15 Minute Maps

Episode 23: Willa Sumer - Wildlife and water... Tackling a Californian Crisis

Why do biologists wake up at 4 AM to look for birds? And what does that have to do with California’s housing crisis? In this episode, California based GIS analyst and conservation expert Willa Sumer takes us inside the world of wildlife surveys, mitigation banking, nature conservation and environmental regulation. She explains why early morning field work is non-negotiable (rattlesnakes, reclusive species, and nesting season), how GIS helps developers avoid wiping out endangered habitats, and the idea of “selling” restored land to offset construction impacts. All this under the fascinating idea of 'Mitigation Banking' a topic I must admit I had never heard of.  Willa also pulls back the curtain on California’s manipulated landscape and reveals data is so difficult to access, and when it is available, why its hard to implement actionable plans. If you’ve ever wondered whether conservation can coexist with affordable housing, this episode is for you. LINKS: Willa's personal site [https://www.willasumergis.com] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wsumer/]

Episode 22: Mathew Roberts - Where the Money Flows

What if you could see exactly where the world’s money goes—in real time? From Swiss bank accounts to mobile money in Sierra Leone, and from colonial resource extraction to modern "resource nationalism," this episode pulls back the curtain on the hidden flows that shape global inequality. Host Hugo sits down with Matthew Roberts, Head of Geography at the International School of Geneva (and Hugo’s alma mater). Matthew shares a provocative dream map: a real-time, interactive visualization of global capital, resource wealth, and historical injustices. They discuss how AI is changing the classroom, the "geography of hope" needed to fight student eco-anxiety, and why a pen, paper, and clipboard are still the most vital tools in fieldwork. Plus, Matthew introduces the work of Social Income—proving that just 1% of your income can create a direct line of solidarity across continents. LINKS: Social Income [https://socialincome.org/en/int] Mathew's Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-roberts-ch/]

Episod 21: Max Malynowsky - Offline is the New Online

What if humanitarians had an offline-first mapping tool as reliable as a Garmin GPS? In this episode, Max Malynowsky — software engineer at the OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data — dreams out loud about a future where field teams can sync trusted, up-to-date geodata anywhere, even with near-zero bandwidth. From the chaos of contested admin boundaries to the quiet genius of ODK and XLS forms, Max and Hugo unpack why the hardest part isn't building the app — it's building the data infrastructure behind it. If you've ever tried to print 20,000 settlements or wished for a universal translator for geodata, this one's for you. Links:  Max's LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxym-malynowsky/] HDX [https://data.humdata.org] OCHA Centre for Humanitarian Data [https://centre.humdata.org]

Episode 20 - Saïd Abou Kharroub: The One-Stop-Shop Map

What if all the data needed to respond to a humanitarian crisis already existed — but was scattered, siloed, and hard to use? In this episode of 15-Minute Maps, I’m joined by Saïd Abou Kharroub, a GIS specialist turned information management expert, former CEO of Civ API, and current board member of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT). Saïd’s dream map isn’t a single map at all, but a one-stop, layered view of the world’s crises — aggregating data on conflict, displacement, funding, infrastructure, population, and satellite imagery into a single, accessible platform for decision-making. We discuss: * What information management really means in humanitarian contexts — beyond tools and technology * Why decision-making often struggles to connect field realities with available data * How aggregating existing datasets can unlock faster, smarter responses to crises * The role of APIs, open source data, and platforms like HOT and Civ API * Why better data doesn’t replace human judgment — but strengthens it This episode is a deep dive into how data becomes information, and how information becomes action — especially when lives are at stake.

Episode 19 - Yann Rebois: Mapping the Invisible in Cities

Urban crises are some of the hardest environments to map — and yet that’s where millions of the world’s most vulnerable people live. In this episode of 15-Minute Maps, Hugo Powell is joined by Yann Rebois, Earth Observation Strategist at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and former Head of Geodata & Analytics at the ICRC. Drawing on decades of field experience and satellite analysis, Yann shares his vision for a map that can finally make urban vulnerability visible. Yann’s dream map focuses on one of humanitarian response’s biggest blind spots: understanding who lives where in dense, damaged, and rapidly changing cities — and what “habitability” really means after conflict or disaster. Together, they discuss: * Why population estimates break down in urban crises * The limits of building footprints and satellite imagery in cities * How proxies like water tanks and solar panels can reveal where people have returned * Why “destroyed” doesn’t always mean “uninhabited” * How GIS and Earth observation directly shape medical, water, and vaccination responses * The challenge of detecting flooding and damage in dense urban environments This episode offers a rare inside look at how satellite data, field knowledge, and humanitarian logistics come together — and why better urban maps are essential for effective aid.