State and Trends of Deforestation in Côte d’Ivoire (2019-2020)
In 2017, Vivid Economics and RSAC were commissioned by the UK Space Agency to assist the Ivorian government and other key stakeholders to some of the country’s needs in tackling deforestation. To do so, the consortium created IMAGES, a web-based platform that provides fortnightly alerts of forest loss alongside a wealth of land-use planning data. Forest loss is detected through fortnightly analysis of satellite data.
This report sets out the latest forest loss trends and pattern figures in Côte d’Ivoire, across administrative regions and protected areas. Analysis of spatial data shows that between 2019 and 2020, 68,000 hectares of primary forest, 2.2% of remaining forest, were lost in Côte d’Ivoire. More than 75% of recorded deforestation took place in Western and Centre-East rural areas. Forêts Classées account for 21% of forest losses. Previous IMAGES data for the South West region of the country reveals that region of Cavally and the Forêt Classée de Goin Debé have both lost approximately 40% their remaining forest over the past three years. Ongoing losses have left a landscape of fragmented forests at higher risk of further deforestation. The authorities should put in place strong protection and enforcement resources to the last intact islands of rainforest in the country and engage with rural communities to protect and/or reforest their remaining fragmented forest.