The training on Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) was organized to assist forestry field staff interpret scientific data from an array of fields such as conservation, invasive species spread, forest fire studies, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change research.

The training began with an introduction to various hotspot mapping tools and techniques in ArcGIS. Since occurrence data and environmental data are crucial components of SDM, participants engaged in hands-on practice for cleaning and processing these datasets. The participants also worked on their own data to model the distribution and come up with the distribution map. The modeling was conducted using the MaxEnt algorithm within the Maxent GUI. The software tools utilized during the training included ArcGIS, R, and Maxent.

A total of 27 forestry officials (24 males and 3 females) attended the training, which was provided by UWIFoRT with funding support from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and WWF Bhutan. The training spanned five days: from May 13 to May 17, 2024.