ISRO SAC and ATREE Sign MoU to Advance Sustainable Land Management in India

New Delhi, April 16, 2026: Space Applications Centre (SAC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) to strengthen collaboration on sustainable land management through the integration of space technology and ecological science.

The partnership will focus on mapping India’s grasslands and other open natural ecosystems, assessing the impact of restoration efforts on degraded landscapes, and improving methodologies for estimating both above- and below-ground carbon. By combining SAC’s capabilities in large-scale geospatial mapping with ATREE’s field-based ecological research, the collaboration aims to generate robust, policy-relevant data.

The initiative is expected to support national and state-level decision-making on land use, climate action, conservation, and rural livelihoods. It also seeks to develop scalable and standardised approaches for identifying and monitoring ecosystems such as grasslands, savannas, and deserts—landscapes that are often underrepresented in policy and planning frameworks.

This collaboration brings together complementary strengths in satellite-based observation and ecological expertise, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of India’s diverse landscapes. It is designed to evolve through continuous knowledge exchange involving researchers, practitioners, and institutions.

Aligned with India’s commitment to achieving Land Degradation Neutrality by 2030 and advancing multiple Sustainable Development Goals, the partnership aims to strengthen conservation and restoration efforts while enhancing ecological resilience.

The MoU marks a step towards integrating ecological integrity with economic development priorities, recognising open natural ecosystems as critical assets for India’s long-term sustainability and climate resilience.