Action

Restoring Ivorian forest landscapes through participatory land-use planning and land tenure security

Year
2022-2023
Location
Côte d’Ivoire

Partners
The Ministry of Planning and Development of Côte d’Ivoire, Ivorian Rural Land Agency, Nitidæ, Yatié / CETIF consortium, GIZ (Forests4Future Programme)

Budget
EUR 175 000
Funded by
EU REDD Facility

Introduction

In the rural areas of Côte d’Ivoire, reforestation and agroforestry initiatives often face challenges due to inadequate land-use planning and a lack of land tenure security. These challenges hinder the achievement of a sustainable balance between agriculture and forestry, impede the scaling up of best practices, and create barriers to securing the necessary long-term investments. This EU REDD Facility project aims to tackle these challenges and promote effective land-use planning to support forest restoration efforts.

The objective

The main objective of this project is to contribute to the Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) commitments made by Côte d’Ivoire under the AFR 100 initiative. To do so, it aims to support the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD) in developing and testing a participatory land-use planning methodology at the village level and the Rural Land Agency (AFOR) in issuing gender-oriented land certificates to enhance reforestation and agroforestry efforts.

The challenge

The lack of proper land-use planning poses significant challenges to forest restoration efforts in Côte d’Ivoire. Insufficient attention to land-use planning and land tenure security hampers the achievement of a harmonious balance between agriculture and forestry in rural landscapes. This lack of planning not only limits the scaling up of best practices but also creates barriers to attracting the necessary investments for long-term sustainability. To overcome these challenges, it is crucial to develop effective and participatory land-use planning strategies that address the specific needs and concerns of local communities.

Drawing up a land-use plan in Amani-Nguessankro (village women’s group).

The approach

To tackle these challenges, the project takes a comprehensive and participatory approach. The EU REDD Facility collaborates with the MPD and AFOR to develop and implement a methodology for village-level land-use planning. This approach ensures the active involvement of local communities, authorities and smallholders in the decision-making process, fostering a sense of ownership and promoting sustainable land management practices. This approach will provide the necessary framework for enhancing reforestation and agroforestry efforts while strengthening land tenure security.

Results and impact

Results

In 2023, Nitidæ initiated the development of the land-use planning methodology in collaboration with the MPD in two pilot villages: Koitienkro and Amani-Nguessankro.
The methodology was shared with stakeholders at a workshop in Abidjan in September 2023. It now needs to be finalised, based on the feedback received.
Land certification operations are behind schedule, but preparatory operations to demarcate village territories are already well-advanced in six villages.

The project’s results and lessons learnt will be capitalised and communicated through various channels, including the dissemination of land-use plans to pilot villages and the organisation of a national workshop targeting stakeholders.

By achieving these results, the project will benefit directly impacted households, equip pilot villages with inclusive land-use planning documents, and increase the land tenure security of stakeholders in Côte d’Ivoire.

About the EU REDD Facility

The EU REDD Facility supports countries in improving land-use governance as part of their efforts to slow, halt and reverse deforestation. It also supports the overall EU effort to reduce its contribution to deforestation in developing countries. The Facility focuses on countries that are engaged in REDD+, an international mechanism that incentivises developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from their forest and land-use sectors. The Facility is hosted by the European Forest Institute and was established in 2010.

Disclaimer

This website has been produced with the assistance of the European Union and the Governments Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands. The contents of this site are the sole responsibility of the European Forest Institute’s EU REDD Facility and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of funding organisations.