Description

Côte d’Ivoire is facing alarming deforestation. Its forest cover, estimated at 16 million hectares in 1960, fell to less than 2.97 million hectares in 2021 — representing only 9.2% of the national territory (IFFN, 2021). Without corrective measures, the remaining forest blocks could disappear by 2030, undermining the country’s sustainable development goals and ecological resilience. 
 
The main causes of this situation include uncontrolled agricultural expansion, illegal and unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, and insufficient protection of forest areas. 
 
To address this challenge, the Government adopted in 2018 the Forest Preservation, Rehabilitation and Extension Policy (PPREF), implemented through the National Strategy (SPREF) and its ten-year action plan. The objective is to restore forest cover to at least 20% of the national territory by 2030, in line with national commitments (REDD+ Strategy, Cocoa & Forests Initiative) and international agreements (Paris Agreement, SDGs). 
 
In this context, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided €150 million (98.393 billion FCFA), complemented by €15 million (9.839 billion FCFA) in counterpart funding from the Ivorian Government — a total of €165 million (108.232 billion FCFA). This funding supports the Sustainable Forest Restoration Program of Côte d’Ivoire (PRDF-CI), established by Interministerial Order No. 0454/MINEF/MEPD/MFB of June 25, 2025. 
 
The PRDF-CI is a flagship program based on an integrated approach combining: 
– Forest restoration 
– Agroforestry and rehabilitation of degraded lands 
– Development of income-generating activities 
– Institutional capacity building and climate resilience.