FSI and BISAG-N sign MoU for strengthening use of Geospatial Technologies,

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav, chaired the 90th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL), today in Dehradun. The Committee considered proposals across sectors such as roads, drinking water supply, transmission lines, defence, irrigation, and other infrastructures.
During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Forest Survey of India (FSI) and Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) for strengthening the use of geospatial technologies, remote sensing and AI/ML-based tools in forest fire management, wildlife conservation and decision support systems.
The Committee also discussed conservation of grasslands and rangelands, highlighting their importance for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, dryland resilience and pastoral livelihoods. It was observed that these ecosystems remain under-recognised in planning frameworks and require ecosystem-specific restoration approaches, improved mapping, and integration with national commitments such as Land Degradation Neutrality.

The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife is a statutory body constituted under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and advises the Government on matters relating to conservation and protection of wildlife and forests.(UPDATED ON 21ST MARCH 2026)