IMAGES is an interactive online platform that offers a variety of spatial and economic data and tools to help monitor the forest cover and assist in a wide range of spatial planning tasks.
IMAGES was created in 2016 for the Ivorian government and other key stakeholders to meet the country’s zero deforestation commitments. The IMAGES system is now in use across Cȏte d’Ivoire and is being maintained by the Ministry of Planning and Development. To create a user account, please submit a request to outil.images@gmail.com.
IMAGES was co-financed by the UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP), and realised by Vivid Economics in partnership with Remote Sensing Applications Consultants (RSAC). The IPP is an award-winning >£150 million space for sustainable development initiative which utilises the UK space sector’s capabilities in satellite technology and data services to deliver measurable and sustainable economic, societal and/or environmental benefits in partnership with developing countries.
The IMAGES platform allows users to display different data layers and obtain statistical reports.
Users have their own accounts and can easily add their own data layers in confidentiality. The Early Warning System and the Deforestation Risk Index seek to empower stakeholders to better protect forests. The Early Warning System (EWS) allows policymakers and forest rangers to track down forest loss every 12 days. The Deforestation Risk Index (DRI) allows key stakeholders to predict what areas are more at risk of being deforested in the next year. This is especially useful for local authorities that do not have many resources and would need to prioritise their efforts. It also helps companies make decisions about where to source from.