By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of
Environment and Ecological Transition and Ivorian technology company TerraKora
AI have signed a framework memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening
national capacities to measure and monitor ecosystems through artificial
intelligence and geospatial technologies.
The agreement was signed by
Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition Abou Bamba and TerraKora AI
CEO and co-founder Kolia Alpha-Yaya Touré, in the presence of Axel Guéi,
co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of the company.
The partnership is intended
to improve knowledge of Côte d’Ivoire’s natural heritage, measure the results
of ecological restoration actions and provide reliable data to guide
environmental public policies.
It forms part of the
government’s efforts to mobilize technological innovation to protect natural
resources and support the country’s ecological transition.
For Abou Bamba, the
collaboration will allow Côte d’Ivoire to better understand its ecosystems and
measure the results of their preservation.
“This requirement for
knowledge and rigor is at the heart of the partnership that brings us
together,” he said.
The initiative comes amid
the need for regular monitoring of the country’s vegetation cover. The National
Forest and Wildlife Inventory published in 2021 estimated Côte d’Ivoire’s
forest cover at 2.97 million hectares, representing 9.2% of the territory.
Under the agreement,
satellite data, field observations and artificial intelligence tools will be
cross-referenced to map land use, monitor environmental changes and estimate
ecosystem carbon stocks.
The work will build on the
achievements of the National Bureau for Technical Studies and Development
(BNETD), particularly its Geographic Information and Digital Centre, as well as
collaboration between public institutions, researchers and innovative companies.
Beyond forest conservation,
the partnership is expected to create opportunities for agricultural value
chains including cocoa, coffee, cashew and rubber.
