Assessment of Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in West Africa

Ana Lourenço, Adia Bey, Elisee Tchana, Ebunoluwa Ajagun, Etse Komla,
Babacar Ndao, Isaac Nyaneyon Kannah, and Remi D’Annunzio

2025

This report presents the methodology and main findings of an assessment conducted between 2015 and 2020 to identify the primary drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in West Africa. Developed under the project “Global Transformation of Forests for People and Climate,” this assessment supports regional forest governance by providing robust, participatory, and data-driven insights.Combining a systematic literature review with spatial analysis using high-resolution satellite imagery and open-source tools such as SEPAL and Collect Earth, the methodology enabled the identification of changes in land use and forest cover across 64 000 sample plots. National experts from West African countries contributed to the prioritization and interpretation of drivers, ensuring local relevance and ownership.The results reveal that small-scale agriculture, logging, and fire are the predominant drivers of forest change, often occurring in combination within the same plot. These findings highlight the complexity of deforestation and degradation processes and underscore the need for integrated responses. The study also maps the spatial distribution of drivers across countries and provides recommendations for national adaptation of the methodology, policy integration, and community engagement.This assessment offers a replicable framework for understanding forest loss in West Africa and sets the stage for more targeted, science-based forest monitoring and management at both national and regional levels.