From planning humanitarian responses to understanding where people live, better geospatial data can lead to better decisions. On Thursday, 12 November, WorldPop Director Professor Andy Tatem will show the NASA Space Apps community how population mapping, Earth observation and AI can turn complex data into practical insights. The special online scientific session, From Population Data to AI-Driven Geospatial Insights will introduce WorldPop’s methodologies, datasets and tools, including approaches that integrate artificial intelligence.
The session brings WorldPop’s expertise in population mapping into the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2026 community in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It will be open to NASA Space Apps participants alongside lecturers, researchers and academics from universities across the Great Lakes region.
The wider NASA Space Apps event in Bukavu takes place on 14 and 15 November at the Evangelical University in Africa (UEA). WorldPop’s session takes place two days earlier, helping participants explore how population data, Earth observation, geospatial technologies and AI can be applied to development, research and humanitarian action.
For WorldPop, the session is also an opportunity to strengthen scientific exchange with regional universities and demonstrate how accessible geospatial data and tools can turn complex information into practical insights.
Join the online session
📅 Thursday 12 November 2026
🕑 14:00 to 15:00 UK time | 16:00 to 17:00 Bukavu time
💻 40-minute presentation followed by 20-minute Q&A
🔗 meet.google.com/xne-ezfu-fwy
