Global crisis atlas : mapping for situational awareness.
Date: 2018-12-12
Institutions: Joint Research Centre
Subjects: cartography, civil war, conflict prevention, decision-making, digital technology, ethnic conflict, geographical distribution, geographical information system, political crisis, religious conflict, research report, social conflict, software, terrorism

Global Crisis Atlas: 
Mapping for situational awareness 

M.  Halkia,  C.  Louvrier, 

I.  Caravaggi, 

S.Tagliacozzo,  M.  Fernandez  Urrutia,  L.  De 

Girolamo    

2018 

EUR 29508 EN  

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
This publication is a Technical report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science 
and  knowledge  service.  It  aims  to  provide  evidence-based  scientific  support  to  the  European  policymaking 
process. The scientific output expressed does not imply a policy position of the European Commission. Neither 
the  European Commission  nor  any person  acting on behalf  of  the  Commission  is  responsible for  the  use  that 
might be made of this publication. 

Contact information  
Name: Matina Halkia 
Address: Joint Research Centre, Via Enrico Fermi 2749, TP 480, 21027 Ispra (VA), Italy 
Email: matina.halkia@ec.europa.eu 
Tel.: +39 0332786242 

EU Science Hub 
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc 

JRC114119 

EUR 29508 EN 

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-79-98275-0 

ISSN 1831-9424 

doi:10.2760/123189 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2018  

© European Union 2018 

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All content © European Union 2018, except: Page 38, figure 15. Source: Wikipedia.org, page 39 figure 16. 
Sources: www.gao.gov, www.cer.eu, pixabay.com, commons.wikimedia.org 

How to cite this report: Halkia, M., Louvrier, C., Caravaggi, I., Tagliacozzo, S., Fernandez, M. and De Girolamo, 
L., Global Crisis Atlas: mapping for situational awareness, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, 2018, JRC114119 

Authors: Halkia, M.1, Louvrier, C.1, Caravaggi, I.2, Tagliacozzo, S.1, Fernandez Urrutia, M.3 and De Girolamo, L.1 

1. European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy 

2. Fincons group - Via Torri Bianche 10, 20871 Vimercate (MB), Italy 

3. Seidor Consulting, S.L. - Pujades, 350, planta 2a, Barcelona, Spain 

Page | 2  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

Foreword ............................................................................................................ 5 

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................ 8 

Abstract ............................................................................................................. 9 

1. Crisis and conflict mapping .......................................................................... 10 

1.1. Peculiarities of conflict mapping ............................................................. 12 

1.2. Features of crisis and conflict mapping platforms .................................. 14 

1.3. Presenting Global Crisis Atlas ................................................................. 17 

2. The Global Crisis Atlas Project ...................................................................... 18 

2.1. GCA maps as a finished intelligence product .......................................... 20 

2.2. Production and content of the maps ....................................................... 23 

2.2.1. Categories of the maps ........................................................................ 24 

2.2.2 Evaluating GCA’s features and functionalities. ..................................... 25 

2.2.3. Improvements to GCA service delivery and data visualisation ............. 25 

3. Further developments .................................................................................. 26 

3.1. The Science4Peace Portal ....................................................................... 27 

3.2. GCA conflict news database .................................................................... 28 

3.3. Expansion of the information source database ....................................... 32 

4. Future directions: toward an innovative approach to tackling conflicts ........ 33 

4.1. Where are we heading to? ...................................................................... 33 

4.2. Why do we need this vision? .................................................................. 33 

4.3. What do we need to implement this vision? ........................................... 35 

4.3.1. GCA dynamic interface......................................................................... 35 

4.3.2. GCA story maps as a learning tool for conflict risk prevention ............. 36 

4.3.3. Automation of data injection into the Conflict news database ............. 37 

5. Conclusions and outlook ............................................................................... 39 

References ....................................................................................................... 40 

List of abbreviation and definition ................................................................. 43 

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List of figures ................................................................................................ 45 

List of tables .................................................................................................. 46 

ANNEXES ....................................................................................................... 47 

ANNEX 1. Not exhaustive list of information sources for GCA maps. ............. 46 

ANNEX 2. Examples of maps by category ...................................................... 48 

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Foreword 

Maps are powerful yet simple tools to visualise information. Nowadays the interpretation 
of  the  information  is  getting  more  difficult  due  to  the  multidimensional  and  multilevel 
nature of the reference contexts and the vast availability of unstructured data. Mapping 
tools allow reducing the complexity of the information and deriving knowledge that can 
be used to inform decisions and policies.  

In this technical report, we present the  Global Crisis Atlas (GCA), a catalogue of digital 
maps  produced  by  the  JRC  analysts  of  the  Peace  and  Stability  team  (JRC  E.1  Disaster 
Risk  Management  Unit)  to  meet  the  intelligence  requirements  of  the  External  Action 
Service of the European Union (EEAS) and the Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI). The GCA 
maps are intended to support the work of EEAS and FPI by raising situational awareness 
about  critical  or  potentially  critical  events,  namely  the  understanding  of  the  elements, 
events  and  actors  influencing  the  unfolding  of  a  situation  at  a  given  time.  This  is 
achieved  through  a  combination  of  geospatial  (GEOINT)  and  open  source  intelligence 
(OSINT)  and  the  incorporation  of  vector  data,  graphs  and  diagrams.  The  knowledge 
synthesized in the maps is harvested using wide-ranging sources as shown in the figure 
1 below. 

Figure 1: From diverse information streams to a structured GCA map 

The GCA maps can be accessed by the means of a web interface. Given the sensitivity of 
the information displayed on the maps, access is subject to authorisation credentials. 

Who should read this report? 

This  report  is  intended  to  reach  out  to  technical  experts  working  on  crisis  and  conflict 
prevention  and  management  within  and  outside  EU  institutions  in  a  research  or 

Page | 5  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
operational capacity. This includes existing and potential users of Global Crisis Atlas as, 
for example: 

  EEAS and FPI 
  European Commission services and DGs 
  Other EU affiliated institutions 
  Non-governmental organisations supporting peace and stability actions 
 
  Research centres 

International organisations (World Bank, UN etc.) 

What is this report made for? 

The objective of this report is twofold: 

1.  Systematically introduce the GCA  service’s features and functionalities to our 

existing and potential users.  

2.  Set  out  the  path  for  an  improved  GCA  product  and  service,  which  brings 
together  better  usability  and  visualisation  functions  with  an  innovative 
approach to conflict and crisis prevention and management. 

We  aim  to  improve  our  GCA  product  and  service  delivery,  in  order  to  integrate  crisis 
mapping  in  the  conflict  risk  prevention  toolbox  (e.g.  Halkia  et  al.,  2017),  beyond  the 
situation  awareness  context  in  which  it  is  currently  used,  but  also  to  enable  policy 
makers  to  access  the  information  about  the  wider  context  of  a  situation  in  which  they 
are  operating.  For  this  we  propose  a  vision  which  allows  for  both  defining  the intended 
ultimate  objective  of  our  effort  and  the  steps  to  reach  it.  The  process  we  adopt  is 
depicted in figure 2.  

The first step is reframing our work within the theoretical framework of crisis and conflict 
mapping.  This  includes  acknowledging  previous  scientific  research  as  well  projects 
implemented in the field. GCA already capitalises on the information furnished by other 
mapping  services  to  collect  insights  and  populate  the  situation  maps.  This  first  step 
enables to strengthen further the links between our work and previous work  conducted 
in this field. 

Innovate

Connect

Improve

Design

Frame

Current GCA  

Improved GCA  

Figure 2: Path and steps from current to improved GCA service and product 

Page | 6  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Within this larger framework, we place and design the GCA service and product. At the 
moment,  GCA  factors  in  several  functionalities  that  enable  the  user  to  visualise  the 
information  of  interest  and  come  up  with  an  improved  understanding  of  a  critical 
situation  or  of  the  elements  that  might  trigger  a  crisis  or  conflict.  These  functionalities 
are extensively described in chapter 2.  

The third step involves the improvement of service delivery by the development of new 
functionalities and features. This includes, for example, integrating the GCA maps into a 
bigger and more dynamic interface.  

The  final  steps  allow  to  find  synergies  between  the  various  streams  and  pieces  of  our 
and  others’  work,  connect  them  in  a  meaningful  way  and  generate  an  innovative 
approach to conflict management. 

Contents of the report 

The content of this report reflects the steps just described. 

In the  first chapter of the report, we place the GCA work within the general theoretical 
framework  of  crisis  and  conflict  mapping,  which  has  gained  ground  in  the  last  decade. 
This  field  has  largely  tapped  into  the  ability  of  the  public  to  produce  and  disseminate 
information  to  pull in  the  wisdom  relevant  for  the  understanding  of  a  crisis,  disaster  or 
conflict.  A  list  of  common  features  is  developed  from  the  analysis  of  some  crisis  and 
conflict mapping tools. 

In  the  second  chapter,  we  illustrate  the  instrument  of  Global  Crisis  Atlas.  We  highlight 
the  procedure  for  data  collection  (including  a  table  with  data  sources),  processing  and 
analysis.  In  that,  we  inform  on  how  the  data  are  elaborated  to  generate  valuable 
information  and  then  injected  into  the  maps.  We  then  describe  the  procedure  for 
production and dissemination of the maps. At the end of the chapter, we present a table, 
detailing  the  features  of  the  GCA  tool  and  the  extent  to  which  they  match  those 
identified in other crisis and conflict mapping tools and highlighted in chapter 1.  

Chapter  3  is  dedicated  to  showing  the  continuous  effort  made  by  the  GCA  analysts  to 
render the maps more usable, comprehensible and accessible. Intelligence requirements 
are  growing  in  complexity  and  so  are  the  maps  that  need  to  be  produced  in  order  to 
accommodate  them.  With  this  in  mind,  GCA  analysts  come  up  regularly  with 
improvements that enable to expand or potentiate the functionalities and contents of the 
GCA service and maps.  

Chapter 4 sets out the directions and priorities for future work.  Interactive prototypes to 
improve the  GCA service are still under development. However,  what has characterised 
the GCA as a tool underpinned with scientific and technical rigour that has the ability to 
support European policymakers in their critical decisions will remain the guiding principle 
in  the  next  phases  of  its  deployment  and  service  to  the  Instrument  for  Stability  and 
Peace.  

Page | 7  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Acknowledgements 

We would like to acknowledge the contribution of Federico Zorzan (EEAS), Marc Fiedrich, 
Santiago  Robles,  and  Sebastien  Babaux  (FPI)  to  the  development  of  the  Global  Crisis 
Atlas.  

Page | 8  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abstract 

It  is  commonly  accepted  that  crises  and  conflicts  have  an  inherent  geographical nature 
in that they are embedded in, and eventually shape, the contexts where they take place. 
In  this  view,  it  becomes  critical  to  understand  contextual  and  relational  dynamics  that 
drive  the  unfolding  of  events  and  the  actions  of  key  actors  within  a  crisis  or  conflict. 
Maps offer an  effective  and handy support for  displaying crisis and conflict-related data 
and  visualising  contextual  and  relational  dynamics.  In  the  maps,  the  geographical 
coordinates  of  people  and  events  are  portrayed  in  such  a  way  as  to  highlight  causal 
relationships,  areas  of  influence  and  power  structures.  Moreover,  the  advent  and  rapid 
spreading of geographical information system (GIS) has greatly improved the usability of 
geographical data for understanding conflict and crisis dynamics. Indeed digital maps are 
more easily editable than print maps and allow for adding new information layers as the 
complexity of the situational determinants become clearer. 

This  report  is  produced  by  the  Peace  &  Stability  team  of  the  Joint  Research  Centre, 
which seats under the umbrella of the Disaster Risk Management Unit (E1) – Directorate 
Space,  Security  and  Migration.  The  team  deals  with  projects  related  to  the 
understanding  of  crisis  and  conflict  risk  dynamics.  The  ultimate  objective  is  the 
enhancement of situational awareness and the support to decision-making processes of 
EU policymakers during critical or potentially critical situations. Global Crisis Atlas (GCA) 
is one of the work packages of the Peace & Stability team. It consists of a repository of 
digital maps, accessible by the means of a web interface, that furnish an overview of the 
elements that influence (or might influence) the rise or unfolding of crises and conflicts. 
GCA  maps  are  produced  to  respond  to  the  intelligence  requirements  of  the  European 
External  Action  Service  and  to  complement  the  information  already  provided  by  its 
intelligence centre (INTCEN - EU Intelligence and Situation Centre). 

