Ivory Coast in search of South African expertise to preserve its biodiversity
Over four days, Laurent Tchagba, the Ivorian Minister of Water and Forests, carried out official interviews and technical visits to benefit from South African expertise as part of the Anguédédou classified forest restoration project. It is one of the green lungs of the city of Abidjan which will thus be revamped in the image of the privileged natural spaces of Johannesburg or Cape Town.
Côte d'Ivoire has started extensive projects for the implementation of the 15th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG15) focused on the protection of terrestrial biodiversity. Among them is the restoration of the Anguédédou classified forest located in the city of Abidjan. This project involves the construction of a fence “to prevent further infiltration” , reforestation activities and the installation of a zoo.
Before starting the work, the Ivorian Minister of Water and Forests carried out a working mission to South Africa from November 4 to 7, 2023. Objective, to inquire about South African expertise in the preservation of wildlife and flora in natural spaces. Thus, Laurent Tchagba met his counterpart Barbara Creecy, as well as several experts including Michael Wright, CEO of the consulting company Sustain Ecotourism and Envrionmental which supports the development of natural spaces, particularly in the city of Cape Town.
Nature protection in focus
Together, the new partners agreed on the future development of the technical file including a feasibility study and a financing plan for the Anguédédou site. If Côte d'Ivoire is seeking the technical expertise of South Africa, it is because the rainbow nation is home to, for example, 858 species of birds and 299 species of mammals that it manages to add value through ecotourism. According to a report , this sector attracted up to 11.7 million international visitors to South Africa in 2014 alone.
For its part, Côte d'Ivoire has lost 90% of its forest cover in the space of six decades. Strengthening cooperation between Cape Town and Yamoussoukro should also accelerate the annual reforestation of 100,000 hectares of land announced in April 2023 by the Ivorian authorities. At a cost of 2 billion CFA francs (approximately 3 million euros), the project aims to carry out development plans and strengthen monitoring actions for at least 12 natural sites, notably the Laléraba classified forest located on the Burkinabè border.
