Drone data in wildlife surveys
Commissioned by GIZ under the regional programme “Triangular Cooperation for Digital Innovation Made in Africa (DIMIA)”, this project supports the development and operationalisation of a drone-based wildlife monitoring system in Côte d’Ivoire. The assignment focuses on establishing a semi-automated data processing chain for drone imagery collected in and around the Comoé National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site), with particular emphasis on monitoring hippopotamuses, elephants, crocodiles and other large mammals.
The project strengthens national capacities for data-driven biodiversity monitoring through the development of an automated image analysis workflow using machine learning technologies, combined with targeted training and knowledge transfer to Ivorian stakeholders, notably the Office Ivoirienne des Parcs et Réserves (OIPR) and the Centre Universitaire de Recherche et d’Application en Télédétection (CURAT).
In line with DIMIA’s “Made in Africa” ambition, the project promotes African-led digital innovation, institutional ownership, and sustainable integration of drone-based monitoring into national biodiversity strategies (NBSAP, CBD reporting). The approach combines flight-planning support, classifier development, structured capacity building, and institutional embedding to enable long-term operational autonomy of Ivorian partners.
Funding framework: DIMIA – Triangular Cooperation (Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Germany)
