India is home to an extraordinary level of biodiversity, boasting over 1,300 bird species, including some that are found nowhere else on Earth. The State of India's Birds report is an impressive undertaking by more than 30,000 birdwatchers who have contributed over 30 million observations to the e-Bird platform. The report comprehensively assesses the distribution range, abundance trends, and conservation status of most bird species found in India and unequivocally identifies 178 avian species that require immediate and urgent conservation attention, including several previously thought to be common and widespread. The report meticulously analyzed data collected from birdwatchers and conservation organizations on as many as 942 bird species.
The Soil Health Card Explorer is an incredibly useful tool that empowers users to confidently track the status of their Soil Health Card. The Soil Health Card provides a comprehensive display of soil health indicators and descriptive terms. These indicators are based on practical experience and extensive knowledge of local natural resources, making it an invaluable tool to assess the current status of soil health and determine changes in soil health over time due to land management.
Access to clean water is a basic human right, and Jaltol is a tool that empowers communities to exercise that right. By providing data on their watershed and estimating water budgets with the click of a button, Jaltol enables decision-makers in rural areas to make informed choices about water management. With the plugin's easy-to-use platform, remote sensing data is combined into a comprehensive system that makes water accounting accessible to everyone. Jaltol is open-source and free, making it an invaluable tool for communities to take control of their water security.
South Asia's deep connections to local communities are rooted in history, socio-cultural identity, spirituality, and livelihood. It's truly inspiring to see community-based conservation practices thriving as a testament to the power of collective action and the importance of preserving our natural heritage for future generations. To enhance our understanding of the role they play in conservation, an open-source platform is needed, created by and for the very people who are conserving these territories across South Asia.
The India Observatory, led by Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), is a collaborative action-oriented tech initiative. It aims to demystify and present comprehensive information on India’s social, ecological and economic parameters on a single spatial and temporal platform.
