Action

Supporting decentralisation and Ivorian regions to improve natural resources sustainability

Year
2022-2023
Location
Côte d’Ivoire

Partners
Ministry of Planning and Development, Mé Régional Council, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ)

Budget
EUR 75 000
Funded by
EU REDD Facility

Introduction

Cocoa expansion is the primary driver of deforestation in Côte d’Ivoire. This hinders the achievement of sustainable agricultural practices and the Sustainable Development Goals. Designing and implementing effective measures to address these challenges requires a comprehensive understanding of the socioeconomic and environmental factors at play, as well as coordination among stakeholders across various sectors.
Being rooted in administrative boundaries, jurisdictional approaches can leverage ongoing decentralisation processes, particularly in Africa, and the corresponding transfer of responsibilities from national governments to decentralised territorial authorities. Jurisdictional approaches also offer opportunities to accelerate the transition towards deforestation-free and sustainable commodity production and to mobilise climate finance at scale. In this context, the EU REDD Facility is engaging with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the Mé Region and various stakeholders to support jurisdictional approaches on land use and zero-deforestation production to inform policy developments on sustainable agriculture.

The objective

The project aims to develop a jurisdictional approach at the regional level to enhance the sustainability of agricultural production in Côte d’Ivoire.

The challenge

Multiple approaches have been promoted in tropical countries to tackle the complex socioeconomic and environmental issues related to the production of deforestation-risk commodities. These approaches vary significantly from one local context to another and involve different stakeholders. One of these approaches is certification schemes or farm-level approaches. However, they face several challenges. Their limited scope, focusing on individual farms or specific products, limits their ability to address the broader landscape-level challenges associated with deforestation. They may overlook the complex interactions between different land uses, stakeholders and commodities within a jurisdiction.

In contrast, jurisdictional approaches, based on administrative boundaries (such as a region or district) aim to bring stakeholders together around a common vision for the concerned territory and share responsibilities for implementing corresponding activities. This allows for a balanced and comprehensive approach that considers the broader context of deforestation, taking into account multiple commodities, land uses and stakeholders within a specific area. It enables the development and implementation of holistic strategies that address deforestation drivers effectively.

In Côte d’Ivoire, regional councils seem the most appropriate for dealing with this issue, both in terms of mandate and relevance at this scale for dealing with the specific challenges linked to the sector.

However, even if significant powers have been transferred to regional councils, the implementation process is still incomplete. A national decentralisation policy, accompanied by an operational plan, have been planned for several years but have yet to see the light of day.

https://durabilite-regions-ci.org

Home page of the Côte d’Ivoire regional sustainability scoreboard

The approach

The EU REDD Facility first sought to define the conditions under which regional councils could take the lead on sustainability actions implemented in their regions. Based on an in-depth documentary review, all the administrative, technical and financial elements needed to define these conditions have been identified. A particular focus was placed on the Mé Region and on the various financial options for strengthening the resources and capacities of the regional councils on a long-term basis. Based on this analysis, the Facility is now supporting the development of the Mé Region’s first regional Green Plan in collaboration with GIZ (ProAgriChains programme).

In collaboration with the MPD, the Facility has also supported the development of the regional sustainable scoreboard to characterise the level of sustainability of regions in Côte d’Ivoire and highlight the achievements of regions committed to the sustainable development of their territories.

Drawing on the Terpercaya initiative and the data already available, the Facility produced a preliminary map of the reference situation (2021) for the sustainability of the Ivorian regions, with a calculation method incorporating the weighting of each of the selected indicators. The aim now is to extend the map beyond the cocoa-producing regions.

Results and impact

In 2022, the studies and the regional sustainable scoreboard, respectively prepared by IRAM and Nitidæ, were finalised and presented to the main stakeholders: the Prime Minister’s Office, MPD, the Ministry of State for the Interior and Security, the Association of Regions and Districts of Côte d’Ivoire, IDH, GIZ and the EU.
The studies are:
- Definition of the conditions under which regional councils could provide leadership for sustainability actions implemented in their areas
- Report presenting the preferred administrative, technical and financial option for implementing a jurisdictional approach in the Mé region
In 2023, the collaboration among the EU REDD Facility, GIZ and the Regional Council of Mé has planned to support the development of the first regional Green Plan (2023-2026), which corresponds to the regional action plan for environmental and natural resource management mentioned in the Ivorian law on the transfer and distribution of State competencies to local authorities.
The Plan focuses on the forestry sector, associated biodiversity, and its interactions with the agricultural sector, the main direct driver of deforestation in the Mé region. It outlines the composition of steering and technical committees, lists relevant stakeholders, includes a diagnostic report and details the timeline of planned activities.
By implementing the Green Plan and the jurisdictional approach it envisages, the project aims to contribute to the sustainable development and resilience of the Mé region, making it a prosperous economic hub, a region of solidarity and inclusiveness, and a model for sustainable local development, which the Regional Council can promote to attract finance and investment.

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.