BACKGROUND

Côte d'Ivoire's forests played an important role in the country's development dynamic, as they were home to a great diversity of flora and fauna. Unfortunately, from 16 million hectares in the early 1960s, the dense rainforest has shrunk to around 2.97 million hectares (IFFN, 2021). This situation is attributable to extensive slash-and-burn agriculture, over-exploitation of the forest for timber and energy, and bush fires. In addition, the phenomenon of forest infiltration, as a result of the occupation or colonization of forest areas, is a major factor in the disappearance of forest cover.

A study carried out by the Ministry in charge of forest cover management in Côte d'Ivoire on the analysis of the pressures on the forests shows that the accelerated rate of destruction of Côte d'Ivoire's forests has now reached an estimated average of 450,000 hectares per year.

To address this situation, the country has set itself the goal of restoring its forest cover to a level of at least 20% by 2030. To this end, Côte d'Ivoire is benefiting from the Projet d'Investissement Forestier (PIF), with a focus on the development of zero-deforestation agriculture and the implementation of sustainable management of classified forests with the participation of local communities. As part of the PIF, participatory management plans will be drawn up and implemented for several classified forests, including the Rapides Grah classified forest, while integrating Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to facilitate their sustainable management.