MEDIA ADVISORY:
LexisNexis Risk Solutions Leads Mapathon for Missing Maps

17/07/2025

DUBLIN — Today, the insurance data and analytics team at LexisNexis® Risk Solutions in the United States and Ireland have led a Mapathon in support of Missing Maps, a global humanitarian initiative dedicated to mapping the most vulnerable places on Earth.

Over the course of three hours, a team of 15 to 30 volunteers from across the LexisNexis Risk Solutions organisation in its Dublin office are mapping buildings in the N'Djamena region of Chad. Since 2020, Chad has experienced severe annual flooding, causing considerable damage to livelihoods, homes, schools and health facilities displacing thousands of families. The mapping will aid the work Médecins Sans Frontières are doing in the area in anticipation of new flooding.

Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, storms and droughts, result in approximately 100,000 deaths each year and over 200 million people experience displacement, loss of livelihoods or other forms of hardship. 

Many of these disasters happen in remote regions of the world that are literally missing from accessible maps. This can leave aid workers and first responders without the critical information they need to deliver aid effectively. The Missing Maps project aims to change that — one map at a time.

This is the seventh time the LexisNexis Risk Solutions team has joined thousands of volunteers worldwide in mapping buildings and roads into OpenStreetMap, helping to create detailed, accurate maps that humanitarian organisations can use to plan disaster response and risk reduction efforts. The participation of the business forms part of LexisNexis Risk Solutions Cares, a global community programme supporting employee volunteering and giving that makes a positive impact on society.

Heikki Vesanto, GIS manager, insurance, at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, who has led the annual Mapathon for the past four years, said: “Missing Maps is a great example of the power of data to do good.  By working together as a team, leveraging our mapping skills to plot at-risk areas, we can not only building skills and community within our team — we’re also helping to ensure that humanitarian responders have the information they need to save lives. As a business, we have mapped over 30,000 buildings as part of the LexisNexis Risk Solutions Cares initiative, which goes a long way in supporting such worthwhile causes.”

1. Remote volunteers trace satellite imagery into OpenStreetMap.
2. Local community members add detail such as street names and landmarks.
3. Humanitarian organisations use the maps to plan and execute relief efforts.

The event is open to all employees regardless of mapping experience. New mappers are guided through a simple learning process, making it easy to contribute in just an afternoon.

About Missing Maps
Missing Maps is an open, collaborative project founded by the American Red Cross, British Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières and the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. It empowers volunteers to map the most vulnerable communities before crises strike.

LexisNexis® Risk Solutions harnesses the power of data, sophisticated analytics platforms and technology solutions to provide insights that help businesses across multiple industries and governmental entities reduce risk and improve decisions to benefit people around the globe. Headquartered in metro Atlanta, Georgia, we have offices throughout the world and are part of RELX (LSE: REL/NYSE: RELX), a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, please visit LexisNexis Risk Solutions and RELX.