Ivory Coast-AIP/ More than 5,600 hectares of forest destroyed by mining between 2001 and 2020 (Study)

The information was revealed by Dr. Valé Dégny Prince, a lecturer and researcher at Jean Lorougnon Guédé University and associate researcher at the “Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire” (CSRS).

He was speaking at a workshop on the impact of mining activities on deforestation, held on Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Adiopodoumé, on the road to Dabou. The meeting served as a forum for presenting the results of the research project entitled “Conservation challenges in the face of gold mining expansion in Côte d'Ivoire,” conducted in partnership with the CSRS, Jean Lorougnon Guédé University, and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

According to Dr. Valé, the indirect effects of mining on forests are even more alarming.

“For every hectare of forest directly destroyed by mines, 163 hectares are indirectly lost. Off-site impacts can extend up to five kilometers around mines and persist for 10 years,” he said, adding that these losses are mainly linked to the socio-economic dynamics generated by the opening of mining sites.

The study is based on the analysis of high-resolution land use maps, combined with a statistical approach based on the stepwise difference method.

For the researcher, this initiative is part of a process of co-production of knowledge between local and international institutions, with a view to providing solid scientific data to inform public policy and strengthen conservation strategies in West Africa.

A specialist in conservation biology and wildlife management, Dr. Valé Dégny Prince focuses her work on assessing and mitigating the environmental impacts of industrial development projects, with a particular interest in protecting critical wildlife habitats.

(AIP)//tg/sn/fmo