project Manager at Smart Saigon; and Nashin Mahtani, director of Yayasan Peta Bencana.
Highlighting the relationship between software and social behaviours, the session discussed how a multi-sectoral design methodology is helping to shape the development of softwares for next generation disaster risk management and logistic coordination. The session expanded on the significance of open source networks as critical knowledge sharing infrastructures for the ASEAN context; allowing experts from different backgrounds and geographies to share, exchange, and create ideas for the future of humanitarian management.
Tropical Cyclone Seroja has triggered flooding, landslides, and extreme winds in East Nusa Tenggara, causing severe damage across the region since April 4th, 2021.
According to first-hand reports submitted to PetaBencana.id, the extreme weather has collapsed bridges, washed away homes, and caused power outages. Residents have been sharing real-time updates through the PetaBencana.id platform to help keep each other informed, and support response efforts.
According to Raditya Jati, Head of Data, Information and Communications at the National Emergency Management Agency of Indonesia (BNPB), “Extreme weather due to tropical cyclone Seroja still has the potential to occur in the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) region in the next few days.”
We remind residents to check https://petabencana.id for up-to-date information. Residents in East Nusa Tenggara can also submit real-time flood reports by tweeting #banjir @petabencana, sending a Facebook message to @petabencana.id, or sending a Telegram message to @bencanabot. When we share what we see, everyone can stay informed, avoid danger, and reduce risk together!
On February 20th, #banjir and #JakartaBanjir were the highest trending topics on Twitter Indonesia, as the capital city was inundated for the third major time this year, following particularly heavy rainfall from Friday night (19/2/2021) to Saturday morning (20/02/2021). As Jakarta residents turned to social media to share updates about the flood, they were greeted by “Disaster Bot” – a novel AI-assisted chatbot that monitors social media for posts about disasters and automatically invites users to submit more detailed disaster reports. These crowd-sourced reports are used to map disasters in real-time, on a free and open source website, PetaBencana.id.
As flooding blocked major thoroughfares and toll roads, disrupted commuter lines, and cut off electricity to over 60,000 homes, residents continued to share updates about the flood situation in order to stay alert and make timely decisions about safety and response. Hundreds of residents submitted flood reports to PetaBencana.id, alerting each other about water levels, broken infrastructures and road accessibility. The Jakarta Emergency Management Agency also updated the map with official information about flood affected areas, and monitored the map to respond to resident needs. PetaBencana.id experienced a 2000% in activity in under 12 hours as residents actively checked the map to understand the flooding situation, avoid flooded areas, and make decisions about safety and response.
Five consecutive typhoons struck the Philippines in late October and early November. Still recovering from damages brought about by Typhoon Molave (Quinta), Typhoon Goni (Rolly), Typhoon Atsani (Siony), and Typhoon Etau (Tonyo), the rain-drenched eastern and northern portions of the country endured excarbarated impacts from Typhoon Vamco (Ulysses), the fifth major storm to hit the region in just two weeks.
These typhoons left major roads impassable due to flooding and affected electrical and communication powers. Major dams in the country have reportedly worsened the flooding situations in the downstream areas of Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, the Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila.
In the midst of the massive flooding situation, which paralyzed major thoroughfares and stranded thousands of Filipino commuters, hashtags #FloodPH and #RescuePH trended on social media, with people calling for help and posting information about the flood situation in their area. MapaKalamidad.ph, a recently launched disaster information sharing platform in the Philippines, is harnessing the active use of social media to support community-led risk reduction. Using AI-assisted chatbots to monitor and respond to social media posts, the platform gathers confirmed crowd-sourced reports from residents to map flooding in real-time. The platform experienced a significant increase in activity during Typhoon Ulysses as residents actively shared real-time situational updates about the flood. The free web-based map was used to support residents and disaster management units identify the areas that needed immediate response and rescue efforts. MapaKalamidad.ph was launched last September 2020 as part of the PhilAWARE Program with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs (USAID BHA) in partnership with the Philippine Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT).
“[PetaBencana.id] is a paradigmatic example of using the Internet to connect groups of people so they can share knowledge. [PetaBencana.id] confirms what we have long understood: expertise rooted in local knowledge and lived experience is widely distributed across society. Social platforms allow us to combine and scale this intelligence to aggregate knowledge, share work and increasingly, to solve problems collaboratively.”
A recent report published by The GovLab (an action research center based at New York University) and UK-based Nesta Foundation, features PetaBencana.id as one of 30 exemplary case studies demonstrating the commendable use of collective intelligence to address public challenges. As part of a larger undertaking of research on collective intelligence, the report argues that collective intelligence can support better and more inclusive public services. The research highlights case studies from around the world using technology to harness ideas and skills from the public, and presents this collaborative methodology as a critical component of addressing our most pressing challenges today. The full research documentation can be accessed at: https://www.thegovlab.org/collective-intelligence.html