15 Minute Maps
This podcast is dedicated to those people making positive change in the world using GIS, mapping and cartography. Each guest is given 15 minutes to describe their dream map, and how it could impact the work they do.
Hello and welcome to 15 Minute maps, where I ask my guests to let their minds roam free and come up with a new idea for their dream map. The first known map of the world was created three thousand years ago, (of a flat disc-like world surrounded by water,) and today we are making maps of the furthest reaches of the known universe. In between lie a myriad of mapping possibilities. What if we could do away with resource limitations… think beyond the conventions of time, space and political boundaries? What new kinds of map could we dream up?
15 Minute Maps
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.