Our Mapper of the Month for August 2025 is Arnold Nkwabong from Cameroon. Arnold is part of the OSM ENSTP community and has been a UN Mapper since 2022. He is our top contributor for the UN Mappers x FAO Agricultural Waterways Mapping in Southern Mauritania Project 2 - he mapped around 440km of waterways and 105 km² of farmland areas.
Arnold shares about how he began his journey and mapping everyday to advance his skills in open mapping, and his motivation to actively contribute to generating open data that can be used to improve lives. Read our interview below:
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Njilla Nkwabong Jessy Arnold, and I am from Cameroon. I am currently in the final year of my Master’s degree in Topography & Land Survey at the National Advanced School of Public Works in Yaoundé. My main areas of interest are GIS, Earth Observation, and Cartography. Beyond my studies, I enjoy playing basketball, engaging in board games, and spending time mapping.
How did you know about UN Mappers?
In April 2022, I took part in an online training on Humanitarian and Participatory Mapping organized by the UN Maps team. That training marked the beginning of my journey in the OpenStreetMap ecosystem. I would like to highlight the invaluable support of Severin Menard, whom I consider my mentor in OSM. He not only trained me to become a good mapper but also inspired me to truly enjoy mapping. His guidance and encouragement have been a constant source of motivation for me.
How was your experience in mapping and contributing to the agricultural waterways mapping project? Are there any new learnings or experience you found interesting?
During the UN Mappers x FAO Agricultural Waterways Mapping Challenge, the objective was to map canals and farmlands for all assigned tasks using Esri World Imagery. This is exactly what I focused on, but i also mapped rivers, as they are one of my prefered features of interest. I used JOSM, my preferred editor, as usual because of its completeness and the advanced tools it offers. This challenge allowed me to sharpen my mapping skills while contributing to a project with real-world agricultural and environmental relevance.
When do you map?
I usually dedicate some time to mapping every day whenever I have free time. During emergencies or mapping competitions, I can map for up to five hours a day for the entire duration of the project.
In which countries do you map the most?
I map most often in my home country, Cameroon, followed by Somalia, Mauritania, Ethiopia, and Uganda.
Why do you enjoy mapping? What are your motivations?
I am deeply passionate about mapping and contributing to open data. I know that many communities face natural hazards that can lead to disasters and humanitarian challenges, and through cartography, I can help by producing valuable data that organizations use to make informed decisions and improve lives. As Hajar from TomTom often says, every effort counts and can make a difference, so I always make myself available to contribute and be part of the process.
Beyond its humanitarian impact, mapping also allows me to virtually explore different parts of the world, discovering their landscapes and lifestyles. Mapping has become not only a passion but also a truly enjoyable hobby.
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Would you like to collaborate with us?
We are happy to host mapping activities with the community! Feel free to contact us for collaboration proposals and invitations through social media or by email: un.mappers@un.org