Report updated Apr 3, 2026

What Is Hazards and Population Mapper?

Hazards and Population Mapper (HazPop) is a specialized geospatial utility developed by NASA and Columbia University. It enables disaster managers and journalists to visualize real-time natural hazards (fires, earthquakes, pollution) in direct relation to population density and critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants. Its primary value lies in providing rapid situational awareness for humanitarian and public health emergencies, though it is not intended for high-resolution, localized response.

What does it look like?

What are the key features?

Natural Hazard MappingStandard

Visualizes active fires, earthquake alerts, and air pollution data in near real-time.

Population Estimation ServiceDifferentiator

Calculates total population and land area within a user-defined circular radius on the map.

Infrastructure OverlayDifferentiator

Displays locations of major dams and nuclear power plants with facility-specific details.

Proximity SortingStandard

Sorts hazardous events and infrastructure by distance from the user's current location.

Distance MeasurementBasic

Calculates distance between the user's location and map points or between two arbitrary points.

What do users think? iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.

Gathering public signals...

Sentiment analysis will be available once enough user reviews are collected.

What are the pros and cons?

Pros

  • Institutional credibility of NASA and Columbia University
  • Unique Population Estimation Service (PES) utility
  • Integration of real-time hazard data with socioeconomic layers
  • Completely free and open access to scientific data

Cons

  • Product is stale (last updated 2019)
  • Limited to iOS platform only
  • Coarse data resolution limits use for specific local response
  • Low user engagement and rating volume

What is the market outlook?

Growth Opportunities

  • Modernize UI/UX to capture users frustrated by legacy interface
  • Develop an Android version for global humanitarian use
  • Integrate real-time push notifications for hazard alerts
  • Incorporate higher-resolution imagery and demographic data

Market Threats

  • Technical obsolescence due to lack of OS compatibility updates
  • Commercial GIS platforms integrating similar socioeconomic overlays
  • Specialized hazard apps (e.g., fire/quake trackers) offering better real-time features

What are the key takeaways?

Hazards and Population Mapper is a divisive reference app that is completely free. With a 3.3/5 rating from 6 reviews, it receives mixed feedback from users.

Best for: Disaster risk managers, humanitarian response organizations, public health professionals, and journalists requiring rapid assessment of hazardous events.

How much does it cost?

Model: free

Tiers:
Completely free to use with no mentioned in-app purchases or subscription tiers.

The app serves as a public service tool provided by NASA and Columbia University, prioritizing data accessibility over monetization.

iOS Version

2.0

Release Date

Mar 19, 2016

iOS Price

Free

Independent intel to help builders create better apps.

No publisher influence. No third-party bias. Built with objectivity in mind to serve the builder community. Reports are continuously improved and refined. For informational purposes only.

Hope this helps & keep building! · Found an error?

Cite this report

Marlvel.ai. “Hazards and Population Mapper Intelligence Report.” Updated Apr 3, 2026. https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/reference/hazards-and-population-mapper

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