BrightEarth

BrightEarth is a project dedicated to exploring ways in which a new generation of Internet mapping tools can improve the sharing of information about humanitarian issues, both among the organizations directly involved and with the wider public.BrightEarth will help humanitarian organizations publish information to 3D virtual globes such as Google Earth, ESRI ArcGIS Explorer and NASA’s World Wind.

• These free software applications are ideally suited to the task of making humanitarian issues come alive — using high-resolution satellite images, they allow broadband Internet users to explore the planet in spectacular detail while superimposing third-party content. Hurricane trajectories and post-disaster satellite images can be layered on top of transportation networks. Refugee camp locations or disease outbreaks can be mapped over population densities and terrain type.

BrightEarth’s approach includes:

• Building a consortium of companies, organizations, scientific and academic institutions and individuals who together leverage their knowledge and resources to make a lasting impact in the humanitarian sphere
• Establishing a dedicated non-profit support mechanism that guides the development of the platform with expertise and technology
• Leading future mapping projects in the model of the Darfur layers
• Exploring the development of web-based services, including realtime data collection and presentation and more
• Providing a central online portal to search through and download layers, including a catalogue of 3rd-party content

To fulfill BrightEarth’s mission, we intend to tap the vast reservoir of skills held by geographical information systems (GIS) professionals.

We hope this project will attract individuals, organizations and companies willing to donate their expertise and resources to support humanitarian causes. Welcome to BrightEarth, and don’t hesitate to email us at info.brightearth@gmail.com to find out more.