The American Red Cross is typically known for being the face of hope and help in times of crisis. However, their mission and subsequent action has gone well beyond their humanitarian roots. In fact, the American Red Cross, led by their senior geospatial engineer Dale Kunce, is at the forefront of the American contingent for the Missing Maps project. This project is working to plot complete data on streets, rivers and other geographical features around the world. A global network of volunteers is compiling data with the hope improving the response time and effectiveness of humanitarian groups, including the Red Cross. The Missing Maps project seeks to overcome or at least minimize the “map poverty” that exists in much of the third world, but it’s possible that improved geospatial data will also help the world beyond the well-intentioned humanitarian purpose.
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