Bengaluru: ISROSpace Applications Center (SAC) has signed an MoU with Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) to combine satellite data with ecological field research.“This collaboration will focus on mapping India’s grasslands and other open natural ecosystems, which have often been under-represented in policy and planning. It will also assess the impact of restoration efforts on degraded lands and develop better methods to estimate both above- and below-ground carbon,” it said in a statement released on Thursday.The partnership will bring together SAC’s capabilities in large-scale geospatial mapping with ATRI’s interdisciplinary ecological research and on-the-ground experience. It aims to create reliable, policy-ready datasets that can aid decision making at both the national and state levels.“The two institutions will also work on creating standardized and scalable approaches to identifying and monitoring ecosystems such as grasslands, savannas and deserts. Despite being ecologically important, these landscapes have received limited attention compared to forests,” the statement said.The initiative is expected to boost land use planning, climate action strategies, conservation efforts and rural livelihood programs. By improving the way ecosystems are mapped and assessed, the collaboration seeks to provide a clearer picture of changes on the ground.This partnership is in line with India’s commitment to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030 and contributes to the broader Sustainable Development Goals.