New Delhi, March 21 The Forest Survey of India (FSI) and Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Saturday to strengthen the use of geospatial technologies, remote sensing, and AI/ML-based tools in forest fire management, wildlife conservation, and decision support systems.
The development took place during the 90th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL), which was chaired by Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav in Dehradun.
The SC-NBWL is a statutory body constituted under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and advises the government on matters relating to the conservation and protection of wildlife and forests.
"During the meeting, the committee considered proposals across sectors such as roads, drinking water supply, transmission lines, defense, irrigation, and other infrastructure," an official said.
The committee also noted the status of key national initiatives relating to species recovery, habitat management, and institutional strengthening.
"The issue of dependence of nomadic and pastoral communities on Protected Areas was also deliberated. The Committee noted the ecological and livelihood linkages of pastoral systems and emphasized the need for balanced approaches for conservation goals while considering traditional practices and socio-economic dependencies," the official said.