The  current  report  is  divided  into  four  chapters.  The  first  two  chapters  serve  as 
presentation of the GCA theoretical framework (chapter 1) and of the tool’s features and 
functionalities (chapter 2). The last two chapters highlight future developments in terms 
of  new 
innovative  approaches  to  the 
understanding  of  crises  and  conflicts  that  the  GCA  tool  may  enable.  The  arguments 
brought forward in each chapter are enriched with the support of reading boxes, figures, 
diagrams and tables.  

implemented  as  well  as 

functionalities 

In the conclusions section, we illustrate how the work of the Peace & Stability Team fits 
within  the  general  objectives  and  values  of  the  JRC  Strategy  2030.  In  doing  so,  we 
highlight  that,  despite  the  independent  work  packages  of  each  directorate,  the  Joint 
Research  Centre  should  be  conceived  as  a  unique  entity  whose  scope  is  to  help  EU 
policymakers in the design, implementation and review of critical decisions and to better 
the functionality and resilience of the EU societies.  

Page | 9  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Crisis and conflict mapping 

Policymakers need data on the trends associated with security events, a precise 
spatial location, and details of events in order to monitor and analyse the situation 
properly (Mubareka et al. 2005). 

Spatial analysis can provide new and important insights into the dynamics of conflict 
and processes of peace as situated within and constitutive of different spaces and 
agencies (Björkdahl and Buckley-Ziste, 2016, p.1) 

As today’s societies are growing in complexity and rapidly evolving so are the dynamics 
of  crises  and  conflicts.  Adding  to  this,  the  advent  and  wide  distribution  of  information 
and  communication  technologies  and  mobile  devices  have  made  a  tremendous  amount 
of data available to everyone with an Internet connection. As a result, policy makers are 
in  need  for  new  instruments  to  navigate  the  big  data  universe,  grasp  new  societal 
patterns and eventually take informed decisions that can lead to effective policies.  

Maps are acknowledged as a powerful tool to visualise data. Two features contribute to 
this.  On  the  one  hand,  maps  allow  to  view  on  a  single  page  spatial  dependencies  and 
relationships  between  people,  assets  and  events.  This  approach  recognises  the 
inherently  geographical  nature  of  social  events  that  are  embedded  in,  and  eventually 
shape,  societal  contexts  and  landscapes.    On  the  other  hand,  interactive  maps  show 
visually the temporal evolution of social events, thus revealing patterns and trends that 
remain concealed to a merely narrative analysis.  For this reason, they have been used 
in a plethora of projects to make predictions about social phenomena.  

  Visual support: It can be used to sustain a written analysis as well as an oral 

presentation.  

  Accessibility:  It  is  easily  accessible  and  therefore  useful  for  a  very  diverse 
audience. Examples of interested groups are: international workers, the press, 
policy makers and the general public. 

  Interaction:  The  analysis  gives  occasion  for  interaction  since  readers  or 

audiences have access to the sources (the maps) it is based on.  

  Objectivity:    Because  the  sources  are  shared  with  the  interested  public, 

there is an extra guarantee for objectivity.  

  Open  to  new  developments:  New  information  or  developments  can  easily 
be  added  to  previous  findings.  All  it  takes  is  one  new  map  to  be  compared 
with the originals. 

  Reveal  drivers,  motivations,  parallels  etc.  Applying  the  tool  will  shed  a 
new light on the interaction of different war motivations because it will reveal 
contradictions,  parallels  etc.  In  some  cases,  it  might  reveal  intentions  or 
drivers which were previously hidden behind the discourse of warring parties. 

Spittaels and Hilgert (2011, p. 30) 

Box 1: Advantages of Using Mapping to visualise Crisis- and Conflict-Related Data 

As  an  example,  the  World  Health  Organisation  (WHO)  has  produced  maps  to  visualise 
the  outbreak  and  spreading  of  Ebola  virus  in  Western  Africa  countries.  These  maps, 
along  with  other  forms  of  information,  have  then  contributed  to  inform  and  guide  the 
actions and decisions of WHO on when, how and where allocate resources to respond to 
the health crisis.  

Page | 10  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Crisis Mapping as a field emerged in 2007 by the initiative of the Harvard Humanitarian 
Institute.  Its  primary  scope  is  harnessing  mobile  technologies,  spatial  data  and  citizens 
reporting  to  support  interventions  during  humanitarian  crises  and  disaster  response 
(Stottlemyre and Stottlemyre, 2013).  

The  devastating  earthquake  that  hit  Haiti  in  2010  gave  a  spur  to  this  field,  with  lay 
citizens and emergency organisations starting to use information from social media and 
other  open  sources  to  coordinate  relief  efforts  (Yates  and  Pasquette,  2011). 
Collaborative  online  mapping  platforms,  such  as  Ushahidi,  greatly  contributed  to  the 
effort  to  organise  data  and  translate  them  into  actionable  information  (Mora,  2011). 
Notably,  while  maps  of  social  events  were  arguably  available  long  before  2007,  the 
development  of  Geographic  Information  System  (GIS)  technologies  brought  along 
innovations in terms of availability, usability and production of geographical information. 
Products like Google Earth allow anyone to access geographical information and to use it 
to derive insights. Moreover online mapping platforms like Openstreetmap allow not only 
experts trained in geographical methods but also the general public to produce maps by 
providing  an  intuitive  and  user-friendly  tool.    Finally,  the  dissemination  and  sharing  of 
geospatial data is facilitated by web-based applications such as Geonode.  

As a matters of facts, the primary scope of every crisis or conflict map is to support the 
acquisition  of  greater  situational  awareness,  defined  as  “the  perception  of  the 

USHAIDI  (https://www.ushahidi.com/)  Ushahidi,  which  translates  to  “testimony”  in 
Swahili, was developed to map reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election violence 
in  2008.  Ushaidi  provides  a  platform  for  multi-source  data  extraction,  data  management 
and  visualisation.  During  past  years,  Ushaidi  has  been  deployed  for  the  reporting  and 
monitoring of electoral processes, human right violations and media freedom.  

CRISIS  MAPPERS  (crisismappers.org)  Crisis  Mappers  leverage  mobile  &  web-based 
applications,  participatory  maps  &  crowdsourced  event  data,  aerial  &  satellite  imagery, 
geospatial  platforms,  advanced  visualization,  live  simulation,  and  computational  & 
statistical  models  to  power  effective  early  warning  for  rapid  response  to  complex 
humanitarian emergencies. As information scientists, they also attempt to extract meaning 
from mass volumes of real-time data. 

HUMANITARIAN  OPENSTREETMAP  -  HOT  (https://www.hotosm.org/):  HOT  is  an 
international team dedicated to humanitarian action and community development through 
open  mapping.  HOT  develops  open  source  apps  and  tools  for  collaborative  mapping  and 
geospatial data collection. The tool is free for all to use and leveraged by partners such as 
Red Cross societies, Médecins Sans Frontières, UN agencies and programmes, government 
agencies,  and  local  NGOs  and  communities.  During  past  years,  the  HOT  community  has 
worked  on  projects  aimed  at  revolutionise  disaster  management,  reduce  risks,  and 
contribute to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.  

ACLED  (www.acleddata.com):  The  Armed  Conflict  Location  &  Event  Data  Project 
(ACLED) is a disaggregated conflict collection, analysis and crisis mapping project. ACLED 
collects the dates, actors, types of violence, locations, and fatalities of all reported political 
violence  and  protest  events  across  Africa,  South  Asia,  South  East  Asia,  the  Middle  East, 
Europe, and Latin America. Political violence and protest includes events that occur within 
civil wars and periods of instability, public protest and  regime breakdown. ACLED’s aim is 
to  capture  the  forms,  actors,  dates  and  locations  of  political  violence  and  protest  as  it 
occurs  across  states.  The  ACLED  team  conducts  analysis  to  describe,  explore  and  test 
conflict scenarios, and makes both data and analysis open to freely use by the public. 

Box 2: Examples of crisis and conflict mapping projects 

Page | 11  

 
 
 
 
elements in the environment within a volume  of time and  space, the  comprehension  of 
their meaning and the projection of their  status in the near future”  (Endsley, 1995). In 
more  operational  terms,  situational  awareness  allows  one  to  understand  the  elements 
(e.g.  participants,  assets,  goods,  relationships  etc.)  influencing  the  situation  in  a  given 
context  and  time  and  to  build  plausible  scenarios  about  how  the  combination  of  these 
elements might evolve in the future. Situational awareness is a core component of every 
decision  making  process  in  that  it  helps  the  recognition  of  a  need  for  information  and 
guide the information acquisition, the weight of alternative decisions and eventually the 
review  of  the  decision  taken.  Figure  3  describes  the  decision  making  process  and  its 
correlation with situational awareness  

• Which information is needed to 
tackle the situation?

•Which information is currently 
available?

•What are the decision options?

•What is the best options?

•Why and how one option is better 
than another?

•Which actions are going to be taken 
based on the decision?

Need 
recogniti
on

Gather 
info

Identify 
alternativ
es

Weight 
evidence

Choose 
from 
Alternati
ves

Take 
actions

Review 
the 
decisions

•How will actions be reviewed to 
ensure they produce the best 
results? 

Given  a  critical  situation,  a  need  to 

take  a  decision  about  actions  to  take 

might  arise,  triggering  a  process  of 

decision-making.  The  final  decision 

has 

to  be 

informed  by  a  deep 

understanding of the context and of 

the potential impacts of this decision. 

Situational  awareness  supports  the 

understanding  of 

the 

information 

available  on  a  given  situation  and  the 

assessment  of  the  decision  options.  It 

also guides the review of the decisions 

based on their impacts. 

Figure 3: The decision making process and the role of situational awareness 

How do maps contribute to situational awareness and in turn to better decision making 
during crises and conflicts? 

1.  Maps  display 

its  spatiotemporal 
information  available,  also  adding 
coordinates. In doing so, they help to situate the information within a given space 
and time.  

the 

2.  Maps reveal patterns and relationships between information, thus unveiling crisis’ 

and conflict’s drivers. 

3.  Maps help to build what if scenarios to evaluate alternative options and impacts. 
4.  Maps make visually evident the impact of the decision on the situation. 

1.1. Peculiarities of conflict mapping 

Conflict  analysis is  the  systematic  study  of  the  profile,  causes,  actors,  and  dynamics  of 
conflict.  Conflict  mapping  is  a  recognised  tool  for  conflict  analysis,  in  that  it  serves  to 
visualise  1)  the  actors  and  their  “power”,  or  their  influence  on  the  conflict,  2)  their 

Page | 12  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
relationship  with  each  other,  and  3)  the  conflict  theme  or  issues  (Center  for  Security 
Studies,  2005  p.  5).  In  other  terms,  it  allows  to  come  up  with  an  improved 
understanding  of  the  drivers  and  issues  in  a  conflict  setting  and  unveil  causal 
relationships and correlations between events and actors. Findley and Young (2012), for 
example, used a map to explore the extent to which terrorism and civil war overlapped 
and  was  eventually  able  to  prove  visually  the  co-occurrence  of  these  phenomena. 
Conflict mapping offers a geographical approach to conflict analysis, paying attention to 
war dynamics as both geographically constituted and geographically expressed (Rech et 
al. 2015). The spatial representation of conflicts enabled by digital technologies may be 
a means  for negotiating, and eventually settling, international disputes (Branch, 2017). 
Conflict mapping is used to orientate future actions to address risks associated with the 
outbreak  of  new  violent  crises  and  it  can  therefore  be  considered  as  a  conflict  risk 
prevention and management tool. 

While conflict mapping can rationally be included under the crisis mapping umbrella, it is 
important  to  highlight  some  peculiarities  that  make  conflict-related  maps  somehow 
different from other crisis maps. 

  Political nature:    The collection, management  and visualisation of data is always 
bound with political considerations that determine which data are collected, how 
they are presented and to  which elements is given more prominence  (Boehnert, 
2016).  This  is  particularly  true  for  conflict-related  data  where  stressing  one 
component  over  another  can  change  the  perception  of  the  situation  and  the 
resultant decisions taken. A conflict map is primary a geopolitical map that shows 
the  dynamics  leading  to  future  scenarios  and  has  an  interpretative,  rather  than 
just  descriptive,  intent  (Boria,  2008).  For  this  reason,  when  “reading”  a  conflict 
map is relevant to question who did the map and what interests and worldviews 
the map intends to reflect. 

  Data sensitivity: The deployments of maps in conflict zones is a sensitive matter 
as data visualised on a map can be easily exploited by armed groups to prepare 
attacks and other hostile actions (Chamales and Baker, 2011). For this reason, it 
is  critical  to  gauge  accurately  who  can  access  the  conflict  maps  and  for  what 
purposes the data mapped will be used. 

