ABIDJAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire is determined to turn reforestation into a real driver of economic, social and environmental development, Ivorian Minister of Water and Forests Jacques Assahore Konan said Friday.
Speaking at the official celebration of the 2026 National Tree Day, Konan said the country aims to raise its forest coverage to at least 20 percent of the national territory by 2030.
The objective is supported by several major programs focusing on forest landscape restoration, urban forestry and sustainable water resource management, with support from technical and financial partners, he said.
The minister also called on all citizens to contribute to restoring the country's forest resources.
According to the Ivorian authorities, the degradation of the country's forest coverage is mainly attributed to extensive agriculture, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, population growth, bushfires, illegal gold mining and urbanization.
Official data show that the country's forest area has declined from about 16 million hectares in the 1960s to less than 3 million hectares today, accounting for less than 10 percent of the national territory.
To reverse this trend and achieve the 20 percent forest coverage target by 2030, the government has implemented a policy focused on the conservation, restoration and expansion of forest areas. ■