FTI launches three-day geospatial training for forest frontline staff

GANGTOK, : Forest Training Institute (FTI), Bulbuley, in collaboration with Balipara Foundation, Assam, on Monday launched a three-day residential training programme on geospatial tools for forest frontline staff in Sikkim.

The programme, titled “Field to Map: Hands-on Geospatial Training on GPS & GIS Software”, aims to strengthen the capacity of forest and environment department personnel in biodiversity monitoring and management, the FTI said in a press release.

The inaugural session was chaired by FTI director Tshering Pintso Bhutia and attended by experts and resource persons from the Balipara Foundation, FTI officials, staff and participants.

Addressing the gathering, Bhutia underlined the importance of geospatial technology in the conservation, monitoring and management of biodiversity and natural resources.

He urged the participants to actively engage in the training and make the most of the programme.

The three-day training will provide hands-on exposure to GPS handling and field data collection, data transfer and spatial data visualisation using Google Earth Pro and QGIS, the release said.

The programme will also focus on improving the capacity of frontline personnel to support decision-making through real-time monitoring of forests and biodiversity using geospatial tools.

Forest frontline staff play a key role in protecting ecosystems but often face challenges in accurately documenting threats such as poaching and illegal logging. Traditional methods, including handwritten notes and sketch maps, can lack precision and consistency.

The training seeks to address these challenges by equipping personnel with practical skills to convert field observations into accurate, map-based digital data, enabling better visualisation and communication of ground realities to forest managers and policymakers.

Resource persons at the programme include Balipara Foundation's programme lead for research and developmentDr.BidyutSarania, wildlife researcher Dr.PulakeswarBasumatary and GIS assistant Debajit Deka, Forestjoint director and course coordinator Tenzing Norbu Bhutia and deputy director Anup J. Baniya.