  Data disaggregation. When studying conflicts, it is important to highlight the local 
nature  of  many  conflict  drivers  and  dynamics.  Data  aggregated  at  country  level 
risks  not  to  capture  correlations  that  become  instead  evident  if  looking  at  the 
situation  in  finer  details  (Rød,  2003).    Furthermore,  disaggregated  data  allow 
adding  contextual  information  to  a  map  that  help  to  clarify  causal  relationships 
(Raleigh et al., 2010).  In conflict maps, data are usually disaggregated spatially 
(i.e.  showing  where  a  violent  event  occurs).  However,  depending  on  the  conflict 
drivers identified, it might be also useful to disaggregate data by theme (thematic 
map),  for  example  by  visualising  the  distribution  of  the  ethnic  groups  within  a 
region.  

  Geographical  and  abstract  components:    Each  map  has  two  focuses:  one  is  the 
geographic  space  (represented  by  the  map  itself),  the  other  is  the  non-
geographic  space  (the  abstract  information  portrayed  on  a  map)  (Fuchs  and 
Schuman, 2004). In conflict maps, these two components are interdependent and 
shape  each  other.  Conflict-related  events  are  embedded  within  a  geography, 
which determine how they come into being and unfold. At the same time, conflict 
events  can  change  local,  regional  and  national  geographies  and  power 
relationships (Rech et al.2015). 

Page | 13  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Static  and  dynamic  components:  A  map  can  display  two  sets  of  information: 
static  information  that  does  not  substantially  change  over  the  time  (e.g.  the 
location  of  a  capital  and  main  cities  in  a  country)  and  dynamic  information  that 
are influenced by new events and developments (e.g. power hierarchies within a 
region).  Eventually, a  map is a story-telling tool and data shown largely depend 
upon  the  narratives  that  lie  behind  the  construction  of  the  map.  For  example,  if 
the  analysis  indicates  that  a  conflict  is  driven  by  a  competition  over  natural 
resources, it becomes salient to present the distribution of these resources across 
the  country.  In  turn,  the  map  furnishes  a  further  support  to  the  argument  that 
the theorised correlation does exist.  

Figure 4: Components of a conflict map 

1.2. Features of crisis and conflict mapping platforms 

We  describe  below  some  common  features  offered  by  crisis  and  conflict  mapping  tools 
and  platforms.  These  functions  allow  users  to  access  more  or  less  easily  to  a  wide 
plethora of information and extract from this the awareness of the dynamics determining 
the onset and unfolding of crises worldwide.  

OPEN  ACCESS  FORMAT:  many  crisis  and  conflict  mapping  tools  are  available  in  open 
access  format, namely that their content is publicly accessible and no authentication or 
fee is required. This is true for tools such as Humanitarian Open Street Map, ACLED and 
LiveuaMap.  

DYNAMIC INTERFACE: in most of the cases, mapping platforms display a dynamic web 
interface,  which enable the user to move around the map and make interactive actions 
to  change  the  information  visualised.  In  other  cases,  as  it  is  for  the  location  maps 
available on Reliefweb, the web interface offers only a catalogue of static maps and the 
possibility of interaction is limited.  

VISUALISION  OF  SPATIO-TEMPORAL  DATA:  it  is  obvious  to  say  that  the  main 
dimension  considered  by  all  the  mapping  platforms  is  spatial.  In  other  words,  maps 
display  data  by  their  specific  geographical  coordinates  (latitude  and  longitude).  Some 
platforms  with  a  dynamic  interface  offer  also  a  time-dependent  display,  allowing  to 
navigate through data by their temporal coordinates (e.g. when an event occurred). This 

Page | 14  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
feature is offered by platforms such as ConflictView, LiveuaMap and ACLED. This further 
dimension makes more evident the evolution of a situation over the time.  

AVAILABILITY OF A LEGEND: Almost all the mapping platforms supply a legend with 
the  symbols  used  to  depict  the  information  on  the  map.  This  feature  makes  the  maps 
easily readable. 

MULTIPLE  UNITS  OF  OBSERVATIONS:  The  unit  of  observations  may  differ  between 
tools. For instance, ACLED offers events-based maps meaning that they mainly focus on 
the location of violent events. WarViews mainly depicts the location of actors, resources 
and  conflict  events.    Other  mapping  platforms,  like  Humanitarian  HOT  maps  and 
Reliefweb  maps,  do  not  have  a  specific  focus  and  display  various  information  layers, 
comprising the location of administrative (e.g. cities) and geographical features.  

EXPORTABILITY OF THE DATA: Some tools allow exporting the dataset on which the 
information displayed on a map is based. This feature permits the user to manipulate the 
data  and  extract  new  information.  ACLED  and  Humanitarian  OpenStreetMap  are 
examples of mapping platforms that offer this feature.  

VISUALISATION  OF  THE  INFORMATION  SOURCES:  In  few  cases,  the  list  of 
information sources is made available. For example, LiveUAMaps and Ushaidi display the 
news feed, from which the information on the map is retrieved. 

Figure 5: Science4peace web interface. On the right, the interface displays the list of recent tweets 
on Conflicts and the same events are geo-located on the map interface. 

Page | 15  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EASILY  EDITABLE:  In  some  cases,  mapping  platforms  allow  users  to  edit  directly  the 
map  by  adding  new  information.  For  instance,  Humanitarian  OpenStreetMap  and  its 
humanitarian branch HOT is a publicly editable map tool. The platforms with this feature 
usually allow viewing also the history of the edits made to a map. 

DATA  ANALYTICS:  In  most  of  the  cases,  mapping  platforms  and  tools  accompany 
maps  with  charts,  graphs  and  diagrams  or  permit  the  user  to  construct  them  from  the 
dataset.  In  this  way,  it  is  possible  to  visualise  trends  and  patterns  in  the  phenomenon 
analysed. 

Figure 6: Trends in violent events and fatalities in Yemen from June 2017 until June 2018. 

SELECTIVE  VISUALISATION  OF  DATA:  In  most  of  the  cases,  mapping  platforms 
allow  the  user  to  choose  what  type  of  data  to  visualise  by  using  filters.  This  function 
permits to disaggregate data by free text, region or geographical extent for example  

Figure 7: Visualisation of data by filters, Science4peace website 

Page | 16  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GEOGRAPHICAL  BRUSHING:  Many  mapping  tools  with  a  dynamic  and  interactive 
interface  allow  the  user  to  explore  the  map  by  zooming  in  (or  zooming  out)  certain 
locations.  This  feature  permits  to  focus  only  on  the  location  of  interest.  Humanitarian 
Open Street Map, ACLED and ViewConflict offer this feature. 

1.3. Presenting Global Crisis Atlas  

In  the  next  chapter,  we  will  present  Global  Crisis  Atlas  (GCA),  a  repository  of  digital 
maps used to monitor strategic geographical areas or issues of interest (e.g., migration 
flows). As we shall explain, GCA is a situational awareness tool that provides support to 
the  work  of  the  EU  External  Action  Service  (EEAS)  and  the  service  for  Foreign  Policy 
Instrument  (FPI)  of  the  European  Commission.  The  information  conveyed  through  the 
maps  contributes  to  the  monitoring  and  analysis  of  crises  that  might  have  a  direct  or 
indirect impact on the European social, economic and political system.  

Page | 17  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. The Global Crisis Atlas Project 

Conflict  prevention  and  peace-building  is  a  recognised  priority  of  the  European  Union. 
This includes the adoption of a comprehensive approach to tackling external conflicts and 
crises.  In  2014,  the  EU  launched  the  Instrument  for  Stability  and  Peace  (IcSP), 
taking  over  from  the  Instrument  of  Stability,  with  the  stated  scope  of  providing  short-
term assistance to unfolding crises and long-term planning to address transnational and 
emerging  threats.  The  IcP  promotes  and  funds  activities  linked  to  crisis  response  and 
preparedness as well as to conflict prevention. 

The  Joint  Research  Centre  of  the  European  Commission  (EC)  is  the  scientific  and 
research  support  service  of  the  European  Commission.  As  such,  it  provides  methods, 
technologies and tools to improve the operational and policymaking activities of the EC. 
Created by the JRC, the Global Crisis Atlas (GCA) is financed by the IcSP framework and 
aims to build situational awareness during crises and conflicts through the provision of a 
combination of geographical and non-geographical information. As previously explained, 
conflict  and  crisis  prevention  and  management  activities,  rely  extensively  on  enhanced 
situational awareness for decisions that maximise positive impacts and reduce potential 
harm.  In this view, GCA has as ultimate objective to support the work of the  European 
External Action Service (EEAS) and of the Service for Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI) by 
providing  the  context  to  understand, monitor,  anticipate,  prevent  and  respond 
to current or potential risks associated with the emergence of crises. 

Accessible  by  the  means  of  a  web  interface,  GCA  offers  a  catalogue  of  digital  maps 
revolving  around  crisis  preparedness,  response  and  coordination.  The  term  “crisis”  is 
intended here as a critical event precipitated by either a competition among two or more 
parties (conflict) or by natural hazards (e.g. earthquakes, climate change,  and drought) 
(Bugajski,  2011)  or  by  socio-economic  and  political  instability.  The  maps  portray  an 
overview of the situation in countries of interest and of unfolding crises, bolstering timely 
information  exchange  and  real-time  common  situational  awareness  during  major 
emergencies or crises. 

The role of GCA is threefold: 

o  Knowledge repository: maps created by the GCA analysts are stored within the 
GCA portal, thus supplying an historical knowledge base of crises relevant to the 
EU policy and an analytical instrument to understand key issues and trends. 

o  Crisis  mapping:  the  GCA  analysts  may  engage  in  the  mapping  of  specific 
conflicts  and  crises  depending  on  ad-hoc  requests  submitted  by  EEAS  and  FPI. 
Maps  may  display  a  wide  array  of  data  such  as  the  location  of  critical 
infrastructures within a country or the areas where a violent conflict is occurring. 
Crisis  and  conflict  maps  are  usually  backed  with  background  information  to 
understand the geopolitical situation of the country. 

o  Situation  assessment  and  monitoring:  Along  with  ad-hoc  products,  the  GCA 
analysts  works  also  on  weekly  monitoring  products,  documenting 
the 
developments of crises of specific interest for the EEAS. These mapping products 
are sent to EEAS together with the weekly EU Situation Room headlines. 

Page | 18  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Global  Crisis  Atlas  is  a  powerful  analytical  and  monitoring  tool.  It  complements 
the  information  provided  by  the  EEAS  monitoring  service  by  graphically  showing  the 
geographical  determinants  of  critical  events.  GCA  maps  integrate  also  background 
information  and  graphs  that  facilitate  the  correct  interpretation  of  the  map  and  reveal 
situational trends and patterns. 

GCA maps help to respond to critical questions such as: 

o  What is the situation on the ground? 
o  How are development and cooperation projects distributed across a region? 
o  Where are the country’s access points and critical infrastructures? 
o  Where are terrorist groups/attacks concentrated? 
o  What  is  the  geography  of  ethnic  groups  within  a  country  and  what  are  the 

emerging power hierarchies? 

o  Where  potentially  sensitive  targets  (EU  Embassies,  EU  delegation,  Government 

buildings, etc.) are located? 

o  How to access the main airport, roads etc.? 

Responding  to  these  questions  is  vital  to  take  decisions  that  lead  to  positive  outcomes. 
The advantages of using this tool for EU policymakers are evident in terms of: 

  Having  in-house  service  and  experts  for  the  analysis  of  primary  and  secondary 

sources 

  Making conflict and crisis- related data easily accessible and interpretable with the 

support of graphs and tables 

  Visualising  the  spatial  determinants  of  crises  and  conflicts,  thus  making  evident 
where  and  how  to  allocate  resources  in  order  to  maximise  the  impact  of  the 
intervention. 

  Making  sense  of  data,  information  and  knowledge  to  underpin  evidence-based 

policy making 

Box 3: Why the Global Crisis Atlas? 

Given  the  sensitivity  of  the  information  contained  on  some  of  the  maps,  the  access  to 
the  portal  is  protected  through  appropriate  authentication  process  and  different  access 
privileges.  

Main  beneficiaries  of  the  GCA  services  are  the  EEAS  and  its  intelligence  centre  INTCEN 
(EU Intelligence and Situation Centre) and the Foreign Policy Instrument (FPI). However, 
maps  can  be  requested  also  by  other  affiliated  institutions  for  specific  purposes.  As  a 
rule, any request of access to the maps is notified to the FPI and processed by the JRC 
analysts. As of September 2018, GCA has 150 users. Figure 8 maps out the users of the 
GCA service.  

