Space Applications Centre (SAC) of ISRO and ATREE Partner to Map India's Grasslands

Key facts

• The Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE).
• The collaboration aims to map India's grasslands and other open natural ecosystems by combining satellite data with ecological field research.
• The partnership will assess the impact of restoration efforts on degraded lands and develop improved methods to estimate above- and below-ground carbon.
• SAC and ATREE will create standardised and scalable approaches to identify and monitor ecosystems such as grasslands, savannas, and deserts.
• The initiative is intended to support land use planning, climate action strategies, conservation efforts, and rural livelihood programmes.
• The partnership aligns with India's commitment to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030.