Balipara Foundation conducts geospatial training for Assam’s forest frontline staff

The Balipara Foundation, in collaboration with the Assam Forest School, Jalukbari under the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, successfully concluded a four-day capacity-building workshop titled “Field to Map: Hands-on Geospatial Training for Forest Frontline Staff in GPS, GIS, and Spatial Data Analysis Using Freely Available Mapping Applications and Open-Source GIS Tools for Forest Protection and Biodiversity Monitoring.”

The programme, held from August 27 to 30, 2025, brought together frontline forest staff from across Assam, including Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Dhansiri Forest Division, Hailakandi, Doom Dooma and others. The workshop combined practical field exercises with digital learning, equipping participants with the skills to integrate geospatial technology into daily forest protection and biodiversity monitoring tasks.

Participants were trained in using GPS devices, saving waypoints, demarcating transects, calculating areas, and creating habitat maps through freely available platforms such as Google Earth. They also explored mobile-based applications like Mapillary, NoteCAM/Conota Camera and GPS Essentials for data capture and visualization. A dedicated session on Global Forest Watch demonstrated near real-time monitoring tools, while the final segment introduced open-source GIS software QGIS for analyzing spatial data and creating integrated maps to support long-term forest management.

Dimpi Bora, IFS, Director of Assam Forest School, emphasized the importance of the initiative, saying, “Training in GIS and GPS is one of the most sought-after skill sets for frontline forest staff. It is encouraging to see this knowledge being made accessible through practical, hands-on workshops like this.”

The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion and certification ceremony, recognizing the participants for their commitment to enhancing their technical skills. The initiative aligns with Balipara Foundation’s Naturenomics™ vision, which seeks to embed ecological knowledge into economic and community practices while fostering resilient landscapes and empowering communities across the Eastern Himalaya.

Founded in 2007, Balipara Foundation has been working across the Eastern Himalaya to restore forests, empower communities, and build sustainable ecosystems through its Naturenomics™ framework, which integrates ecology with economy.