The delivering of the maps occurs on a regular basis (e.g. weekly or biweekly) as result 
of  a  previous  agreement  on  the  monitoring  of  certain  countries  or  crises  of  interest  as 
well on an ad-hoc basis, namely as a result of a specific request by EEAS.  

Maps  are  populated  with  data  derived  from  remote  sensing  intelligence  and  open 
sources  analysis.    In  the  next  section,  we  shall  explain  the  procedure  for  data 
collection, validation and dissemination.  

Page | 19  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
European 
Parliament
3%

Academics
3%

Unregistered
1%

European 
Commission
14%

EEAS 
26%

Member states 
44%

EU Delegations
4%

EU 
Missions/Multinationa
l Forces
5%

Figure 8: Users of the Global Crisis Atlas portal (as at September 2018) 

2.1. GCA maps as a finished intelligence product 

GCA maps are to be considered a “finished intelligence product”, namely a product that 
“has  completed  the  rigorous,  all-source  correlation,  integration,  evaluation  and 
assessment that enables it to be disseminated” (Hedley 2009, p. 213). Data acquisition 
and  reporting  follows  the  steps  of  the  intelligence  cycle  (Figure  9).  This  procedure 
guarantees the reliability of data sources and the validity of data processing.  

Below we describe the  steps  of the intelligence gathering and how  each step is fulfilled 
by the GCA analysts to produce the final output. 

Direction:  Every  intelligence  product  starts  off  by  a  request  of  a  decision  maker  who 
sets a list of intelligence requirements. In the case of Global Crisis Atlas, the intelligence 
requirements (i.e. which information is needed and in which format) are established by 
the  European  External  Action  Service,  which  also  represents  the  final  user  of  the 
product. 

Collection:  JRC  analysts  combine  geospatial  intelligence  (GEOINT)  and  open  source 
intelligence  (OSINT)  to  collect  data  that  set  the  foundations  for  the  final  maps.  
Geospatial intelligence refers to the “exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial 
information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically 
referenced activities on the earth” (US National Geospatial Agency, 2018).  Open source 
intelligence  harnesses  information  supplied  by  publicly  available  sources  (e.g.  the 
Internet,  traditional  media  outlets,  conference  proceedings  and  think  thank  studies)  to 
derive insights. JRC analysts engage in the regular monitoring of official secondary data 
sources and extract information that is then reported within ad-hoc templates.  Data are 
retrieved  from  a  vast  array  of  sources  and  triangulated  with  geospatial  observations. 
They are stored in geospatial databases, making it easier to reuse them to create other 
products.  Table 1 details some data sources monitored by the GCA analysts to  retrieve 
the “intelligence” needed to compile the maps. 

Page | 20  

 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTION (EEAS 
NEEDS 
REQUIREMENTS)

EEAS FEEDBACK

DATA 

COLLECTION

GCA MAPS 
DISSEMINATION

DATA PROCESSING

GCA MAPS 
PRODUCTION

DATA ANALYSIS 

Figure 9: The Intelligence Cycle. From intelligence request to the GCA intelligence output 

Geo-Spatial  and  non-geospatial  processing:  Once  collected,  data  are  processed  in 
order to give them a spatial dimension necessary to produce the layers to be plot in the 
map  layout.  This  might  include,  for  example,  convert  the  ACLED  database  on  armed 
conflict  events  into  a  pivot  table  where  the  events  are  aggregated  by  populated  places 
with a geographic coordinate and a list of non-spatial attributes related to the description 
of  the  events.  Other  common  geo-spatial  processing  concerns  the  digitalization  of 
information from scanned maps or maps in electronic format previously co-registered to 
the  Coordinate  System  of  reference.  In  addition  to  this,  other  non-geospatial  data 
processing  can  be  performed  such  as  evaluating  the  relevance  of  the  information, 
weighting  the  reliability  of  the  sources  in  case  of  discrepant  information  and  ensuring 
data  validation  through  triangulation.  This  step  permits  the  transformation  of  raw  data 
into usable information. 

Analysis: The next step (analysis) involves the process of connecting the various pieces 
of information and situating them within a context that enrich their meaning and value. 
In  the  GCA  maps,  geographical  attributes  are  combined  with  other  type  of  contextual 
data,  which  are  usually  presented  in  the  form  of  diagrams,  charts  and  tables.    These 
graphs help to visualise the trends and patterns in the phenomena under analysis (i.e. a 
country’s economic indicators during the past five years). 

Production: The production of GCA maps occurs by the means of ArcGIS software. The 
next section of this chapter describes in detail the procedure followed for the production 
of GCA maps.  

Dissemination:  Finished  GCA  maps  are  sent  via  email  to  EEAS.  In  the  case  of  the 
weekly monitoring products, maps  complement the weekly EU situation room headlines 
by adding a geographical reference of the critical events which occurred during the week 
in the monitored area/country. The External Action Service may disseminate the maps to 
an  internal  distribution  list,  consisting  of  member  states,  EU  DGs  and  other  affiliated 
organisations  whose  work  may  benefit  from  the  use  of  the  product  (see  Fig  2.1.).  The 
GCA maps are also stored into the portal, whose access is restricted only to authorised 
people. 

Page | 21  

 
 
 
         
 
 
Feedback: EEAS receive the map and provide feedback in case any additional inputs is 
required  in  order  to  meet  the  intelligence  requirement.  The  improvement  of  the  maps’ 
contents and quality require a constant collaboration between the JRC analysts and the 
end user and the review of relevant emerging issues. 

Name 

Examples 

Description 

IOM, UN Institutions, FAO, WORLDBANK DATA 
PORTAL,  INTERNATIONAL  MONETARY  FUND, 
NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICES 

EUROPE MEDIA MONITOR, NEWSNOW, 
SOUTHFRONT, LIVEUAMAP, REUTERS, ACF. 

@SURIYAKMAPS, @MILADVISOR 

Institutional 
websites 

Specialised news 
agencies and 
websites 

Social Media 

INSTITUTE  FOR  THE  STUDY  OF  WAR 
 HTTP://ISWRESEARCH.BLOGSPOT.COM/ 

Technical 
report/specialised 
publications 

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP 

HTTPS://WWW.CRISISGROUP.ORG  

Open sources 
databases 

ACLED, ESRI 

ETH Zurich 

Academic 

Official  websites  of  international 
organisations represent the main 
source  of  information  for  GCA 
maps.  They  guarantee  reliable 
and  always  updated  information 
of 
countries/events  of 
interest.  They  also  provide 
contextual 
(e.g. 
GDP,  water  and  land  user)  at 
country level. 

information 

the 

JRC  analysts  monitor  constantly 
all  the  major  news  agencies 
publishing  in  various  languages 
as  well  as  news  aggregator 
websites  specialised  on  conflict 
and  geopolitical  analysis. 
In 
particular 
the  Europe  Media 
Monitor  (EMM),  developed  by 
the JRC, analyses and aggregates 
both traditional and social media  

Social  media  profiles  of  expert 
advisors  and  news  agencies  are 
last 
monitored  to  collect  the 
about 
updates 
countries/events/actors 
of 
interest. 

reports 

Technical 
and 
publications  from  field  experts 
and  research  groups  provide  an 
invaluable  source  of  information 
to understand conflict dynamics. 

Open  source  databases  offer  a 
great  deal  of  information  about 
conflict and non-conflict trends. 

Academic 
institutions  publish 
papers  with  analysis  of  conflict 
dynamics 
causes 
regularly. 

root 

and 

Table 1: Type of information sources monitored by the GCA analysts to populate the maps 

Page | 22  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.2. Production and content of the maps 

GCA maps are produced using  ArcGIS  software. ArcGIS is a mapping tool that allows 
for  advanced  location-based  analysis  and  the  visualisation  and  identification  of  spatial 
patterns. It performs a wide range of common GIS (Geographical Information Systems) 
tasks  as  well  as  specialized  tasks  like  executing  a  geo-processing  model  or  script.  It 
allows  switching  layers  on  and  off,  querying  features  to  access  the  rich  attribute  data 
that is behind the map and it supports scalable full-function editing. The user  can print 
maps from the simplest to the most sophisticated cartographic product.  

Each  GCA  map  consists  of  a  set  of  layers,  displaying  key  elements  for  the 
understanding of the determinants of a crisis or conflict. The main dimension considered 
is  spatial,  meaning  that  the  information  is  injected  into  the  map  based  on  its 
geographical  coordinates  (e.g.  deployment  of  forces  within  an  area).  Once  the 
geographical  distribution  of  the  information  is  clear,  the  map  can  be  enriched  with 
additional non-geographic attributes presented in a graph or table format.  The maps are 
static: they depict a crisis or conflict setting at a certain time. However, for the specific 
case  of  the  weekly  monitoring  products,  a  temporal  analysis  on  the  evolution  of  the 
situation  can  be  performed  by  comparing  the  maps  produced  in  the  previous  weeks  or 
months.  Moreover,  any  changes  in  the  layers  (i.e.  armed  group’s  controlled  area)  is 
tracked  into  a  database  in  order  to  make  readily  evident  any  increase  or  decrease 
(calculated in km or hectares) of the monitored/affected area. 

A  coordination  meeting  is  planned  in  Central  Asia  for  April 
2018.  We  expect  the  major  government  representatives  of 
the  countries  in  the region  to  attend  this meeting.  Thus, we 
require  support  from  the  Global  Crisis  Atlas  team  for  the 
collection of strategic insights into the region of interest. The 
request includes two maps, containing the following layers: 

MAP 1 – For five countries in the region, we require: a) main 
populated  places;  b)  the  sources  /  management  and  use  of 
water;  c)  the  dams  and  the  canals  (existing  and  in 
construction);  d)  the  upstream  countries.  Also  we  need  2 
(two)  charts  showing  each  country's  dependence  on 
internal/external  sources  of  water  and  use  of  water  in  % 
(human consumption, agriculture, industry) 

MAP 2 – This should show the population density for the five 
countries  plus  a  series  of  charts:  total  population;  GDP  per 
capita; % of remittances /GNI; % oil /gas in the GDP and % 
agriculture /GDP.  

The maps should include 7 layers and 7 charts in total. 

of 

because 
the 

The unit of observation and the 
the  maps  vary 
content  of 
considerably,  depending  on  the 
intelligence 
requirements.  The 
production  of  the  maps  requires  a 
multi-level 
multidimensional, 
approach 
the 
complexity  of 
intelligence 
requirements  set  out  by  the  end 
user.  Box  4  describes  an  example 
of  intelligence  requirement  which 
GCA analysts may be requested to 
fulfill.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  every 
map  includes  basic  information 
country/city/region 
about 
under  examination  such  as  its 
international 
regional 
road 
boundaries,  main  cities, 

and 

the 

Box 4: Example of request 

networks  and  geography  features 
(rivers, 
lakes,  mountains  etc.). 
This information  can  be  topped  up 
with  additional  strategic  elements  like  distribution  of  ethnic  groups,  natural  resources, 
disputed areas, military facility deployment, location of embassies/EU delegation at city 
level, location of violent events, airstrikes,  refugee  camps, deployment of armed forces 
and  their  area  of  influence  /control.  The  choice  of  which  information  to  display  is  also 
dependent upon the identification of underlying conflict and crisis drivers.  

The  graphical  representation  of  data  occurs  by  standardised  symbols.  GCA  analysts 
have  established  and  agreed  with  the  end  users  a  list  of  common  symbols,  sometimes 
also using those provided by ESRI as a benchmark.  

Page | 23  

 
 
 
 
 
2.2.1. Categories of the maps 

The GCA maps are divided into categories, each of whom is then further divided in sub-
categories.  This  facilitates  navigation  through  the  maps  and  access  to  the  content  of 
interest. Below we describe the categories and the information they contain. 

BASELINE  MAP:  Baseline  maps  refers  to  maps  displaying  basic  geographical 
information such as the location of borders, cities and critical facilities  (e.g. main roads, 
ports  and  airports)  at  country,  city  or  regional  level  (e.g.  Horn  of  Africa).  The  category 
includes  also  administrative  maps  showing  the  areas  under  different  administrative 
control  and  border  maps,  representing  the  areas  close  to  the  borders  between  two 
countries.  Furthermore, it includes maps displaying the countries belonging to regional 
cooperation  organisations  (e.g.  NATO  countries  or  ASEAN  countries).  Annex  2  features 
an example of a baseline map. 

Sub-categories: country maps, city maps, border maps, administrative maps, regional 
cooperation maps. 

POLICY MAPS: Policy maps display the location of projects, interventions and initiatives 
in critical areas of the world as well as the distribution of offices and staff of international 
organizations in these areas. Annex 2.3 presents an example of a policy map.  

