Crowdmapping is a subtype of crowdsourcing[1][2] by which aggregation of crowd-generated inputs such as captured communications and social media feeds are combined with geographic data to create a digital map that is as up-to-date as possible[3] on events such as wars, humanitarian crises, crime, elections, or natural disasters.
[4][5] Such maps are typically created collaboratively by people coming together over the Internet.
[8][9][10][11][12] Crowdmapping can be used to track fires, floods, pollution,[6] crime, political violence, the spread of disease and bring a level of transparency to fast-moving events that are difficult for traditional media to adequately cover, or problem areas[6] and longer-term trends and that may be difficult to identify through the reporting of individual events.
[5] During disasters the timeliness of relevant maps is critical as the needs and locations of victims may change rapidly.
[6] Crowdmaps are an efficient way to visually demonstrate the geographical spread of a phenomenon.