By akademiotoelektronik, 22/07/2022

Congo Basin: Mbaza IA, the new more effective software at the rescue of biodiversity |Actualite.CD

Thanks to the financing of the European Union through its Ecofac6 program and the financing of the Gabonese government, a team of Gabonese and international researchers from the National Agency for National Parks - ANPN (Gabon), Panthera Corp., the University of Stirling (Scotland) and Appsilon Machine Learning Solutions (Poland) has set up the new software called "Mbaza IA" to come to the rescue of biodiversity in Central Africa.A project started for two years.

First, training data for artificial intelligence was collected from many sources (1.6 million images), then a year was necessary to develop algorithms and software.

This artificial intelligence is easy to use, including for people with fewer IT qualifications.

The entry of new technologies in the field of conservation is therefore done through the big door, given the accessibility of the software and also, its free.The team provides him with any specialty user and already forms in his use of people from Congo, Cameroon and the Central African Republic.

Ecofac6 supports this new project to design powerful artificial intelligence algorithms, to ensure the monitoring of fauna at the national level and also, throughout Central Africa.

This innovative AI software allows experts to save considerable time.It can also identify 26 species of mammals and forest birds, including elephants, gorillas, antelopes, monkeys and leopards.Specialists often use sequential cameras to monitor animals in the forest.These AI cameras can take thousands, even millions of photos.It sometimes takes months to examine the slightest image, identify animals and analyze the data.

This work was mainly funded by the Gabonese government and the Ecofac6 program of the 11th European Development Fund (Fed) of the EU.

The team of researchers is enthusiastic and says it has been extremely rewarding to work with an international team on this project.The software will help environmental defenders from Gabon and Central Africa to make the most of technologies such as traps to monitor biodiversity.

The Ecofac program has been present for 30 years in Central Africa.Currently in the 6th phase, the program aims to preserve biodiversity and fragile ecosystems in the sub-region.It targets direct support at 16 protected areas distributed in eight priority landscapes for conservation in seven states of Central Africa: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Chad and Sao Tome-et-Principe.The client is the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

With a budget of 80.5 million EURFINANCEDS ON THE 11 "EU Fed, for the period 2017-2023, ECOFAC6 aims to promote a green economy characterized by endogenous, sustainable and inclusive economic development, as well as the fight against climate change.

AUGUY MUDIAYI