UANL Earns Top Honors at UN Open Source Hackathon

Five UANL students have designed a tool that can help prevent the consequences of natural disasters by reducing response times and minimizing negative impacts.

Using a software solution for natural disasters, students from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León won second place at the United Nations Open Source Hackathon.

This is an achievement that goes beyond borders and fills us with pride. It’s a remarkable accomplishment for you, your families, the University, and all of Mexico. Congratulations on making our country proud with your talent!

Santos Guzmán López
UANL President

Ready to use

Professor Sergio Ordóñez explained that the project was developed in response to a challenge issued by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), called Ahead of the Storm, which aims to implement timely aid protocols.

He noted that the UANL students used data analysis and predictive models in their proposal. The tool will enable authorities to make informed decisions about evacuating the population, considering factors such as hospitals, shelters, access to drinking water, transportation routes, and more.

Participants were challenged to develop practical solutions to help reduce UNICEF’s response time—currently up to three days—when addressing events of this kind. We used Haiti as a case study, given its high vulnerability to natural disasters.

With the product we’re presenting, we can identify landslide-prone areas, the likelihood of rain, flood zones, and other risk indicators up to seven days in advance, allowing us to take timely action in the event of a disaster,” said Ordóñez González.

A tool for the future

The United Nations Open Source Hackathon consisted of two phases: one for presenting the proposal, and another for showcasing a working product designed to help minimize the risk to the population and the potential economic impact of a disaster.

“We had about 24 hours to develop this project while competing against people with extensive experience in the field. It was an exciting challenge that allowed us to showcase a tool that will undoubtedly be useful in the future.”

Marcelo Treviño Juárez
UANL Student