ABIDJAN, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire's Minister of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition Jacques Assahore Konan on Thursday said progress had been made by Cote d'Ivoire in its fight against deforestation.

"The results recorded in 2025 include the restoration of more than 61,000 hectares of degraded land, the operational launch of the National School of Water and Forests, and the strengthening of governance mechanisms in the sector," Konan said during a meeting in Abidjan.

"Cote d'Ivoire's forest cover, which stood at nearly 16 million hectares in the 1960s, has now declined to around 3 million hectares," he added.

Speaking about priorities for 2026, the minister underlined the need to intensify efforts against illegal logging, illegal gold mining and unlawful occupation of forests.

"We must involve local populations in forest restoration by developing agroforestry, village plantations and partnerships with producers," he said.