OPEN’s Save Me! I am the City of Goma
Updated: Nov 6, 2019
Eliel Kasereka of Imcon International and OPEN presents the goals and community impact of OPEN’s Student-Led Internet Sensor Network curricula in this short summary video. In the video Mr. Kasereka explains OPEN experiential education program which is a unique international collaboration between volcano scientists, technologists and young middle school students. Knox Grammar School students in Sydney, Australia, L’ecole Cinquantenaire of Goma, DR Congo, OPEN, and Goma Volcano Observatory scientists are working together on improving the city of Goma’s emergency services and disaster response capabilities.
Together these remote teams of students and professionals are building and deploying a network of Internet-capable CO2 sensors that will continually monitor 13 fractures within the city that could erupt and spew dangerous gases and lava with little warning.
Goal - to improve the gas monitoring early warning systems of OVG, using Internet sensors, predictive analytics, AI, and Esri Digital mapping technologies to gain time and knowledge for more orderly and safer evacuations.
In the future, Disaster Response Teams there will also utilize OPEN supplied Imcon International Backpacks equipped with LoRaWAN sensor gateways for Goma Disaster Response teams for real time coordination during an eruption when communications networks could fail. And OPEN students working together will lead the way. Thank you Eliel, Knox Grammar and Cinquantenaire students, and OVG scientists!
OPEN’s Technology Partner in Goma, Congo Entrepreneurship Group (CEG), Eric Bidong sends us a short video from his 2-day survey at the summit of Goma city’s great threat, the very active Mt. Nyiragongo volcano. Eric’s video is an awe-inspiring early morning sunrise view of main crater and city of Goma and Lake Kivu far down in the distance from his location - 11,500 feet (3470 meters) up, where our Knox Grammar, Cinquantenaire students and scientists are beginning to set up their early warning network. Thank you, Eric!