Colombian tech workers built Gravitas map tool for quake relief

In short: A small team in Colombia turned a rural tourism mapping tool into a live earthquake relief map in about 42 hours.

What happened

After the Aug. 10, 2026 earthquake in Colombia, volunteers and officials faced a common problem, too many people trying to help without a shared view of what was needed where. A group of tech workers led by Juan Camilo Garzón built a platform called Gravitas to solve that.

Gravitas did not start as an emergency tool. It was originally made to map rural areas with tourism potential. After the quake, the five-person team adapted it in about 42 hours so it could work like a shared bulletin board on a map (think of pins on Google Maps, but for help requests).

People using Gravitas could report damaged structures and add or find locations for aid centers, shelters, and command posts. They could also report available logistics vehicles, and request things like machinery, food, and tools. The goal was to help avoid two groups showing up with the same supplies in the same place while another neighborhood was left waiting.

Why it matters

In a fast-moving disaster, information can be as important as water or blankets. Tools like Gravitas can help direct help across multiple cities, including Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, and Manizales, by giving responders a shared, up-to-date map of needs.

The response also included broader community mapping efforts. The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team said OpenStreetMap volunteers in Colombia, with support from UN Mappers, were mapping damaged buildings using a task list system called Tasking Manager (a way to split a big mapping job into smaller pieces). Another local web app, ConectaColombia 7.4, also launched to connect victims, volunteers, foundations, and donors through a map of aid points.

Source: NYTimes