Forest Stack PoC for Digital Forest Health Monitoring System in Rajasthan

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Forest Stack PoC for Digital Forest Health Monitoring System in Rajasthan

Summary

Details of Implementation

This Request for Proposal (RFP) signifies a collaborative initiative between JICA DXLab and the Rajasthan Forest Department (RFD), aiming to select a technology solution provider (Digital Partner) for a Proof of Concept (PoC) project. The primary objective of the PoC is to develop a digital forest health monitoring system to track critical parameters pertaining to forest health and create a dashboard for RFD officials, both at the headquarters and at the division level. This includes mapping the required data sources, creation of the necessary APIs, enabling analytics on the data, building core business intelligence layers, and developing a visualization dashboard for the users. The maximum budget allocation for development of the PoC is set at USD 200,000, inclusive of all associated taxes and expenses; however, it is worth noting that this budget may be subject to adjustment based on the final PoC plan and related costs. The project is pivotal as it lays the foundation for the development of a comprehensive forest stack enabling multiple use cases and serving different users. Interim progress reports and a comprehensive final report shall encompass PoC results, activities, quantitative and qualitative evaluations based on predetermined KPIs, along with technical, operational, and strategic recommendations for RFD and JICA DXLab. Post completion of the PoC, the final product will be handed over to RFD, along with the necessary capacity building required.

Timeline

The PoC is scheduled for six months, beginning tentatively in July 2024 and concluding in December 2024. This period encompasses the PoC design, development, testing, deployment and stabilization phases.

Status

Status

VIEW RFP & APPLY

Index

Project Context

Rajasthan is India's largest state by area, spanning about 342,239 square kilometers, which represents 10.41% of the nation's total land [1]. According to the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021, the forest cover of Rajasthan comprises 9.6% of the total geographical area of the state. Continuous losses of natural forest due to causes such as desertification or human-induced disturbances exerts significant pressure on the health of Rajasthan’s forests. RFD has initiated several strategic steps towards the protection and management of forest resources. The success and endurance of afforestation initiatives are heavily reliant on sustained management, continuous and robust monitoring practices, and the involvement of local communities in conservation activities.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been supporting the state of Rajasthan in its forestry initiatives and has financed 5 different ODA loan projects in the last 20+ years in the state, and is currently financing Rajasthan Climate Resilience Enhancement and Ecosystem Services Improvement Project (RCRESIP)’, which will be implemented across 31 districts in Rajasthan from 2024-2034. To further bolster the effectiveness of the RCRESIP and help RFD effectively monitor the health of its forests, JICA DXLab is planning to deploy a digital intervention via the PoC pilot, which will involve development of a digital forest health monitoring system in the form of an integrated GIS-MIS dashboard. By utilizing satellite imagery, remote sensing data, and existing MIS data, this system will provide actionable insights into the health of the forests in Rajasthan. This will enable tracking of multiple parameters on a more frequent basis through an integrated GIS-MIS dashboard and enable more effective monitoring of forest health. This will allow for better planning of interventions and informed decision-making.

In alignment with these efforts, this RFP is being initiated to identify the Digital Partner capable of complementing JICA DXLab’s and RFD’s initiatives and implement the PoC.

Join us in this transformative journey to elevate RFD’s digital forest monitoring infrastructure to new heights of excellence and sustainability. Let's work together to make a lasting impact and empower RFD to enhance its digital forest monitoring capabilities.


[1] Source: State Portal, Rajasthan Governmen

Project members

Project Owner

Arijit Banerjee
PCCF (Admin, IT, Training) and PD, RFBP-2, Rajasthan Forest Department:

Rajasthan Forest Department is launching a PoC program in collaboration with JICA to develop a state-of-the-art digital forest health monitoring system for Rajasthan. This initiative marks a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainable forest management and environmental stewardship. By harnessing the power of digital technologies, this system will enhance our capabilities in monitoring forest health and track progress of our various interventions. It will also set the foundation for the future development of a comprehensive digital forest stack, which can cater to a diverse set of users and enable multiple use cases. This will unlock myriad benefits, improving our conservation efforts and enhancing livelihoods of local communities across the state.

Arijit Banerjee

Sponsor

Natsumi Kobayashi
Japan International Cooperation Agency/Country Officer, South Asia Department, JICA HQ

JICA has a long history of supporting forestry initiatives in Rajasthan. With this innovative project, by facilitating collaboration with RFD, JICA aims to leverage digital technologies to enhance RFD’s capabilities to monitor the health of Rajasthan’s forests and track progress of their interventions. JICA’s role includes providing strategic oversight, technological expertise, and financial support and ensuring that the project aligns with local needs and global best practices in digital innovation. This sponsorship is a testament to JICA’s broader objectives of supporting sustainable development and fostering innovation in partner countries.

Haruka  Kasuya

PoC Implementation Requirements

Eligibility (excerpts)

Organization Capacity

  • The Digital Partner must has significant expertise in developing and implementing digital analytics and reporting.
  • The Digital Partner must have substantial experience in building data exchanges (APIs) to pull data from multiple registries.
  • Previous work experience in deploying GIS solutions in the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector is not required, but preferred.
  • Previous experience working with high-resolution satellite imagery will be preferred.
  • Prior experience working with Central/State/Local governments in India will be preferable.
  • The management members of the Digital Partner does not include individuals with a history of corruption, arrest records, or affiliations with criminal organizations.

The selection process has defined eligibility criteria to ensure only qualified candidates proceed. This is followed by a technical evaluation, where eligible bidders present their proposals. Post-presentation, technical marks are awarded based on the assessment of the proposals. Subsequently, commercial bid opening occurs, determining the highest scorer based on combined technical and commercial evaluations. This structured approach ensures a transparent and merit-based selection of the most suitable bidder.

Primary scope of work

  • Develop a forest health monitoring system to track key parameters to provide a more holistic view of Rajasthan’s forest health and frequently track project progress. It would enable providing an integrated GIS and MIS view of some of the parameters (non-exhaustive):
  • Tree cover gain and loss, as well as canopy density classification into 4 classes (<10%, 10%-40%, 40%-70%, >70%), as defined in the ISFR by Forest Survey of India (FSI) using satellite imagery.
  • Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)
  • Project-related MIS data such as budget utilization, number of man-days worked and plantation targets vs achievement.
  • Plantation survival rates
  • Soil moisture levels
  • Groundwater levels
  • Socioeconomic data such as unemployment rate and proportion of population below poverty line
  • Create key data exchange (APIs) to underlying data registries needed for development of the forest health monitoring system.

Submission Deadline

Electronic submission must be received at JICADXLab@bcg.com by the latest 23:59 Indian Standard Time on June 14, 2024.

RFP

RFP also includes other information, including the project background, target location for PoC, and eligibility. Please visit RFP for details.

Budget Limit

USD 200,000 including all taxes and expenses, however negotiable.

Required Technologies

Info Session

【Past Event】
We plan to tentatively host an information session for prospective bidders on June 05 2024, 11:00 (Indian Standard Time / GMT+5.5). If you wish to participate, please contact us at JICADXLab@bcg.com. Confirmation of participation by email is mandatory to attend the information session.

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