SUMMARY

KAILAB played an active role in Geography Awareness Week 2024 with two key events. On 19th November, KAILAB hosted a hackathon at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) under the theme "Mapping Minds, Shaping the World," focusing on leveraging social media data for real-time flood mapping inspired by Cyclone Freddy's impact. Participants worked in teams to design an AI-driven disaster management solution, making significant progress despite time constraints. The following day, on 20th November, KAILAB participated in an online webinar via Google Meet, hosted by OpenStreetMap Malawi, under the same theme. Five expert speakers presented on topics ranging from energy consumption analysis and GIS skills for the Ministry of Lands to community empowerment through GIS and spatial data for biodiversity conservation. Both events contributed to advancing discussions on the role of GIS and technology in solving pressing issues in Malawi.

RESOURCES

  1. mwBTFreddy Dataset · Presentation by Evie Chapuma & Grey Mengezi
  2. Geography Meets Innovation: Insights from Our Hackathon Experience · Blog post by Evie Chapuma & Grey Mengezi

PICTURES

Here are some pictures taken at the event. Featured are representatives from:
  • KAI Lab : Tamanda Phiri, Evie Chapuma, Chimwemwe Chamangwana, Grey Mengezi, Moses Gwaza and Amoss Robert.
  • Open Street Map Malawi : Patrick Kalonde, Blessings Chiepa.
  • MUBAS, CU and MUST communities.