Côte d'Ivoire's "sacred forests", an invaluable source of biodiversity to preserve

"The forest has been an integral part of our village, of our lives, for centuries. It protects us, soothes us, listens to us. [...]. We want to preserve it and we want to safeguard it. Without it, we lose our soul, we lose our identity," says a resident of the village of Yepleu, in the county of Biankouma, in Côte d’Ivoire.

"Sacred forests” represent one of Côte d’Ivoire’s most invaluable sources of biodiversity, offering a range of social, economic and environmental benefits.

Over the past few decades, these forests and the riches they hold have been deteriorating rapidly and are now facing serious threat of disappearance.

World Environment Day reminds us that the clock is ticking for countries like Côte d’Ivoire, and for the entire planet, as biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution continues to accelerate at an alarming rate. Left unchecked, these trends are causing entire ecosystems to disappear, endangering human health and wellbeing and triggering more resource-based conflicts.   

The UN calls for urgent action to start turning the tide against these devastating but avoidable effects of human activities. Read this story to learn the many ways in which the UN is helping preserve and ensure the sustainable management of Côte d’Ivoire “sacred forests”. Take action by joining the #OnlyOneEarth campaign to celebrate, protect and restore planet Earth.

This video was produced by the UNESCO Office in Côte d'Ivoire, with support from the UN Peacebuilding Fund.