NATURAL  HAZARDS:  Maps  under  this  category  mainly  deal  with  damage  assessment 
and  display  the  extent  of  the  damage  occurred  in  the  wake  of  natural  hazards  (e.g. 
typhoons or earthquakes). Either they present a general overview of the damage which 
occurred  at  national  or  city  level  or  give  detail  on  the  losses  in  a  specific  sector/area 
(e.g. loss of agricultural activities, bridges affected by an earthquake). Annex 2 portrays 
an example of natural hazards map. 

Sub-categories: Damage assessment (general), damage assessment (specific). 

CONFLICT  MAPS:  Maps  under  this  category  portray  the  situation  of  international 
armed  conflicts  (opposing  two  or  more  States)  and  non-international  armed  conflicts 
(between  governmental  forces  and  non-governmental  armed  groups,  or  between  such 
groups  only).  They  usually  consist  of  maps  monitoring  a  specific  conflict  over  the  time 
(e.g.  following  the  evolution  of  the  conflict  dynamics  on  a  weekly  basis)  and  therefore 
every map is accompanied with the date to which the  map is  referred. They  can  either 
present  a  general  overview  of  the  situation  or  give  details  about  a  specific  area/sector 
(e.g. vital sites bombed). Annex 2 shows an example of conflict map. 

Sub-categories:  Conflict  situational  maps  (e.g.  weekly  updates),  post-conflict  damage 
assessment, conflict maps (specific). 

SECURITY  THREATHS  MAPS:  These  maps  display  security  threats,  namely  situations 
that  might  trigger  a  conflict  or  crisis.  They  can  display,  for  example,  the  distribution  of 
terrorist  groups  and  attacks  within  a  geographical  area  or  the  location  of  natural 
resources and potential sensitive targets (e.g.  nuclear facilities).  They usually deal with 
changes in the geopolitical power relationships and areas of control. Annex 2 displays an 
example of security threats map. 

Sub-categories:  Violent  events,  non-state  armed  group  activities/presence,  sensitive 
targets, geopolitical changes. 

Page | 24  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THEMATIC  MAPS:  This  category  contains  maps  related  to  themes  and  issues  of 
emerging interest or that might potentially trigger the outbreak of a crisis or conflict. For 
example,  it  might  include  information  about  socio-economic  indicators  of  a  country, 
distribution of ethnic and religious groups and of natural and non-natural resources and 
assets  (e.g.  oil  pipelines  and  energy  resources).  Annex  2  displays  an  example  of  a 
thematic map. 

Sub-categories:  Socioeconomic  indicators,  Ethnic  and  religious  groups  distribution, 
natural and non-natural resources and facilities. 

MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES:  This category includes maps specifically dealing with the 
location  of  migration  routes  and  refugees  camps  and  giving  information  about  the 
migration flows. Annex 2 offers an example of migrants and refugees map. 

2.2.2 Evaluating GCA’s features and functionalities.  

The score ranges between low, medium, and high depending on the extent to which GCA 
meets  the  target  criterion.  In  the  last  column  to  the  right,  we  present  briefly  an 
explanation  of  the  given  score.  The  table  permits  to  visualize  the  potential  areas  for 
improvement of the GCA service and lays the groundwork for future directions, although 
still  appreciating  the  differences  and  peculiarities  between  the  GCA  product  and  other 
tools available online. 

2.2.3. Improvements to GCA service delivery and data visualisation 

In  chapter  3,  we  will  be  describing  some  of  the  ongoing  projects  that  are  underway  to 
improve the functionalities of the Global Crisis Atlas service. As we shall explain, we are 
working  on  multiple  aspects  at  once.  First,  we  have  focused  on  integrating  the  Global 
Crisis Atlas with other related projects under the peace and stability portfolio in the JRC 
E.1  Disaster  Risk  Management  Unit  at  JRC.  In  doing  so,  we  have  highlighted  the 
synergies  between  those  projects  and  how  they  can  work  together  toward  a  better 
understanding  of  conflict  issues.  Secondly,  we  are  working  around  the  development  of 
our own conflict news  database, taking advantage  of the  headlines newsletter provided 
by EEAS three times a day. Data will be then employed to inform the production of the 
GCA  maps.  Finally,  we  aim  to  expand  our  data  sources  to  enrich  our  maps  with  new 
analytical perspectives and/or data. 

Page | 25  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Criteria 

OPEN ACCESS FORMAT 

Score 

Low 

DYNAMIC INTERFACE 

Low 

VISUALISION OF SPATIO-TEMPORAL 
DATA 

Medium 

Description 

Access to GCA maps is free of charge but restricted 
only to authorised users.  

Since  GCA  is  a  catalogue  of  static  maps,  it  is  not 
possible  to  move  around  the  map  or  click  on  the 
map to change the information visualised. 

Since  GCA  maps  are  static,  no  temporal  view  is 
available. However, for weekly monitoring products, 
it  is  possible  a  comparison  with  maps  produced  in 
the past for the same location. 

GEOGRAPHICAL BRUSHING 

Low 

Since GCA maps are static, it is not possible to move 
around the map or zoom in certain locations 

SELECTIVE VISUALISATION OF DATA 

High 

DATA ANALYTICS 

EASILY EDITABLE 

High 

Low 

GCA  users  can  filter  the  maps  by  region  or  by 
category  (see  the  categories  described  in  section 
2.2.1.) 

GCA  maps  are  accompanied  with  graphs,  diagrams 
and tables that expand the geographical information 
and help reveal trends. 

GCA maps are only editable by the JRC analysts. No 
other  user  is  allowed  to  add  information  to  the 
maps. 

VISUALISATION OF THE INFORMATION 
SOURCES 

High 

GCA  maps  provide  the  source  of  information  and 
the date of the last update. 

EXPORTABILITY OF THE DATA 

Low 

The GCA portal does not allow users to extract and 
export data from the maps.  

MULTIPLE UNITS OF OBSERVATIONS 

High 

AVAILABILITY OF A LEGEND 

High 

For  the  conflict  monitoring  products,  the  unit  of 
observation  may  include  the  location  of  violent 
events,  natural  resources  and  key  facilities  (e.g. 
airports) at city, country or regional level. 

Each  GCA  map  is  provided  with  a  legend  showing 
the  graphical  elements  used  to  depict  information 
on the map 

Table 2: Evaluation of GCA functionalities against common features of crisis and conflict mapping 

tools 

Page | 26  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Further developments 

Whist GCA contains static maps; it is not to be considered as a static service or tool. JRC 
strives to improve  evidence based insights and technical service delivery, to  satisfy the 
increasingly complex requests of the policy maker. For this reason, increasing emphasis 
is  placed  on  developing  new  functionalities  or  improving  data  visualisation.  Below,  we 
describe some of the undergoing projects aiming to improve Global Crisis Atlas service, 
which  encompass  the  integration  of  GCA  maps  into  a  bigger  interface  (Science4Peace 
portal),  the  creation  of  a  conflict  news  database  and  the  expansion  of  the  information 
source database.  

3.1. The Science4Peace Portal 

Science4Peace  is  a  project  supported  by  the  European  Commission  and  aims  at 
providing  a  collaboration  platform  for  policy  actors  on  the  Instrument  contributing  to 
Stability  and  Peace,  the  EU  INTCEN  and  its  Operational  Hybrid  Fusion  cell.  The  project 
taps  into  the  synergies  between  three  knowledge  domains  (remote  sensing,  statistics 
and  geospatial  technology)  to  provide  a  comprehensive  tool  for  conflict  risk  prevention 
and early warning, situation awareness and monitoring as well as post-conflict recovery. 
By the combination of knowledge and tools across the entire conflict management cycle 
from prevention to recovery, it aims to offer a new perspective to analyse and effectively 
address conflict risks.  

Figure 10: The homepage of the Science4Peace Portal 

The project includes the delivery  of a  collaborative web platform (see figure 10), which 
seeks  to  bring  together  three  different  working  streams:  1)  risk  indexes  and  statistical 
analysis  for  conflict  prediction  and  prevention  (represented  by  the  Global  Conflict  Risk 
Index  –  GCRI),  2)  geospatial  analysis  for  early  warning  and  situational  awareness 
(Global  Crisis  Atlas)  and;  3)  post-conflict  urban  functionality  analysis  (Urban-S).The 
portal  sheds  light  on  the  links  between  these  projects,  making  evident  the 
multidisciplinary  and  multimodal  nature  of  conflict  risk  prevention  and  situational 
awareness.  As  such  the  Global  Crisis  Atlas  data  and  services  will  migrate  into  the 
Science4Peace portal once it is fully implemented. GCA maps will appear as a distinct but 
also as an integrated part of the Science4Peace web interface. This will bring along some 
changes in the data visualisation. 

Page | 27  

 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 11: The section of GCA within the Science4Peace portal 

3.2. GCA conflict news database 

During the course  of 2018, JRC has  compiled a database  of conflict news based  on the 
Daily Headlines Newsletter sent out by the analysts of the External Action Service three 
times  a  day  in  an  email  format  and  reporting  the  news  appeared  on  the  major 
international media outlets on a topic or country/region of interest. As an example, the 
Syria  monitoring  newsletter  includes  sections  on  the  military  situation,  diplomatic 
issues/international reactions and humanitarian/social issues.  
The objective of the Conflict News Database is to archive the news included in the Daily 
Headlines  newsletter  in  order  to  retrieve  and  analyze  data  and  information  through 
filters  and  queries,  while  having  a  spatio-temporal  characterization  of  the  monitored 
events.  Data  archiving  serves  two  objectives:  i)  a  source  of  verified  information  from 
which to draw data for the interactive GCA maps to be displayed on the Science4Peace 
portal; ii) understand better the topical issues and geographical areas that are of interest 

Page | 28  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
for  EU  policy.    In  such  way,  policymakers  are  assisted  in  getting timely,  geographically 
relevant information that can be incorporated directly in their decisional workflow.  

To  serve  these  objectives,  we  created  a  database,  including  conflict-related  and  non-
conflict related news.  

For  the  part  of  conflict-related  news,  we  had  to  define  inclusion  and  exclusion  criteria. 
For  instance,  all  news  that  referred  to  planned  and  future  events  were  excluded  from 
this  section  of  the  database.  The  same  held  true  for  general,  vague  and  unofficial 
statements  and  speculations.  Our  conflict-related  dataset  factors  in  only  the  news  that 
relate specifically to violent events (e.g. fights, riots etc.) or political developments that 
can  lead  to  the  outbreak  of  a  conflict.  In  consideration  that  conflict  events  are  highly 
time-sensitive, we deemed critical to highlight also temporal dependencies of one event 
over  the  other.  The  remainder  news  that  were  excluded  from  the  conflict-related 
dataset, were then added into a different dataset labeled as “non-conflict related news”. 
Currently,  the  injection  of  the  news  into  the  general  database  is  done  manually. 
However, GCA analysts are considering the option to automate this process by the use of 
artificial  intelligence  for  data  mining  and  categorization.  More  information  on  this  is 
provided in Chapter 4.  

Below we illustrate the main fields of the conflict-related news dataset.  

Fields name and description 

Event ID 

A  code  made  up  of  a  sub-regional  identifier  (regional  acronym),  a 
date identifier (month-year) and an individual numeric identifier. A 
“start  date”  needs  to  be  identified  in  order  to  begin  coding  the 
events. 

Release date 

Date  (in  dd/mm/yyyy  format)  in  which  the  news  of  the  event  was 
released via EEAS Newsletter. 

Event Date 

Date (in dd/mm/yyyy format) in which the event took place, to be 
identified with the precise date of the unfolding of events. 

Region (continent)  Regional and sub-regional country division according to   the 

UN 

Geo-scheme for regional classification (see below). 

Country 

The country in which the event took place. 

Admin1  

Admin2 

Admin3 

The  largest  sub-national  administrative  region  in  which  the  event 
took place. 

The second largest sub-national administrative region in which the 
event took place. 

The  third  largest  sub-national  administrative  region  in  which  the 
event took place. 

Location 

The location in which the event took place. 

Latitude 

The latitude of the location. 

Longitude 

The longitude of the location. 

Spatial influence 

Sphere  of  territorial  influence  and  interference  (e.g.  cross-border 
activities). 

Page | 29  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Temporal influence  One-day  or  prolonged  event/expectation  of  continuance/prediction 

Event type 

pattern. 
The type of event (see below). 

Actor 1 type    

The actor type (see below).   

Actor 1 

The named actor or actors involved in the event (see below). 

Actor 2 type    

The actor type (see below). 

Actor 2  

The named actor or actors involved in the event (see below). 

Summary  

The  description  of  the  event  presented  in  the  EEAS  Newsletter, 
keeping the language of release (English and French). 

Information Source  The information source reporting the event. 

