PANAJI
The Goa Forest Department is set to adopt a GIS-based monitoring system for works undertaken using CAMPA funds, in line with a new framework proposed by the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
The initiative is expected to enhance transparency and accountability in the utilisation of CAMPA funds, while enabling real-time tracking of forest-related interventions across the state.
Officials said the proposed system will focus on ecologically sensitive and priority areas in Goa, including mangrove ecosystems, stretches of the Western Ghats, and forest land degraded due to past mining activities.
By integrating satellite imagery, field inputs, and geospatial datasets, the platform will allow authorities to monitor the progress and effectiveness of activities such as Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), artificial regeneration, and other silvicultural operations.
“In order to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation, and planning of sustainable activities like ecological restoration and wildlife management under CAMPA, it is proposed to develop a centralized geospatial database and GIS-based monitoring framework. The system will integrate spatial and non-spatial data related to activities undertaken and facilitate spatial tracking, monitoring of implementation progress, and assessment,” an official said.
The GIS-based framework aims to create a centralized digital database of all CAMPA-supported works, enabling spatial mapping and continuous monitoring of projects. This is expected to improve oversight of afforestation and restoration efforts, particularly in mining-affected regions such as Sanguem, Quepem, and Bicholim.
Sources said the system will also support evidence-based decision-making by providing timely updates on project implementation, helping the department assess outcomes and make necessary course corrections.
In addition to strengthening monitoring mechanisms, the initiative is seen as a step towards enhancing accountability, ensuring that CAMPA funds are utilised efficiently for forest conservation, ecological restoration, and wildlife protection.
Data shows that since 1980, around 2,362 hectares of forest land in Goa has been diverted for non-forest purposes. Against a target of 3,566 hectares under compensatory afforestation (CA) and penal CA mandated under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the state has taken up 3,189 hectares of afforestation work as of 2025.
Meanwhile, the state is also in the process of digitising its forest boundaries as part of a nationwide exercise to geo-reference and formally re-notify forest limits in compliance with Supreme Court directions. The exercise is expected to help notify around 1,041 sq km of forest areas currently recorded outside designated forest boundaries, as per the Forest Survey of India (FSI) report.
