Volcano Community Alerting

The Challenge

The GOMA region is an area of intense volcanic activity with risks such as earthquakes, air and water toxicity. In addition to these risks mentioned above, there is a great danger of a limnic eruption with a brutal degassing of Lake KIVU, as had happened in Cameroon with Lake NYOS in 1986. The Nyiragongo volcano observations are relatively recent, and despite the efforts of the Volcanological Observatory of Goma (OVG), the civil protection and the surrounding humanitarian ecosystem, the current warning system still has flaws. For a city of more than 1.5 million inhabitants, currently only one siren and some manual flags informs the inhabitants of the danger.

Goals

In this digital area, in the event of a brutal evacuation following an imminent volcanic or limnique eruption, the sharing of information between the OVG, the Congolese Government, the large humanitarian community and the population remains a great challenge.  Our goal is to design a network of linked communication channels to help alert the community as efficiently as possible, about the increasing or imminent risks. Tech and non-tech combined, we aim to build on existing solutions and work on communication channels trusted by the local population.

Project Team

Agnes Jakab

Agnes is a Human Resources professional, working in the nonprofit sector. She is big believer in the power of multidisciplinary teams, and skills offered on a voluntary basis. She's part of THE Port organising team from the hackathon’s earliest days. She plays viola and loves the outdoors, including some crazy swims in cold mountain lakes...

Alberto Barbari

Deeply dedicated in innovation and forecasting the future of food, Alberto is a food engineer graduated at University of Parma and currently employed as R&D technologist in Barilla. He experienced Human Centred Innovation for the first time applied to social innovation at Ideasquare (Cern) in Challenge based innovation Course and from that time he really fell in love with design thinking methodologies and their potential application. Alberto is definetely a Design ThinkER and surely a dreamer.

Alex Howes

Alex is a data scientist at ACAPS where she analyses data to provide insight on humanitarian crises around the world, and develops software to make data more accessible and impactful in the humanitarian industry. Prior to joining ACAPS she worked on a number of data science projects including for Twitter, Fermilab, CERN, in agricultural technology, and in digital marketing. She holds a Master’s degree in Physics from the University of Cambridge.

Blaise Mafuko Nyandwi

Blaise is an environmental geologist, lecturer and researcher at the Université de Goma and the Université Catholique la Sapientia, DR Congo since 2013. His doctoral research with the GeoRiskA team and Vrije Universiteit Brussel focuses on assessing the preparedness of the population of Goma to cope with volcanic risk and its improvement through awareness-raising.

Charlene Mwangi

Charlene is an Internal Audit, Risk Management, Internal Controls Review and Project Review professional. She has worked in humanitarian, development and consulting contexts. She is passionate about social impact, innovation and sustainable development. She is keen to understand better and promote innovation as a mindset in the workplace; using a systems practice and design thinking. She loves hiking, the outdoors and sings in a choir.

Christopher Alagna

TEAM COACH - Christopher started his career as an RF engineer in Australia before becoming a humanitarian and joining the World Food Program in 2011. Since then Christopher has worked in emergency telecommunications coordination, with missions to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Guinea, Uganda, South Sudan, Cambodia, and Haiti. Chris is now supporting Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as a program manager, upgrading the IT field infrastructure.

Geeta Reddy

Geeta is a digital project analyst and change manager, who after years of working in the private sector in commercially driven projects has shifted to the humanitarian sector. She currently works on improving the grant management systems and processes used by UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Geeta loves a good agile project and looks for opportunities to combine community development concept of think small and lean digital delivery.

Harshi Bavishi

Curious, conscious, and committed—that is how someone would describe Harshi. Currently pursuing Mechanical Engineering at VIT University (B.Tech), Harshi has always been fascinated by sustainable innovation. She is the captain of Team Assailing Falcons, where her areas of work include research, design, design validation, and optimization of advanced class aircraft for the SAE Aero Design East competition.

Hemakshi Malik

A graduate in Physical Sciences from India who is keen to learn new skills to impact the present world positively.

Lippin Pauly

Lippin is a prospective doctoral student in sustainable development and cooperation at the University of Turin with more than 5 years of quantitative research experience in computational fluid dynamics and mathematical modeling. Prior to his doctoral research, he worked as a space system engineer intern at Altec, CNES, ISAE-Supaero, and the University of Leicester. He also worked as a research fellow in various research laboratories under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. He holds a second-level master's degree in Space Exploration and Development Systems from the polytechnic university of Turin and a first-level master's degree in Internal combustion engines and Turbomachinery. Lippin has published several peer-reviewed journals on fluid mechanics, heat transfer, renewable energy, and system engineering, and his research interest includes sustainable development, climate change, wind energy, environmental studies, and humanitarian related projects.

Mark Melnykowycz

Mark is an artist-engineer working at the intersection of humanity and technology. He is currently helping to build the Internet of Humans at IDUN Technologies AG, where he develops neurotechnology products to enable empathy between humans and the connected world. Mark has enjoyed many hackathon adventures over the years, joining as a participant, coach, and technical advisor to previous Port hackathons. Mark also enjoys exploration of the Swiss mountains with a 360 camera and also delves into immersive worlds and storytelling.

Matumaini Mumbere

Junior is an electrician who started his career as an assistant computer maintainer and accompanying students in the cybercafé of the Catholic University of Graben in Butembo. From December 2010, for 8 years, he was an electrician in charge of operations at the micro hydroelectric power plant of the Catholic University of Graben in Butembo. before meeting in June 2018 Médecin Sans Frontière in the Ebola response to BUTEMBO with MSF CH, he electrifies the CTE (Ebola Treatment Centers). Since October 2019, Junior has been working as a humanitarian (national staff) within MSF CH, DRC mission, as a specialized technician. Very interested by technology, web designer and the search for solutions to the problems of his region, his passion is computer development as well as the maintenance of biomedical equipment.

Yves Ngunzi Kahashi

Specialized in development studies, Yves is passionate about research in the field of disaster risk reduction. Currently working with CAFOD as Senior MEL Officer, he is also a part-time teacher at the Catholic University of Lasampietia-Goma in Risk Prevention and Disaster Management. In his 15 years of experience in the humanitarian and development sector, he worked for humanitarian actors like Caritas, CRS, Actionaid or CAFOD. Living in a zone of intense volcanic activity, he is in the best place to put his expertise to the benefit of the community

Volcano Community Alerting

Image

Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 15: Life on land

Attributes

Communication

Safety

Team

pier-39

Events

THE Port Online Humanitarian Hackathon 2021