Prativa Thapa
Prativa Thapa, a third-year Geomatics Engineering student at Kathmandu University, has transformed into a leader in geospatial mapping through passion and dedication. In 2023, she made her mark by winning multiple mapathons, showcasing her skills. By 2024, she earned the prestigious OM Guru Advanced Mapper title and became a trainer, championing inclusive and interdisciplinary mapping across Nepal. Now, in 2025, as the Sole Mapping Lead for GES and President of KU YouthMappers, she leads Nepal’s first-ever Mapping Week under GES.
A first-time speaker at SOTM 2025, she will share her leadership journey and Global South perspective.
thapa prativa
Session
Building a strong and inclusive mapping community requires leadership, collaboration and a vision that aligns with global geospatial initiatives. As an Om Guru Advanced Mapper, Kathmandu University YouthMappers President and Executive Member & Sole Mapping Lead of Geomatics Engineering Society (GES) for tenure 2025, I have worked extensively to expand Nepal’s OpenStreetMap (OSM) ecosystem, integrating engineering students, women and interdisciplinary contributors into mapping projects. My leadership has helped grow female mappers and transform the local community into university-level, being in the geospatial field, focused on women to lead mapping and running monthly campaigns across the country, ensuring greater inclusivity and technical engagement. In April 2025, I single-handedly organized Mapping Week 2025, an open mapping initiative held across Kathmandu University. This program featured 9 distinct open-source mapping applications, more than 12 national and international trainers and a range of community engagement activities including mapathons, quizzes and interactive workshops. The result? A historic rise in female participation and the expansion of mapping interest across university that previously had little exposure to OSM.
My talk focuses on how OpenStreetMap can be a tool for technical training, empowerment, inclusion and leadership development. I will reflect on the process of forming KU YouthMappers, expanding beyond a departmental club into a university-wide, multidisciplinary chapter. I will also explore challenges we faced when breaking academic silos, how we sustained motivation among new mappers and strategies that ensured our efforts aligned with OSMF’s larger mission.
This session will demonstrate building inclusive and gender-aware communities using open tools like ID editors and JOSM. It also aims to show the potential of young leaders, especially women, in shaping the future of mapping movements in underrepresented regions like Nepal. My ultimate goal is to highlight how ‘Women Who Map’ can be pioneers of change both locally and globally.