Resilience Live Episode 1: Tapping Citizen Scientists for Hazard Mapping and Disaster Studies
Date: Aug 31, 2023
Speaker: Richard Ybañez
Bionote: Richard Ybañez holds a Master’s degree in Geology and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the National Institute of Geological Sciences with a dissertation on Natural Hazards Interactions in the Philippines. He is currently serving as the Chief Science Research Specialist of the Education Division of the UP Resilience Institute, overseeing and working on programs that empower stakeholders in the academe, in government, and in communities through education in Geohazards and Disaster Risk Reduction. His research publications and presentations include topics on cascading hazards, the crowd-sourcing hazard phenomena through online platforms, and visualizing hazard phenomena through UAV imagery and 3D models.
Presentation Abstract:
In response to large-scale weather and atmospheric hazards, citizen science through crowd-sourcing has emerged as a pivotal tool for collecting crucial data on hazard impacts. The Philippines, with its widespread internet and social media use, has exemplified this approach during events such as the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption and the 2009 Tropical Storm Ketsana. Ordinary citizens utilized the web-based mapping platform Google Maps to report and document the effects of these hazardous events.
During the Taal Volcano eruption, immediate data collection was imperative to capture the tephra fall, which was vulnerable to erosion by surface water runoff and wind action. Through social media platforms, scientists engaged with citizens, requesting photographs of tephra deposits and estimations of their thicknesses from various locations. These contributions were instrumental in correlating with on-the-ground field observations, analyzing volcanic processes, and mapping the spatial distribution of tephra fallout.
The extensive participation and diverse data points gathered through citizen science served as a viable alternative to conventional observation methods such as remote sensing imagery, which faced challenges in penetrating the dense ash cloud covering Luzon. Beyond advancing scientific investigation, this collaborative approach empowered ordinary citizens to actively participate in scientific observation in their communities.
By leveraging the internet and social media platforms during hazardous events, scientists and citizens collaborated effectively to produce meaningful scientific insights and raise public awareness about these natural processes. This synergy underscores the transformative potential of citizen science in enhancing both scientific research and community resilience to environmental hazards.