A programme to protect inclusive democracy and human rights in the digital age, focused on supporting local civil society in countries across the Global South.A citizen platform for mapping and analysing local conditions
Ekomapa is a citizen platform that brings together field reports, waste collection infrastructure data and analytical models to provide a reliable overview of environmental conditions in settlements and municipalities. The platform aims to make conditions on the ground visible, measurable and comparable, providing a basis for better planning and decision making.
The problem we address
Illegal dumps, inadequate waste collection infrastructure and settlement needs are often treated as separate problems. Without consistent, reliable data, it is difficult to understand their causes, set priorities and plan long-term solutions.
Ekomapa brings this information together in one place, providing an overview based on data collected directly in the field.
Unrecorded pollution
Illegal dumps appear and grow without systematic records of their location, size or waste types.
Infrastructure gaps
Settlements without adequate waste collection infrastructure are often left out of planning assessments and development priorities.
How Ekomapa works
From a field report to an analysis in three steps.
Mapping
Citizens report locations directly from the field, with photos and accurate GPS coordinates.
Analysis
The system links the report to a settlement and municipality and analyses waste collection infrastructure and environmental indicators.
Overview and recommendations
Verified reports become part of a shared database used to analyse conditions and develop recommendations for local governments.
What makes Ekomapa different
Mapping and analysis
We map locations and analyse conditions in settlements and their waste collection infrastructure.
A shared database
All verified reports are stored in a shared database that provides an overview of local conditions.
Open data
Verified reports are publicly available for research, planning and advocacy.
Decision support
The analyses help local governments set priorities and plan future investment.
Part of the Digital Democracy Initiative
Ekomapa is being developed through the Regional Support Mechanism EECA, which is part of the international Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI). The programme supports the development of digital tools that strengthen citizen participation, transparency and accountable governance.
Ekomapa supports these goals by developing an open platform for collecting, analysing and publicly displaying environmental data.
Project objectives
Create a shared database of illegal dumps and waste collection infrastructure.
Improve access to reliable data on conditions on the ground.
Support data-informed decision making.
Encourage more active citizen participation in environmental protection.
How we use the data we collect
The data collected is used to produce analyses and recommendations that help communities and institutions act on evidence.
Analyse conditions by settlement and municipality.
Identify areas with the highest environmental risk.
Assess waste collection infrastructure needs.
Develop recommendations for local governments.
Track changes over time.
Reliable data
Report verification
All reports are verified before they are published on the map.
Open data
Verified reports are publicly available and may be used with attribution.
Data-based analysis
Recommendations are based on collected data and analytical models rather than individual judgements.
Ekomapa is supported through the Digital Spark granting scheme, as part of the Regional Support Mechanism EECA project, implemented by Metamorphosis Foundation and TechSoup, in partnership with CIVICUS and under the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI) that covers the Global South.
The content of this platform belongs to Ekogard and does not necessarily reflect the views of the donors or partners.