Nagaland GIS Centre and WRI India sign MoU for clean energy

Dimapur: The Nagaland GIS and Remote Sensing Centre (NGISRSC) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) India have signed an MoU to strengthen reliable and clean energy planning in Nagaland.

According to the MoU, signed on January 7 at the NGISRSC in Kohima, the two organizations will work together to adopt the Energy Access Explorer (EAE), an open-source, interactive geospatial platform, an official report said on Friday.

This platform will help the state identify high-priority areas for clean energy interventions.

EAE is the first digital public good focusing on climate-friendly energy transition.

Mhathang Kithan, Senior Project Director at NGISRSC, said the MoU is the next step in the center’s partnership with WRI India.

He said, “This collaborative model strengthens transparency, shared responsibility, and impact in inclusive planning for Nagaland’s sustainable development.” Bharath Jayaraj, Executive Director of the Energy Program at WRI India, said that EAE provides an effective way to take deliberate action.

He further stated that in addition to increasing energy access, EAE can guide the decarbonization of critical public infrastructure, particularly in the health and education sectors, through the strategic deployment of decentralized renewable energy systems.

Jayaraj added, “By doing so, it supports Nagaland’s development priorities and contributes to India’s larger goals of meeting half of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.”

The EAE platform was first launched in Nagaland in July 2023 and has been adapted for Assam, Jharkhand, and Mizoram. It can be used by planners, entrepreneurs, government bodies, and institutions.