Kathmandu Living Labs (KLL) is a
living lab
The concept of the living lab has been defined in multiple ways. A definition from the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) is used most widely, describing them as "user-centred open innovation ecosystems” that integrate research and innovati ...
and nonprofit civic technology company based in
Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 m ...
that primarily works on mobile technology and mapping. KLL focuses on using
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...
/
GIS
A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output, and visualize geographic data. Much of this often happens within a spatial database; however, this is not ...
technology for humanitarian aims, sometimes referred to as "humanitarian mapping".
History Open Cities Kathmandu
project members, led by Dr. Nama Raj Budhathoki, launched Kathmandu Living Labs in 2013 after the completion of their first project. The initiative started by mapping Kathmandu's road networks, schools and health facilities to prepare for potential future disasters, as Kathmandu is one of the most seismically at-risk cities in the world. Kathmandu Living Labs developed a web portal named WebDRI to upload collected field data regarding schools/colleges and health facilities into
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap (abbreviated OSM) is a free, Open Database License, open geographic database, map database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveying, surveys, trace from Ae ...
.
Work during Nepal Earthquake 2015
KLL came to international attention in the aftermath of the
April 2015 Nepal earthquake
The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed 8,962 people and injured 21,952 across the countries of Nepal, India, China and Bangladesh. It occurred at on Saturday 25 April 2015, with a magnitude of Moment magni ...
, during which the group collaborated with the
Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team to rapidly produce free and open maps of the road network and damaged areas surrounding Kathmandu. These map products were then used by humanitarian aid teams on the ground, a process greatly aided by the fact that KLL already had a working relationship with the
Red Cross
The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
as well as other key aid organizations and government agencies in the region. The Nepal Army used crowd-sourced data of relief needed, which was collected and verified by Kathmandu Living Labs. KLL was also involved in reconstruction efforts where they were responsible for development and played a part in deployment of mobile data collection system for the Nepal Rural Housing Reconstruction Program.
Mapping for Social Change
KLL uses online mapping to address a wide variety of social challenges. Through KLL, a farmer in a remote Nepalese village can integrate his local knowledge of a field or stream with that of an engineer at MIT. Detailed information about a school can be used to influence government policies and actions. This work integrates local knowledge into large-scale civil society efforts.
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References
External links
Kathmandu Living Labs Website
Technology companies of Nepal
2012 establishments in Nepal