Link 

The URL of the information source reporting the event. 

Fatalities 

The reported deaths occurred during the unfolding of the event. 

Keywords  

Topics and details, in the hashtag format, which cannot be included 
in the main fields. 

Event types 

  Armed conflict involving states and armed groups (state-based violence): 
a  conflict  involving  two  or  more  governments  (inter-state  conflict),  a  conflict 
between  a  government  and  a  non-governmental  party  with  no  interference  from 
other  countries  or  with  foreign  involvement  (intra-state  conflict)  and  a  conflict 
between a state and a non-state group outside of its own territory (extra-systemic 
conflict). 

  Armed conflict between non-state actors (non-state violence) 
  Violence against civilians (one-sided violence): violence carried out either by 

a state actor or by an organized group against civilians. 

  Riots/  Protests:  if  protestors  are  heavily  injured  in  the  course  of  a 
demonstration,  the  event  is  no  longer  marked  as  “Protest”,  rather  as  “Violence 
against civilians”. 

  Human 

rights  violations: 
dispossession and deportations. 

including 

forced  population  displacement, 

  Political developments/ Relevant developments: non-violent activities which 
are  to  some  degree  related  to  conflict  situations,  such  as  statements, 
announcements,  agreements,  meetings,  policies,  strikes,  arrests,  security 
measures and other events of strategic significance. 

  Other  

The  classification  of  armed  conflicts  and  events  has  been  adopted  partly  from  the 
Uppsala  Conflict  Data  Program  (UCDP)  and  from  Armed  Conflict  Location  &  Event 
Data Project ACLED.  

Geo-localization of events 

An event is geo-localized according to the location in which it takes place. In case geo-
localization  of  the  event  proves  difficult,  especially  considering  “Political  and  relevant 

Page | 30  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
developments”,  the  location  will  be  limited  to  the  general  geographic  area  (“Region”) 
according  to  the  broad  topic  and  regional  context  it  refers  to.  If  the  event  cannot  be 
specifically  localized,  but  clearly  relates  to  a  national  context,  then  its  location  is 
associated  with  the  national  capital  of  the  state  in  question.  Other  relevant  details 
regarding  the  nature  of  the  event  can  be  provided  in  “Keywords”  with  appropriate 
hashtags. 

The UN Geoscheme for regional and sub-regional country division is adopted. 

o  Western Europe (weu) 
o  Southern Europe (seu) 
o  Northern Europe (neu) 
o  Eastern Europe (eeu) 
o  Latin America and the Caribbean (lac) 
o  Northern American (nam) 
o  Northern Africa (naf) 
o  Eastern Africa (eaf) 
o  Western Africa (waf) 
o  Central Africa (caf) 
o  Southern Africa (saf) 
o  Central Asia (cas) 
o  Eastern Asia (eas) 
o  South-Eastern Asia (seas) 
o  Southern Asia (sas) 
o  Western Asia (Middle East) (me) 

Actor types (“Actor 1/2 type”) and named actors (“Actor 1/2”) 

Two fields are dedicated to each of both actors: one related to the actor type and one to 
specify the named actor, for a total of four fields. If  more than two actors participate in 
the event, they are listed and divided between the fields associated to Actor 1 and Actor 
2,  according  to  the  function  and  role  they  played  while  taking  part  in  the  event. 
Especially in  the  case  of  violent  confrontations,  in  fact,  “Actor  1”  is  associated  with  the 
perpetrator,  while  “Actor  2”  with  the  target.  The  opposite  occurs  when  considering 
“Political  and  relevant  developments”  –  especially  in  the  case  of  official  statements  – 
where  often  times  the  nature  of  the  non-violent  events  they  describe  translates  in  the 
absence of a second actor. 

  Government and state security forces 
  International  organizations:  EU,  NATO,  UN,  etc.  and  related  military  forces 

and missions (where applicable). 

  Armed groups: these include armed groups in general as well as armed political 
movements  and 
terrorist  organizations  (rebel  groups,  militant  groups, 
paramilitary  forces,  militias  and  unidentified  armed  groups).  The  decision  to 
group  these  different  actors  under  one  broad  category  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
there is no official and univocal classification for each armed group, and at times 
classifications vary upon political considerations, creating therefore inconsistency 
throughout  the  database.  The  names  of  the  groups,  where  possible,  are  to  be 
kept  in  their  national  language  rather  than  translated.  Additionally,  if  a  group  is 
active  in  more  than  a  country  with  a  different  organization,  the  name  of  the 
country  should  be  included  in  brackets  in  the  field  of  the  named  actor  that  is 
“Actor 1” and “Actor 2” [e.g. Isis (Libya).  

  Rioters/  Protesters:  nationality,  membership  organization  or  association, 

specifics of protesters in brackets 

  Civilians  (including  representatives  of  political  parties  and  social  movements): 
the  nationality  of  civilians  is  included  in  brackets  in  the  field  of  the  actor  type 
[e.g. Civilians (Iraq)]. The field of the named actor, in this case, is to be filled in 

Page | 31  

 
 
 
 
 
 
case the civilian population in question is part of a minority, ethnic group or part 
of a social/political movement [e.g. Civilians (Myanmar); Hindus]. 

  Other 

3.3. Expansion of the information source database 

As  previously  explained  and  illustrated  in  table  2,  GCA  maps  draw  information  from 
wide-ranging  type  of  sources.  However,  as  we  come  across  new  datasets  or  tools 
relevant to our work, those are added to a shared Excel sheet. The internal database so 
created  divides  new  sources  by  their  main  topic  of  reference.  For  example,  free  online 
tool  like  the  Aquasat,  FAO’s  Global  Water  Information  System,  provides  figures  and 
spatial data about water resources and use at country level. This information becomes of 
critical  importance  if  we  are  to  design,  for  instance,  a  map  highlighting  areas  where 
water  resources  are  scarce;  a  condition  that  could  possibly  trigger  the  outbreak  of  a 
crisis. Annex 1 reports the information source database compiled by GCA analysts. 

Page | 32  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.  Future  directions:  toward  an  innovative  approach  to  tackling 

conflicts 

4.1. Where are we heading to? 

The  Joint  Research  Centre  supports  policy  makers  by  providing  evidence-based 
knowledge  to  understand,  predict  and  possibly  prevent  conflicts  risks.  Against  this 
background,  GCA  maps  add  a  further  level  of  analysis  (i.e.  geospatial  analysis)  that 
enables  policymakers  to  better  address  risk  associated  with  conflicts  and  crises.  To 
explore  new  areas  of  crisis  and  conflict  risk  prevention  and  management,  allowing  for 
different  analytical  perspectives,  disciplines  and  methodologies,  the  emergence  of  an 
innovative approach to peace research is required. 

Peace  innovation  is  an  emerging  discipline  of  study  (Miklian  and  Hoelscher,  2018)  that 
not  only  leverages  on  new  technologies  for  peace-building  activities  but  also  invites  to 
think  creatively  on  how  to  build  a  society  that  is  more  inclusive  and  geared  toward 
conflict resolution through peaceful instruments.  

This chapter is set to draw the roadmap toward a new vision of conflict risk management 
and  prevention.  This  vision  is  embedded  in  and  manifested  through  the  Science4peace 
portal and project. 

The backdrop of this vision consists of three main pillars: 

  Being  integrated:  This  vision  brings  together  spatial  data,  statistical 
methods  and  composite  models  and  integrates  them  to  build  a  meaningful 
picture of the conflict risk dynamics. Data in multiple formats and referring to 
different timescales (e.g. past historical trends, present structural conditions, 
and future predictive models) feeds into this vision. Figure 12 below describes 
the different levels at which data, methodologies and analyses are integrated. 

  Being  multidisciplinary:  This  vision  combines  and  integrates  knowledge 
from different disciplines.  This, while recognizing that conflict  risk prevention 
and  management  requires  a  holistic  approach  that  fits  the  complexity  of  the 
conflict dynamics and root causes.  

  Being  inclusive:  This  vision  remains  open  to  new  developments,  inputs 
and  perspectives  although  preserving  a  fundamental  set  of  values  and 
principles  at  its  core.    Theoretical  and  empirical  knowledge  suggests  that 
inclusive,  cohesive  and  equitable  growth  is  an  essential  element  for  peace-
building (OECD, 2018). For this reason, the roadmap to our vision for conflict 
risk prevention cannot be anything but inclusive.  

4.2. Why do we need this vision?  

This vision recognizes the inherent complexity of tackling conflict risk dynamics and root 
causes.  It  acknowledges  that  intertwined  events,  actors  and  contextual  elements  feeds 
into the emergence, development and resolution of conflictive situations.  

Page | 33  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Integrated 
Timescales

• past
• present
• future

Integrated 
Data Types

•vector data
•numerical 
data
• historical 
data

Integrated 
Data 
Formats

• maps
• models
• texts
• videos
• shapefile
• charts 

Integrated 
Disciplines

•statistics
•geography
•international 
relations 
• conflict and 
peace 
studies
•fragility 
studies

Integrated 
Analyses 

•regression 
analysis
•historical 
analysis
•comparative 
analysis
•foresight 
analysis

Integrated 
Methods

•qualitative 
methods
•quantitative 
methods 
•mixed 
methods

INTEGRATED 

MULTIDISCIPLINARY 

INCLUSIVE 

Figure 12: The vision embedded in and manifested through the Science4Peace project 

Thus, this vision is needed in order to: 

  Analyse.  Conflict  analysis  is  a  powerful  instrument  for  understanding  and 
managing  conflicts.  It  includes  an  in-depth  exploration  of  conflict  causes,  of  the 
position,  interests  and  needs  of  intervening  stakeholders.  It  sheds  light  on 
contextual  elements  and  dynamics  driving  the  conflict’s  evolution  over  the  time. 
In  view  of  such  complex  analysis,  an  integrated,  multidisciplinary  and  inclusive 
approach is a requirement.  

  Predict The Global Conflict Risk Index (GCRI) developed by JRC already embeds 
in  -house  conflict  prediction  capacities  at  country/year.  However,  in  order  to 
increase predictive performance, modeling tools need to integrate data, analyses 
and  methodologies  at  various  levels  and  geographical  scales  and  as  such, 
incorporate inputs from various knowledge domains or actors. 

  Support.  Analysis  and  prediction  efforts  all  flow  into  the  support  to 
policymaking  and  peace-building  activities.  As  an  example,  JRC  is  actively 
supporting  the  assessment  of  urban  functionality  in  conflict-torn  cities  in  Syria, 
alongside  other  humanitarian  actors.  This  project  contributes  to  positioning  the 
EU as a global leader in post-conflict recovery frameworks and to fulfilling one of 

Page | 34  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the  President  Juncker  priorities  of  the  European  Union,  namely  to  support 
peaceful  and  inclusive  societies  in  its  role  in  the  global  context  (EU  as  a  global 
actor).  

4.3. What do we need to implement this vision? 

To implement the vision for a new crisis mapping service we need on one hand content 
management  innovations  to  enable  the  cross-fertilization  of  data  and  information  from 
different  domains  or  geographical  scales,  as  well  as  on  the  other  hand,  we  need  to 
change the sectorial way of handling data for risk prevention, as separate from those on 
crisis  mapping  or  post-conflict  assessment,  hence  from  project-based  knowledge 
production toward one that is more integrated, multidisciplinary and inclusive. 

In the subsections below, we describe some of the technical improvements that the GCA 
analysts  are  working  on  to  deliver  the  vision  just  described.  We  envisage  that  the 
implementation of each of these  steps will bring us a bit closer to the final objective of 
adopting and incorporating a new approach toward the anticipation, comprehension and 
settling of global conflicts and crises.  

4.3.1. GCA dynamic interface 

An important improvement we aim to achieve is the development of an interactive and 
dynamic  interface  for  GCA  maps.  The expansion of web technology over the past decade 
has opened up a number of opportunities to presenting data online. One of the most rapidly 
improving  tools  for  interactive  presentation  is  the  map.  Interactive  maps  on  the 
Internet display  data  more  effectively  than  print  maps  because  they  embed  the 
function  to  call  the  user  to  action.  Several  methods  can  be  implemented  in  order  to 
visualise  a  crisis  or  conflict  interactively.  Some  methods  allow  visualising  a  conflict  by  its 
temporal evolution with the ultimate objective to render evident the elements that drive 
the rise,  evolution and resolution of conflicts and crises. Examples  of  dynamic interface 
features are the following: 

  CONFLICT DYNAMIC:  

o  Show the evolution of a conflict / crisis over time where the user can select one or 

more time periods and perform comparative analyses.  

o  To assign spatial attributes to the news collected in the weekly situation maps  in 
order  to  make  them  available  as  an  additional  source  of  information,  and  as  a 
historical archive of the “story” of the conflict. 

