Deforestation and Forest land Use in Côte d'Ivoire: Policy and Fiscal Instruments

Abstract

This paper investigated policies that drive the sustainable management of Ivorian forest which disappear at an annual rate of 250000 hectares. Based on an inter-temporal model for optimum allocation of forest land to three competing uses, the article found that sustainability depends on the incentive structure, of which forest taxes and fees are a key, though obviously not the sole, component. The study proposed to increase the area fee level by accounting for environmental externalities generated by forest harvesters and farmers. The paper showed that the area fee is a decreasing function of the forest natural rate of regeneration and the reconversion rate of agricultural surfaces. Finally, at the given forest natural rate of regeneration and the reconversion rate of agricultural surfaces, the model argued that the area fee need to be progressive (arithmetic progression) in the context of ecological equilibrium break while it should remain constant in normal situation.