Leveraging technology on the frontlines of emergency: How communities of developers are taking action

In a recent blog post, GitHub highlighted the role of technology in solving global problems and showcased two individuals making significant contributions in this area. John Mills, CEO of Watch Duty, has leveraged his volunteer-based community to watch for fires and share updates in real time through social media. The platform's data is also sold to utility companies and emergency services to help fund operations. Seema Iyer, Senior Director of The Hive at USA for UNHCR, uses data science and technology to assist displaced people worldwide. One project uses drone imagery and machine learning to map out refugee camps for improved planning and resource management. Both Mills and Iyer emphasized the importance and challenges of pursuing open source initiatives while balancing financial sustainability for their respective organizations.