TCS decision support system helps the Indian government manage the largest urban park on the planet

Effective biodiversity management IT system protects the natural environment

Anish Andheria/Sanctuary Photolibrary

The challenge The biodiversity of Indias National Parks is under threat, and theres a growing and urgent need to monitor and manage the natural environment. Species such as tigers and leopards are disappearing, human activity is increasing the risk of forest fires and deforestation, and illegal encroachment is causing a volatile relationship between man and animal. The Indian government turned to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for effective biodiversity management of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park which, at over 100 square kilometres, is the largest urban park on the planet. TCS was chosen because of its excellent track record in developing innovative IT solutions. The solution TCS designed, developed and implemented a powerful decision support system called GeoVun (Geo for geography and Vun meaning forest in Sanskrit) with a dual-module model to: Monitor the health of the parks rich ecosystem comprising nearly 1,000 types of flowering plant, many of which are endangered, over 280 kinds of bird, 36 types of mammal, more than 60 reptiles and amphibians, and over 150 species of butterfly Manage park information on a day-to-day basis (flora, fauna and human) - Trend analysis to detect reduction in forest cover, changes in land use, and increasing human encroachment - Forest fire analysis using simulation models to prevent the spread of forest fires www.tcs.com

Over 100 square kilometres 1,000 types of flowering plant 280 kinds of bird 150 species of butterfly

TCS decision support system helps the Indian government manage the largest urban park on the planet

- Proximity analysis for an effective emergency response during events such as animal attack (eg, help locate the nearest road and human habitation) - Highly accurate global positioning system (GPS) coordinates are displayed for every event, and these GPS points also delineate boundaries and help with routine park maintenance Benefits to the client The entire park is now more efficiently patrolled and, for the first time, officials are powerfully equipped to protect endangered wildlife, reduce forest fires, act immediately against human encroachment, and minimise man-animal conflict. If they identify a particularly vulnerable area, officials can create a buffer around it for special surveillance and rapid decision making. Added to this, the Indian government is able to maximise return on its original investment by easily customising the GeoVun system to suit its other national parks. Ecological benefits The ecological benefits are many and far reaching. GeoVun is helping government officials to study historical patterns, such as the incidence of forest fires, and adopt appropriate preventative and remedial measures to control future events. With long-term trend and pattern analyses, officials can now tailor suitable conservation strategies for the years ahead. And, instead of relying on guesswork, the system provides precise statistical data about forest cover, species numbers and human encroachment vital information for professional biodiversity management in the 21st century. For more information on the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, visit www.sanjaygandhinationalpark.net

About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, business solutions and outsourcing organisation that delivers real results to global businesses, ensuring a level of certainty no other firm can match. TCS offers a consulting-led, integrated portfolio of IT and IT-enabled services delivered through its unique Global Network Delivery Model, recognised as the benchmark of excellence in software development. Tata Consultancy Services goes beyond reducing the IT industrys two percent contribution to greenhouse gases, and develops IT-enabled solutions for green to reduce the other 98 percent on emission sources. Copyrights All content/information present here is the exclusive property of Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS). The content / information contained here is correct at the time of publishing. No material from here may be copied, modified, reproduced, republished, uploaded, transmitted, posted or distributed in any form without prior written permission from TCS. Unauthorised use of the content/information appearing here may violate copyright, trademark and other applicable laws, and could result in criminal or civil penalties. Copyright 2010 Tata Consultancy Services Limited

Anish Andheria/Sanctuary Photolibrary

www.tcs.com