A strategic approach to sourcing and using fire information in northern Côte d’Ivoire

In many protected areas across Africa, information on fire regimes and land management has not been available at the required level of detail. Furthermore, it is challenging to compile information in a way that is useful for decision making and for tracking the effects of implementation. On the other hand, recent years have seen a rapid increase in free Earth observation data, computing power, network speed and web-based geospatial visualization and analysis technologies. This article describes a successful attempt to compile base information on fire regimes in Comoé National Park, Côte d’Ivoire, at different spatial and temporal scales. Data is made available through a system that supports fire management planning, reporting, and documentation and analysis, and that is used to implement management activities.