Guinean Forests Integrated Program

A regional initiative to protect and restore West Africa’s Guinean Forests through sustainable management, inclusive governance, and resilient, nature-based livelihoods.

The Guinean Forests Integrated Program is a five-year, US$ 22 million initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility and led by Conservation International.

The program aims to protect and improve the effective governance of the Guinean Forests in order to maximize global environmental benefits, contribute to the health of the planet, and the flow of vital ecosystem services that underpin human well-being. This initiative is a part of the Global Environment Facility's GEF-8 Critical Forest Biomes Program.

Why the Guinean Forests matter

The Guinean Forests are a critical lifeline for West Africa's biodiversity, climate resilience, and the livelihoods of millions who depend on their ecosystem services. This region is of crucial importance because it encompasses:

Vital ecosystem services: Forests support biodiversity, regulate climate, and sustain the livelihoods of millions across the region.
High threat levels: Deforestation is driven by agricultural expansion, unsustainable logging, mining, bushmeat trade, and climate change.
Transboundary impacts: Threats like illegal logging, artisanal mining, and wildlife trade cross national borders, requiring regional solutions.
Socioeconomic vulnerability: Poverty, inequality, and weak governance make conservation both a challenge and a necessity for long-term development.

Regional reach

The program aims to protect and improve effective forest governance across seven countries: Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

Our expected impact

2.2 million

hectares restored

133 million

metric tons of greenhouse gases emissions mitigated

10.6 million

hectares under improved practices

1.8 million

people benefiting from GEF investments

Through these targets, seeks to build resilient landscapes and communities, promoting long-term environmental health and social well-being.

A strategic approach to forest restoration

The program components for the Guinean Forests Integrated Program aim to generate multiple lasting environmental and socioeconomic benefits by implementing integrated and innovative strategies to combat land degradation and forest loss including:

Component 1: Gender-responsive land use planning and spatial analysis.
Component 2: Expand and improve management of forests in protected areas and OECMs.
Component 3: Sustainable land use linked to improved gender-responsive participatory and equitable forest management outside protected areas.
Component 4: Policy engagement to improve gender-responsive and inclusive enabling conditions for forest conservation and management.
Component 5: Regional cooperation, knowledge sharing, and learning.
Component 6: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework.