Man, November 29, 2022: TRANSCO CLSG has officially handed over 30.6 hectares of reforestation plantation in the classified forest of Kouin, near Facobly, to authorities of Cote d’Ivoire through the Forest Development Company (SODEFOR), as a replacement for the area of forest destroyed during the CLSG project implementation. The ceremony was held on Monday, November 28, 2022, in Kuoa.
According to the Reference Database studies of the Environmental Components of the project area as carried out in Côte d’Ivoire during the construction phase of the 117 km CLSG Interconnection line in the Tonkpi region (Departments of Man and Danane) an area of 19 hectares of forests was impacted in the corridor.
In 2017, TRANSCO CLSG signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Forest Development Society (SODEFOR) of Côte d’Ivoire for the implementation of a reforestation program of 31 Hectares of Teak. This is in accordance with national regulations and Donors’ standards for the protection of the ecosystem.
At the turning-over ceremony, the Director General of SODEFOR, Mamadou Sangare, praised TRANSCO CLSG management for the magnificent job of replanting the trees that were destroyed during the CLSG project implementation. “TRANSCO has set a precedent,” he called on local government authorities to ensure that future project implementations in the forest are followed by TRANSCO’s example. “We are very excited about this development,” Director Sangare said.
Mr. IBO Blé Blaise, Sub-Prefect of Koua (Facobly prefecture) also lauded the management of TRANSCO CLSG for the “gift” and admonished the residents including the elders to ensure the plantation is protected and maintained. “This plantation is going to be very beneficial for all of us, so we must work hard to make sure no one misuses this forest.”
The Sub-Prefect was delighted with the replantation, especially the surplus TRANSCO granted to the forest of Kouin. “Today seems like an ordinary day, but it is not. Côte d’Ivoire is receiving 31 hectares of forest financed by TRANSCO instead of 19 hectares that were destroyed, as part of the interconnection project between Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. It pleases me that TRANSCO went beyond the surface it used. TRANSCO did not want to limit itself to the perimeter exploited so it replanted 31 hectares instead of 19 hectares. We are very grateful.” He lauded TRANSCO’s commitment to environmental and social issues.
For his part, Mr. Bailly said TRANSCO CLSG management followed best practices to replant the trees as part of the company’s policy that is within the framework of the implementation of the compensatory reforestation program under the CLSG Interconnection Project in Côte d’Ivoire.
He explained that similar reforestation activities were undertaken in Liberia (134 acres), Sierra Leone (194 acres), and Guinea (86 acres) respectively. He said the total hectare restored across the CLSG countries is 445 hectares. The purpose of reforestation, according to Mr. Bailly, is to mitigate the negative impact of the CLSG project on the environment.
Mr. Bailly explained that the reforestation program has been an exceptional success story as TRANSCO CLSG made sure to comply with donors’ guidelines to meet the expectations of the countries.
He said the CLSG project aims to meet the environmental and social requirements, not only prescribed by the directives of the donors but also based on the principle of TRANSCO CLSG. “For us, a project must be able to respect and protect human life including the culture and heritage of the affected populations. This is what we in TRANSCO CLSG believe in and are doing today.”
Mr. Etienne BAILLY, TRANSCO CLSG Director of Project Implementation co-chaired with the General Manager of SODEFOR to hand over the plantation in the classified forest of Kouin in Facobly, near Man city.
SODEFOR is responsible for the protection of the forest of Côte d’Ivoire. Its mission is to participate in developing and implementing government policy to enrich the national forest heritage, develop forest production, promote products, and safeguard forest areas.
