Hazards and Population Mapper 2.0

HazPop, also known as Hazards and Population Mapper, is a free application designed to provide users with recent natural hazard data in relation to population, major infrastructure, and satellite imagery. The app features information such as active fire locations from the past 48 hours, earthquake alerts within the last seven days, and air pollution measurements from space recorded the previous day. Additionally, HazPop displays the positioning of significant dams and nuclear power plants, along with offering more detailed information and imagery where applicable. Users can conveniently estimate the total population and land area within a specified point or area of interest by drawing a circle on the map.

Developed by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) at Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), HazPop integrates data and map layers from multiple sources, including NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) and Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and other open Web mapping services. Custom population estimates are generated by the SEDAC Population Estimation Service (PES) utilizing the Gridded Population of the World, version 4 (GPWv4) data from 2015.

The main target audience for HazPop consists of disaster risk managers, humanitarian response organizations, public health professionals, journalists, and individuals requiring rapid insights into potential hazards posed by significant events or emergencies. For instance, emergency response agencies can leverage HazPop to quickly evaluate population densities and key facilities near recent earthquake occurrences to aid in planning effective responses. Journalists or students can utilize the app to analyze the proximity of recent wildfires to densely populated areas, road networks, topography, and water bodies. It is important to note that due to varying data resolutions and qualities, HazPop is not intended for detailed risk assessments or specific response planning.

Moreover, HazPop includes various functions such as monitoring regions surrounding specific areas of interest susceptible to natural disasters, essential infrastructure, or high-density populations. Users can sort dams, nuclear power plants, or earthquakes based on proximity to their location or specific characteristics. Additionally, the application enables users to calculate distances between their location and any point on the map or between two selected points on the map.