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Mexico’s National Forestry Commission joining forces with India to fight fires with satellite monitoring

Mexico City, Mexico — Mexico’s National Forestry Commission (Conafor) will work with India to fight forest fires with satellite monitoring. During a recent two-day meeting, both countries discussed the benefits of the technology.

The meeting was held in coordination with the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) through the Mexican Space Agency (AEM) to exchange of knowledge.

Both sides discussed the “Use of Space Systems for Forest Fire Management”, within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Space Agency (ISRO) held August 26 to 28 at the Conafor headquarters.

The Director General of CONAFOR, Luis Meneses Murillo, said that Mexican institutional knowledge and capabilities will be strengthened in the use of satellite images for monitoring forest ecosystems and integrated fire management, through the use of geospatial technologies based on satellite platforms.

He also stressed that it is a priority for the Government of Mexico to continue promoting actions for prevention, combat, research and monitoring of forest fires, seeking to safeguard people’s lives and protect forest ecosystems.

Dr. Salvador Landeros Ayala, the Director General of AEM, said thanks to the invaluable support of the SICT in spatial matters, this collaboration will allow the exchange of knowledge to monitor forest fires in Mexico, training in the mapping and evaluation of forest fires with remote sensing satellite data.

Photos: Conafor August 27, 2024.

He reiterated that “Mexico considers space as a social good, with the objective of focusing satellite technology on addressing national problems and priority social tasks for the benefit of the population here on Earth, especially those who need it most.”

Representing the Indian Embassy in Mexico, Deputy Head of Mission, Dr. Deepti Ganli, acknowledged the efforts to carry out this workshop since there has been an increase in forest fires that affect not only the environment, but also human life and wildlife.

He agreed on the importance of using space technology for its effectiveness in monitoring and managing fire.

Dr. Arijit Roy of the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) highlighted that forest fires have increased around the world due to climate change, and that satellite observation is a tool that can provide better monitoring and management of fire.

The Director General of Policy of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), Luisa Hortensia Solchaga López, said that the Latin American and Caribbean region is more prone to natural disasters, so it is important to be more and better trained for timely action, achieved through international cooperation.

On behalf of the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), the Coordinator of International Cooperation, Iris Jiménez Castillo, recognized the efforts of international cooperation to face global challenges such as forest fires, and stressed that, for Semarnat, it is a pleasure to be able to support collaborative activities with sister countries such as India.

Photo: Conafor August 27, 2024.

The Asian country gained worldwide attention when it reached the orbit of the planet Mars in 2014 with its low-cost, home-made spacecraft “Mangalyaan”. Now it is joining forces with Mexico to integrate knowledge of the forestry sector in fire management and forestry resources, since both countries share the vision of space as a social good, and maintain a long tradition of cooperation.

For this reason, Conafor and AEM coordinate actions from the Federal Government so that specialists and national entities, whose functions include fire management and fighting forest fires, receive specialized training in cutting-edge satellite technologies, while working hand in hand to build a more equal and sustainable future