Dr. Thapa works at ICIMOD and leads the Group on Land Use Land Cover Change and Ecosystem Services, Geospatial Solutions Theme and the Capacity Development Programme of SERVIR-HKH (NASA-USAID) Initiative, MENRIS Regional Programme. His researches focus on monitoring and assessment of terrestrial environments including forest, agriculture, urban, and disasters thematic areas and capacity development. He empowers people to use emerging Earth observation and geospatial technologies for making evidence-based decisions to protect the pulse of the planet. He is an active member of Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Capacity Development Working Group and has over twenty years work experience across various Asian countries including Japan, Thailand, and the HKH region. Prior to joining ICIMOD, he served at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). He was also a visiting professor at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. He holds a PhD in Geoenvironmental Science, MSc in Remote Sensing and GIS, and Master Degree in Geography. Recently, SERVIR Global recognized his remarkable contributions and unwavering commitment to capacity development for connecting space to village mission and awarded prestigious SERVIR Award of Excellence.