  INTERACTIVE MAP COMPOSER:  

o  Customization of geospatial layers' visibility.  
o  Customization of geospatial layers' symbolism. 
o 
o  Pop-up menus/windows of layers' attributes. 

Implementation of an editing tool. 

This feature is expected to be used for policy and planning cycles not only related to conflicts 
or  crises,  but  also  for  recovery  and  reconstruction  frameworks  as  well  as  to  portray  the 
location (regions, districts, and place) of EU investments. 

  GIS-BASED FUNCTIONALITY:  

Page | 35  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
o 

Implement  functionalities  for  editing  geospatial  spatial  relationships  between  the 
layers.  For  example,  a  tool  that  can  measure  distance  between  two  points  of 
interest could be helpful for rapid evacuation plans in case of crisis or emergency.  

  MEDIA INTEGRATION:  

o  Complement  the  content  of  a  map  with  media  information  (video,  pictures,  and 

social media feeds) and/or with graphic elements as charts. 

We  aim  to  implement  one  or  more  of  these  features  most  likely  in  a  combined  fashion. 
These features will consent to realise a number of objective such as: 

1.  The  comparison  of  temporal  dynamics  of  crisis  and  conflicts,  thus  connecting  different 
timescales as envisaged in our vision and visualising the effects of temporal dependencies. 

2. The exploration of spatial dependencies and of the interaction between contexts, events 
and people. This allows seeing the conflict or crisis as resultant from the crossing effects of 
human actions and socioeconomic and geopolitical factors.  

3.  An  interactive  map  allows  to  “play”  with  the  dataset  on  which  the  map  is  based  and 
perform  diverse  analyses,  aggregating  or  disaggregating  data  at  various  levels  and  using 
simultaneously multiple methodologies of analysis.  

4.3.2. GCA story maps as a learning tool for conflict risk prevention 

Once that the GCA dynamic interface has been fully designed and implemented, we can 
explore  new  ways  of  interacting  with  maps,  therefore  the  backend  design  must  flexibly 
allow  for  additional  functionalities  to  emerge.  One  of  the  possible  applications  of  GCA 
maps  is  conflict  risk  prevention  through  peace  education.  Educating  to  peace  means  to 
raise  awareness  on  conflicts  risks  and  conflict  drivers  so  that  people  can  better 
understand the underlying motivations and learn lessons from the past.  

There  are  many  ways  to  tell  a  story.  Maps  are  simple  and  engaging  instruments  to 
visualise  places,  locations,  people  and  relationships  and  tell  complex  stories.  These 
stories  can  serve  different  purposes  such  as  to  supply  information,  inspire  change, 
engage  the  user  in  an  initiative  or  project.  Currently  story  maps  make  great  use  of 
technology advancements and integrate multi-source and multi-format contents such 
as  written  texts,  videos  and  images.  Story  maps  usually  provide  much  additional 
functionality  to  explore  and  interact  with  the  content  on  the  map.  Interactive  story 
maps  are  a  powerful  learning  tool.  A  map  user  is  no  longer  only  a  recipient  of  the 
information but  also an active map producer;  s/he can actively decide  which content 
to visualise and the modes and times of visualisation. 

The  European  Commission  has  recently  released  a  set  of  interactive  maps  to  inform 
about the many initiatives related to cultural heritage in Europe. This online tool mixes 
up  narrative  texts,  hyperlinks,  geographical  information,  videos  and  info  graphics  to 
raise awareness on the importance of cultural heritage in the European context. 

Box 5: Maps as a storytelling and learning tool. 

Nowadays, thanks to the advancements in information and communication technologies, 
educational  material  is  conveyed  through  a  multimedia  and  multi-format  fashion.  For 
instance, the same information can be communicated in the form of a narrative text, an 
audio  interview  or  a  video  presentation.  Story  maps  collapse  multiple  information 

Page | 36  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
sources  and  formats  into  one  place  and  enable  the  user  to  explore  a  certain  topic  by 
considering  also  its  geographical  determinants.  For  this  reason,  a  story  map  is  a 
particularly  suitable  instrument  to  understand  and  study  conflict  risk.  As  previously 
discussed,  the  GCA  is  currently  intended  as  an  instrument  for  technical  experts  to 
understand  critical  (and  potentially  critical)  situations  by  visualizing  actors,  events, 
relationships  and  assets  on  a  map,  in  the  outbreak  or  unfolding  of  a  crisis  or  conflict. 
Naturally, map information may be sensitive and subject to access restrictions.  

A  GCA  story  map  may  not  only  allow  for  thinking  differently  at  how  conflict  and  crisis 
data  can  be  harnessed  and  visualized,  but  would  also  enable  combination  of  diverse 
expertise and knowledge spheres in a multidisciplinary way. 

4.3.3. Automation of data injection into the Conflict news database 

As  explained  in  chapter  3,  the  news  derived  from  the  EEAS  Headlines  newsletter  are 
selected  and  injected  manually  into  our  database  by  the  GCA  analysts.  However  new 
opportunities  for  using  artificial  intelligence  for  data  and  text  mining  have  become 
available. As a result, we are considering automating the process of data extraction and 
selection from the Headline newsletter and data injection into GCA news database. This 
procedure  will  expedite  the  processing  and  digestion  of  a  large  volume  of  data,  freeing 
up resources to develop new functionalities and making available to GCA analysts filtered 
data to prepare the GCA maps. The figure 15 below shows the process of automation of 
data injection. 

Figure 13: process steps of automation of data injection. 

Another  advantage  of  automation  is  that  neural  networks  can  learn  to  recognise  the 
topics  of  interests  as  they  are  highlighted  in  the  EEAS  newsletter.  Starting  from  this, 
they  can  be  asked  to  expand  the  core  information  with  additional  data  taken  from  a 
variety  of  sources.  As  a  result,  the  information  is  augmented  and  reported  back  to  EU 
policymakers who can use it to take critical decisions. In other terms, rather than waiting 

Page | 37  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
for  a  specific intelligence  request  to  be  sent  by  EEAS  or  FPI  in  response  to  a  critical  or 
potentially  critical  situation,  the  GCA  can  provide  tailored  information  proactively.    The 
potential  benefits  of  such  service  in  terms  of  usability  and  richness  of  information  are 
enormous.  

Figure 14: How machine learning can enhance information provided to our end user. 

This is an example of good practice in the execution of the new crisis mapping paradigm: 
implementing  data  integration  and  multiple  analyses  proactively,  to  anticipate  policy 
requests. 

Page | 38  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Conclusions and outlook 

Our  work  is  informed  by  the  five  values  of  the  JRC  strategy  2030:  integrity, 
accountability, openness, inclusiveness and innovation. The vision described in chapter 4 
and exemplified through the Science4Peace portal enacts these values: 

1.  It  strives  to  deliver  on  our  commitments  toward  FPI/EEAS  and  provides 
thoughtful  strategic  follow-up.  The  adoption  of  the  mentioned  vision,  not  only 
allow us to improve the crisis mapping service but also to support policymakers in 
the delivery of more impactful policies for Stability and Peace. (Accountability) 

2.  Our  vision  is  based  on  principles  of  inclusiveness  and  integration.  We  value 
different approaches and perspectives to established knowledge and we use them 
to improve and innovate the conflict management cycle by integrated information 
management. 

3.  Innovation is the end goal of our vision. We commit to walk through unexplored 

itineraries and search for new means to pursue old and emerging goals. 

In its current form, the Global Crisis Atlas provides a comprehensive picture of crises and 
conflicts  affecting  the  EU  system  more  or  less  directly.  GCA  maps  are  integrated  with 
other  information  packages  and  employed  by  the  External  Action  Service  to  design 
strategies, establish priorities and take decisions. Every map is purposefully designed to 
meet  a  specific  intelligence  request,  wherein  the  geographical  element  is  considered 
critical  for  the  understanding  of  the  situation  and  to  foresee  possible  implications  of 
critical  events.  Conflicts  and  crises  have  an  inherent  geographical  nature  because  the 
connections  and  interactions  between  people,  places  and  objects  determine  the 
dynamics of their onset and occurrence.  Global Crisis Atlas taps into the advancements 
of  Geographical  Information  System  Mapping  and  the  vast  availability  of  open  data 
online and combines these two sources into a meaningful way. As a result, geographical 
information  are  enriched  and  made  more  easily  interpretable  by  adding  non-
geographical information from open sources. 

The last two chapters of this report describe our efforts toward service improvement and 
innovation.  Nowadays  the  rapid  evolution  and  increasing  complexity  of  crises  and 
conflicts  requires  that  technologies,  methods  and  knowledge  approaches  adapt 
accordingly.  The  Science4Peace  portal,  for  example,  originates  from  the  need  to  take 
advantage  and  combine  our  expertise  in  using  composite  statistical  models  and 
geospatial  technologies  for  conflict  risk  prevention  and  management.  This  approach  is 
well  suited  to  the  multidisciplinary  and  multi-faceted  nature  of  conflict  studies.    On  the 
same line, the development of an internal news database and the automation of the data 
processing  has  the  objective  to  improve  service  delivery  in  terms  of  amount,  type  and 
level  of  interconnectedness  of  the  data  provided  to  our  end  users.  This  enhancement 
brings  along  benefits  in  the  way  in  which  crises  and  conflicts  can  be  understood, 
anticipated  and  tackled  by  European  policymakers.  On  a  final  note,  we  like  to  consider 
ourselves as partners in knowledge production, management and utilisation. This means 
that we are not only providers of knowledge on-demand but we work closely with policy 
makers to better understand the potential impacts of future trends on our society and in 
finding the most appropriate responses.  

Page | 39  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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List of abbreviation and definition 

This section aims to clarify the meaning of key terms used throughout the report. 

GCA: Global Crisis Atlas 

JRC: Joint Research Centre 

EEAS: European External Action Service 

FPI: Service for Foreign Policy Instrument 

Critical  situation/event:  it  refers  to  a  situation  or  event  in  which  the  combination  of 
various elements brings to the loss of control over the factors influencing the situation. 
Critical situations or events are prodromal to the outbreak of a crisis.  

Potentially  critical  situation:  a  situation  encompassing  several  elements  that,  if 
combined in specific configurations, might lead to a critical situation/event.  

Crisis:  “A  disruption  that  physically  affect  a  system  as  a  whole  and  threatens  its  basic 
assumptions, its subjective sense of self, and its existential core” (Pauchant and Mitroff, 
1992,  p.  15).  In  order  to  be  defined  as  a  “crisis”,  a  situation  needs  to  hold  certain 
characteristics such as being fluid, instable, dynamic, and (usually) unexpected. A crisis 
can  be  precipitated  by  diverse  events.  In  this  report,  we  focus  on  crises  induced  by 
conflicts or natural hazards (e.g. earthquakes, drought, climate change etc.) (BUGAJSKI, 
2011) 

Conflict:  the  meaning  of  the  term  conflict  varies  widely  depending  on  the  context  of 
reference. In this report, we refer only to armed conflicts, namely a dispute between two 
or more parties involving the use of armed force. There are two types of armed conflicts, 
as defined by ICRC (2008): 

1.  International  armed  conflicts  exist  whenever  there  is  resort  to  armed  force 

between two or more States.  

2.  Non-international  armed  conflicts  are  protracted  armed  confrontations 
occurring between governmental armed forces and the forces of one or more 
armed  groups,  or  between  such  groups  arising  on  the  territory  of  a  State 
[party  to  the  Geneva  Conventions].  The  armed  confrontation  must  reach  a 
minimum level of intensity and the parties involved in the conflict must show 
a minimum of organisation. 

Conflict  Prevention:  Measures  to  avert  violent  conflict  and  put  in  place  the  means  to 
resolve  future  disputes  non-violently.  Strategies  for  prevention  fall into  two  categories: 
operational  prevention,  which  refers  to  measures  applicable  in  the  face  of  immediate 
crisis, and structural prevention, which consists of longer-term measures to ensure that 
crises  do  not  arise  in  the  first  place  or,  if  they  do,  that  they  do  not  recur  (Reliefweb, 
2008). 

Conflict  management:  it  denotes  the  employment  of  practices  and  techniques  to 
handle a conflict in the effort to reduce its adverse impacts. 

Conflict  risk  prevention:  Analyses  and  measures  carried  out  to  better  understand 
underlying risks associated with the outbreak of conflicts and crises and to address these 
risks. 

