Pakistan Army Incorporates Google Map Maker Data into Flood Response Efforts

The recent unprecedented floods in Pakistan have wrecked havoc in the country, displacing 
millions of people, destroying their livelihoods and affecting critical communication, health 
and education infrastructures.
It is often said that response to any natural disaster starts with a map. Pakistan Army 
established a Geographic Information System and has complemented the efforts with data 
from Google Map Maker to better coordinate the flood relief operations. Since the formal 
launch of Google Map Maker in Pakistan in 2008, Pakistani citizens have posted more 
localized information and data through this service than any other country. At present 
thousands of points of interests are available in Google Map Maker. To better coordinate 
the flood relief operations, this information is highly valuable in a disaster situation like 
floods in Pakistan and has proved beneficial in Pakistan Army’s efforts to update existing 
information, locate infrastructure in rural places and establish the extent of damages.  
Google has also launched flood specific online services, which have resulted in better 
coordination of efforts by other governmental departments and NGO’s as well as over 1 million 
US dollar in aid to different NGO’s working on ground in Pakistan.