Srinagar: Thirty senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers from 14 states are participating in a five-day national training programme at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies for forest and wildlife conservation.
The programme, titled Smart Conservation: Technological Solutions for Forest and Wildlife Protection, is being organised by the Division of Basic Sciences and Humanities, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, in collaboration with the Research and Training Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
Being held from July 20 to 24, the programme brings together Principal Chief Conservators of Forests (PCCFs), Conservators of Forests, Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) and Assistant Conservators of Forests (ACFs) for training in artificial intelligence, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drones, satellite monitoring and other digital tools for forest management.
The inaugural session was presided over by SKUAST-K Vice Chancellor Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai, while Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Jammu and Kashmir, Sarvesh Rai attended as the guest of honour.
Addressing the participants, Prof. Ganai said conservation in the 21st century requires integration of forestry, agricultural sciences, climate science, data analytics and digital technologies. He highlighted the role of AI, machine learning, drone technology and remote sensing in wildlife monitoring, habitat assessment, forest health surveillance, climate risk prediction, forest fire management and ecosystem restoration.
He also stressed the need for science-based and technology-driven management of the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region and called for greater collaboration among universities, forest departments, research institutions and policymakers.
Sarvesh Rai highlighted the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department’s use of geospatial mapping, smart surveillance systems and community-based conservation models, and urged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the programme in their respective states.
Course Director Prof. Javeed Iqbal Ahmad Bhat said this was the third consecutive batch of IFS officers being trained at SKUAST-K under the aegis of the MoEFCC, reflecting the university’s role in national capacity building for environmental governance.
The programme includes expert lectures, laboratory demonstrations and field visits to the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (CAIML), SKUAST-K Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship Centre (SKIIE), the Faculty of Forestry, Dachigam National Park and Wildlife Rescue Centre, Wular Lake conservation projects, Gulmarg Biosphere Reserve and the protected forests of the Zabarwan Hills.