Côte D'ivoire - Forestry

There are three types of forest in Côte d'Ivoire: rain forest, deciduous forest, and the secondary forest of the savanna region. Total forest area in 2000 was 7,117,000 ha (17,586,000 acres); the natural rain forest constitutes the main forest area, as only 184,000 ha (455,000 acres) are planted forests. In 1983, the government acknowledged that the nation's forest area, which totaled approximately 16 million ha (40 million acres) at independence in 1960, had dwindled to about four million ha (10 million acres). However, the deforestation rate still averaged3.1% during 1990–2000. The forested area is divided into two zones, the Permanent Domain (PD) and the Rural Domain (RD). The PD consists of classified forests, national parks, and forest areas. This includes 242 major forested areas made up of 177 classified forest areas, nine national parks and three forest reserves, seven semi-classified forests, and 51 unclassified forests. The total area of the national parks and reserves is two million ha (4.9 million acres). Forest exploitation activities are prohibited in the 177 classified forest areas, which cover an estimated 4,196,000 ha (10,368,000 acres). The RD, where logging is permitted, covers 66% of the total land area of Côte d'Ivoire. However, the effective area for forestry production is estimated at 2.9 million ha (7.2 million acres). Since June 1995, concession size in the RD has been enlarged to 25,000–75,000 ha (61,800–185,300 acres) and renamed "Perimetre," of which there were 231 in 2001.

In 2000, forest products accounted for $192.5 million in export value, providing the second most important source of foreign revenue after cocoa. The major export markets were Spain, France, India, China, Italy, Thailand, Senegal, Germany, the Netherlands, and Morocco. The total 2000 roundwood harvest was 11,945,000 cu m (421,659,000 cu ft). Tropical hardwood production primarily consists of logs, 71%; lumber, 21%; veneer, 7; and plywood, 1%. At one time, mahogany was the only wood exploited, but now more than 25 different types of wood are utilized commercially. The major species planted are teak, frake, framire, pine, samba, cedar, gmelina, niangon, and bete. The increasing scarcity of forest resources is adversely impacting value-added industries, leaving lumber and veneer production in a steady state of decline.