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 in South West of Cȏte d’Ivoire and is being maintained by the Ministry of Planning and Development. It is currently being scaled nationally.
The platform allows users to display different data layers and obtain statistical reports
Users have their own account 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.