Engaging local university students in participatory mapping for heat resilience to electrify health facilities in Africa

Purpose Reliable power in health facilities is crucial for cooling technologies, refrigeration of medicines, preventative care during extreme heat waves and effective health-care responses. Yet, data on clinical sites and the status of electrification remains incomplete and inaccurate in many locations across the globe, particularly in regions where reliable power supply is needed the most. This study aims to explore the viability of our design approach for leveraging the engagement of local university students to fill in the data gap on fundamental geographic information, to locate health-care facilities, and to ascertain their operational and electrification status. Design/methodology/approach YouthMappers, a multi-university, international participatory mapping network, developed novel training, technology protocols and fieldwork campaigns involving 75 students and faculty from ten universities. The location and electrification status of health-care facilities was validated and new street-level imagery was captured. Findings The study confirmed that students were able to add critical data for future infrastructure planning. A subset of sites was analyzed with a spatial optimization methodology. Health facilities were prioritized as potential sites for cooling centers to serve populations that are most vulnerable and exposed to extreme heat in urban areas of Nigeria. The pilot reports on learning outcomes for students, including knowledge gained and skills acquired. It reflects on educational and community engagement benefits of participation. Originality/value This experience highlights the potential for open participatory mapping technologies and methodologies in climate action within higher education networks like YouthMappers. It showcases how student engagement can address real-world challenges while fostering collaboration and leadership capacity among youth across universities.