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As a follow-up to our NASA Lifelines blog on the YouthMappers webinar Harnessing Geospatial Data for Humanitarian Impact with YouthMappers, we are excited to share highlights from the YouthMappers Supper Club Challenge. This global initiative invited chapters to host conversations under the theme “Mapping for Impact: Lessons, Challenges, and Innovations in Humanitarian Mapping.” Students from across the globe came together over food and dialogue to reflect on how geospatial tools can drive resilience in their communities.

In total, five Supper Clubs took place across Nigeria, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Tanzania, drawing nearly 90 participants. Each gathering brought unique perspectives through local experience and connected by shared goals of strengthening disaster preparedness and community resilience through mapping.

Students from Patan Multiple Campus in Nepal explored how their experiences with mapathons connect to humanitarian outcomes. They highlighted how tools like OpenStreetMap, the HOT Tasking Manager, and QGIS enable community-driven data generation. One student, a nurse, described how she applies mapping techniques in health campaigns, while the group reflected on Nepal’s broader vulnerability to earthquakes and glacial lake outburst floods. Their main call to action was greater access to GIS and remote sensing training so young people can contribute to national disaster risk reduction.

At the University of Jos in Nigeria, participants discussed mapping projects that supported flood response along the Benue River and cholera outbreak monitoring. They shared how agencies such as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) rely on accurate geographic data to save lives. The group stressed the importance of collaboration across sectors and that tools like KoboToolbox, when paired with satellite data, can transform response efforts. One participant noted, “Without data, one cannot plan; without a plan, we create more emergencies.”

In Bangladesh, members of Rajshahi University demonstrated advanced applications of satellite data for earthquake damage analysis, forest fire monitoring, urban land subsidence, and river erosion studies. They showcased how InSAR techniques, MODIS imagery, and open-source platforms like QGIS and OpenStreetMap support both disaster response and environmental advocacy. Their creative World Environment Day campaign, where students planted a tree for every 100 features mapped, resulted in over 28,000 map edits and 280 new trees. This showed how digital and environmental action can reinforce each other.

While the innovation was clear, participants also noted common challenges. Many cited gaps in training for advanced tools such as SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), as well as limited access to high-resolution DEMs and L-band radar data. Reliable internet and computing power remain barriers, especially when working with large datasets. Students also pointed out institutional disconnects often. Valuable maps and analyses produced by youth networks are not adopted by government agencies or decision-makers. Bridging these gaps through partnerships, mentorship, and shared data platforms emerged as a recurring theme across all clubs.

The most powerful takeaways were the voices of the students themselves 

Looking ahead, each chapter left their Supper Club with renewed commitments. In Nepal, students plan to map flood-prone areas and develop early warning systems. In Nigeria, participants aim to launch collaborative mapping projects in disaster-prone zones and provide training for local agencies. In Bangladesh, the Rajshahi chapter is advancing climate resilience by mapping waterbodies, drought impacts, and heatwave risks while deepening collaboration with local institutions.

The YouthMappers Supper Club Challenge demonstrates how young leaders around the world are using geospatial data to meet urgent humanitarian needs while connecting with a global community. Their lessons, challenges, and innovations illustrate the potential of mapping when paired with accessible tools, strong partnerships, and common goals.

At NASA Lifelines, we are committed to amplifying these efforts and fostering collaboration. Supper Clubs are just one way to connect knowledge, technology, and community voices. We invite more members and future members of the Lifelines community to join in future dialogue!

Learn more about hosting and participating in Supper Clubs here!