Conflict  risk  management:  Measure  and  techniques  put  in  place  to  address  and 
manage  the  risks  associated  with  the  emergence  of  conflicts  and  crises  in  order  to 
minimise their adverse impact (i.e. prevent the outbreak of a crisis) 

Geographic  Information  System  (GIS)  Mapping:  “The  use  of  a  geographic 
information system, a computer-based tool, for risk or hazard mapping. GIS technology 
integrates  database  operations  with  the  geographic  analysis  benefits  offered  by  maps”. 
(Reliefweb, 2008 p 25). 

Page | 43  

 
 
 
 
Hazard: A process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, injury or 
other health impacts, property damage, social and economic disruption or environmental 
degradation. Hazards may be natural, anthropogenic or socio-natural in origin (UNISDR, 
2017). 

Prevention: Activities to provide  outright avoidance  of the adverse impacts  of hazards 
and  means  to  minimize  related  environmental,  technological  and  biological  disasters. 
(Reliefweb, 2008) 

Geospatial  intelligence  (GEOINT):  “exploitation  and  analysis  of  imagery  and 
geospatial  information  to  describe,  assess,  and  visually  depict  physical  features  and 
geographically  referenced  activities  on  the  earth”  (US  National  Geospatial  Agency, 
2018).  

Open  source  intelligence:    exploitation  of  information  supplied  by  publicly  available 
sources  (e.g.  the  Internet,  traditional  media  outlets,  conference  proceedings  and  think 
thank studies) to derive insights into topics of interest. 

Situational  awareness:  “the  perception  of  the  elements  in  the  environment  within  a 
volume  of  time  and  space,  the  comprehension  of  their  meaning  and  the  projection  of 
their  status  in  the  near  future”  (Endsley,  1995).  In  more  operational  terms,  situational 
awareness allows one to understand the elements influencing a situation in the present 
ad in the future. 

Page | 44  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
List of figures 

Figure 1: From diverse information streams to a structured GCA map .......................... 5 

Figure 2: Path and steps from current to improved GCA service and product ................ 6 

Figure 3: The decision making process and the role of situational awareness .............. 12 

Figure 4: Components of a conflict map ................................................................. 14 

Figure  5:  Science4peace  web  interface.  On  the  right,  the  interface  displays  the  list  of 

recent tweets on Conflicts and the same events are geo-located on the map interface. 15 

Figure  6:  Trends  in  violent  events  and  fatalities  in  Yemen  from  June  2017  until  June 

2018. ................................................................................................................ 16 

Figure 7: Visualisation of data by filters, Science4peace website ............................... 16 

Figure 8: Users of the Global Crisis Atlas portal (as at September 2018) .................... 20 

Figure 9: The Intelligence Cycle. From intelligence request to the GCA intelligence output

......................................................................................................................... 21 

Figure 10: The homepage of the Science4Peace Portal ............................................. 27 

Figure 11: The section of GCA within the Science4Peace portal ................................. 28 

Figure 12: The vision embedded in and manifested through the Science4Peace project 34 

Figure 13: process steps of automation of data injection. ......................................... 37 

Figure 14: How machine learning can enhance information provided to our end user. .. 38 

Page | 45  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
List of tables 

Table  1:  Type  of  information  sources  monitored  by  the  GCA  analysts  to  populate  the 

maps ................................................................................................................. 22 

Table 2: Evaluation of GCA functionalities against common features of crisis and conflict 

mapping tools ..................................................................................................... 26 

List of boxes 

Box 1: Advantages of Using Mapping to visualise Crisis- and Conflict-Related Data ...... 10 

Box 2: Examples of crisis and conflict mapping projects ........................................... 11 

Box 3: Why the Global Crisis Atlas? ....................................................................... 19 

Box 4: Example of request ................................................................................... 23 

Box 5: Maps as a storytelling and learning tool. ...................................................... 36 

Page | 46  

 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEXES 

ANNEX 1. Not exhaustive list of information sources for GCA maps. 

Page | 47  

NameLink PurposeCIA Mapshttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/cia-maps-publications/index.htmlBaseline mapsNationsonlinehttps://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/index.htmBaseline mapsJRC Earth Observation Datahttps://cidportal.jrc.ec.europa.eu/imagearchive/Baseline mapsEzilon Mapshttps://www.ezilon.com/maps/Baseline mapsLibrary of Congresshttps://www.loc.gov/Baseline mapsACLEDhttps://www.acleddata.com/dashboard/Conflict/generalSouthfronthttps://southfront.org/Conflict/generalalmasdarnewshttps://mobile.almasdarnews.com/Conflict/generalAntiwar.comhttps://original.antiwar.com/Conflict/generalCrisisGrouphttps://www.crisisgroup.org/Conflict/generalGrow (ETH)https://growup.ethz.ch/pfe/ChadConflict/generalGeopoliticalfeatureshttps://geopoliticalfutures.com/Conflict/generalCritical Threatshttps://www.criticalthreats.org/Conflict/generalHumanRightsWatchhttps://www.hrw.org/Conflict/generalInstitute for United Conflict Analystshttps://twitter.com/iucanalysts?lang=itConflict/generalIWNhttps://twitter.com/A7_MirzaConflict/generalLiveUapMaphttps://iraq.liveuamap.com/Conflict/Iraq monitoringPeto Lucemhttps://twitter.com/PetoLucem?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorConflict/Iraq monitoringSouthfront (Iraq)https://southfront.org/category/all-articles/world/middle-east/iraq/Conflict/Iraq monitoringUnIraqhttp://www.uniraq.org/index.php?lang=enConflict/Iraq monitoringMusings on Iraqhttp://musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/Conflict/Iraq monitoringMilitary advisor (Syria expert)https://twitter.com/miladvisorConflict/Syria monitoringLiveUapMaphttps://syria.liveuamap.com/Conflict/Syria monitoringPeto Lucemhttps://twitter.com/PetoLucem?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorConflict/Syria monitoringLe Carabinerhttps://twitter.com/LCarabinierConflict/Syria monitoringArabianIntelhttps://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=35.60281120000002%2C36.98273310000002&z=9&mid=18SR1C6ndDz5d0qzT2qYQ34FaQJ0Conflict/Syria monitoringsyriahrhttp://www.syriahr.com/en/Conflict/Syria monitoringInstitute for the study of the warhttp://iswresearch.blogspot.com/Conflict/Syria monitoringAssistance Coordination Unithttps://www.acu-sy.org/en/#Conflict/Syria monitoringSuriyakhttps://twitter.com/suriyakmaps?lang=enConflict/Syria monitoringSyria Civil War Maphttps://syriancivilwarmap.com/Conflict/Syria monitoringHumanitarianaccessteam.orghttps://humanitarianaccessteam.org/user/loginConflict/Syria monitoringAgathocle de Syracusehttp://www.agathocledesyracuse.com/Conflict/Syria monitoringGlobal Energy Network Institutehttp://www.geni.org/globalenergy/library/national_energy_grid/index.shtml Global Atlas/energy gridPopulationpyramidhttps://www.populationpyramid.netGlobal Atlas/population indicatorsUN Population Divisionhttp://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/Global Atlas/population indicatorsCitypopulationhttps://www.citypopulation.de/Global Atlas/population indicatorsWorld Bank https://data.worldbank.org/indicatorGlobal Atlas/socio-economic indicatorsThe Global Economyhttps://www.theglobaleconomy.com/index_api.phpGlobal Atlas/socio-economic indicatorsInternational Monetary Fundhttps://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2018/01/weodata/weoselser.aspx?c=156&t=1Global Atlas/socio-economic indicatorsKnoemahttps://knoema.com/Global Atlas/socio-economic indicatorsWorld Trade Organisationhttps://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/natl_e.pdfGlobal Atlas/socio-economic indicatorsAQUASTAThttp://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/data/query/index.html?lang=en Global Atlas/water and land resourcesHumanitarian Data Exchangehttps://data.humdata.org/Humanitarian/DRRPreventionwebhttps://www.preventionweb.net/countries/pri/data/Humanitarian/DRRReliefwebhttps://reliefweb.int/Humanitarian/DRRHumanitarianResponsehttps://www.humanitarianresponse.info/Humanitarian/DRRReach-Initiativewww.reach-initiative.org/mapsHumanitarian/DRRFarsNewshttp://en.farsnews.com/Media monitoringNewsnowhttp://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/?utm_source=newsnow&utm_campaign=domains&utm_medium=web&utm_content=newsnow.co.ukMedia monitoringEuronewshttps://www.euronews.com/Media monitoringReutersMedia monitoringInternational Organisation for Migrationhttp://migration.iom.int/europe/Migration monitoringEU HOME Affairs (borders)http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen/reintroduction-border-control/index_en.htmMigration monitoringEU HOME Affairs (relocation)http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-migration/press-material/docs/state_of_play_-_relocation_en.pdfMigration monitoringCruscotto Statistico Giornaliero (Italy) http://www.libertaciviliimmigrazione.dlci.interno.gov.it/it/documentazione/statistica/cruscotto-statistico-giornaliero Migration monitoringUNHCRhttp://data.unhcr.org/mediterranean/regional.php Migration monitoringDTM_IOM https://twitter.com/DTM_IOMMigration monitoringEurostathttps://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Asylum_quarterly_reportMigration monitoringRepublic of Turkey- Ministry of Interior. Directorate General of Migration Managementhttp://www.goc.gov.tr/icerik/migration-statistics_915_1024Migration monitoringUS Dept Defensehttps://www.defense.gov/National politicsMinistero de Politica Territorial y Funcion Publica- Gobierno de Easpanahttp://www.seat.mpr.gob.es/portal/delegaciones_gobierno/delegaciones/ceuta/actualidad/notas_de_prensa.htmlNational politics 
 
 
 
ANNEX 2. Example of maps by category. 

BASELINE MAP 

The  map  shows  the  main  dams  (operational,  proposed  and  under  construction)  in  the 

Nile  basin  extent  plus  the  contribution  to  Nile  flow  from  White  and  Blue  Nile,  Atbarah, 

Bahr el Ghazal and Sobat rivers. This map has been requested by EEAS Situation Room 

as ad-hoc Red Product. 

Page | 48  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONFLICT MAP 

The map shows the controlled area in Iraq country and the main conflicts events for the 

monitored  week.  This  map  is  updated  every  week  and  annexed  to  the  Red  Product, 

distributed by EU Situation Room of the EEAS. 

Page | 49  

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
POLICY MAP 

The  map  shows  the  distribution  of  the  EU  funded  projects  in  Syria  by  sectors  at 

Governorate, sub-district or city level. This kind of map is requested on-demand, in this 

case by the EU Delegation of Syria. 

Page | 50  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NATURAL HAZARD MAP 

The  map  shows  the  detailed  damage  assessment  carried  out  by  JRC  after  the  strong 

earthquake  that  hit  Haiti  in  January  2010.  The  assessment  covers  the  commune  of 

Leogane.  

Page | 51  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SECURITY THREATS MAP 

The map displays key information to understand stability challenges  and possible areas 

in  need  of  EU  intervention  such  as  number  of  inhabitants  at  administrative  level, 

migratory routes, migrants’ transit areas, main conflicts in the region and location of EU 

mission. This map has been requested by PRISM (conflict Prevention, Peace building and 

Mediation) division of the CSDP and Crisis Response. 

Page | 52  

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THEMATIC MAP 

The  map  shows  the  socio-economic  situation  in  Tunisia,  as  the  percentage  of  GDP 

growth,  GDP  per  capita  and  Remittances  in  the  last  7  years.  The  total  inflation  rate  at 

country  level  since  2010  and  total unemployment  rate  at  Governorate  level  are  as  well 

displayed. This map has been requested by EEAS Situation Room as ad-hoc Red Product. 

Page | 53  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MIGRANTS AND REFUGEE MAP 

The map portrays key information about the Rohingya refugee crisis including location of 

villages  burned  out,  new  settlements  and  refugee  camps.  It  also  reports  the  trends  of 

the exodus in Co’x Bazar district in Bangladesh. This map has been requested by  EEAS 

Situation Room as ad-hoc Red Produced.  

Page | 54  

 
 
 
 
 
Page | 55  

 GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE EU In person All over the European Union there are hundreds of Europe Direct information centres. You can find the address of the centre nearest you at: https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en On the phone or by email Europe Direct is a service that answers your questions about the European Union. You can contact this service: - by freephone: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (certain operators may charge for these calls), - at the following standard number: +32 22999696, or - by electronic mail via: https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en FINDING INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU Online Information about the European Union in all the official languages of the EU is available on the Europa website at: https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en EU publications You can download or order free and priced EU publications from EU Bookshop at: https://publications.europa.eu/en/publications. Multiple copies of free publications may be obtained by contacting Europe Direct or your local information centre (see https://europa.eu/european-union/contact_en).  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ISBN 978-92-79-98275-0