Jean-Luc Kouassi

@inphb.edu.ci

Unité Mixte de Recherche et d'Innovation Sciences Agronomiques et Procédés de Transformation
Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouet-Boigny

Jean-Luc Kouassi


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https://researchid.co/maculata
Jean-Luc Kouassi is a Fire Ecology, (Agro)forestry & GIS Scientist, working on designing and implementing climate change mitigation programmes. Jean-Luc is an Assistant Professor at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute (INP-HB). He also graduated from the INP-HB with a Ph.D. in Agricultural Sciences and Rural Engineering (2019) and an Engineering degree in Forestry (2014).
He is an experienced scientist involved in several forestry and agroforestry, ecosystem and fire management, sustainable agriculture, agricultural training, GIS and geospatial data application projects and consultancies.
He is passionate about development and research initiatives in forestry/environmental management and empowering communities.
He is the author and co-author of several scientific articles and conference papers on fire management, cocoa agroforestry and on-farm shade tree management and deforestation monitoring.

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Forestry, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Environmental Science
12

Scopus Publications

434

Scholar Citations

11

Scholar h-index

11

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Beyond degradation metrics: Ecological value of degraded forests and implications for evidence-based forest policy in Côte d'Ivoire
    Bi Gala Jean-Marc Zaouri, Jean-Luc Kouassi, Anicet Cyrille Kambou, Djetouan Dieudonné Akian, Tiodionwa Abdoulaye Ouattara, et al.
    Scientific African, 2026
  • Cities and climate change: combining bibliometric trends and city-level evidence to understand the connections between urban resilience and adaptive capacity
    Walter Leal Filho, Roberto Schoproni Bichueti, Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis, Halima Begum, Paul O'Hare, et al.
    Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 2026
  • HTAP3 Fires: towards a multi-model, multi-pollutant study of fire impacts
    Cynthia H. Whaley, Tim Butler, Jose A. Adame, Rupal Ambulkar, Steve R. Arnold, et al.
    Geoscientific Model Development, 2025
    Open biomass burning has major impacts globally and regionally on atmospheric composition. Fire emissions include particulate matter, tropospheric ozone precursors, and greenhouse gases, as well as persistent organic pollutants, mercury, and other metals. Fire frequency, intensity, duration, and location are changing as the climate warms, and modelling these fires and their impacts is becoming more and more critical to inform climate adaptation and mitigation, as well as land management. Indeed, the air pollution from fires can reverse the progress made by emission controls on industry and transportation. At the same time, nearly all aspects of fire modelling – such as emissions, plume injection height, long-range transport, and plume chemistry – are highly uncertain. This paper outlines a multi-model, multi-pollutant, multi-regional study to improve the understanding of the uncertainties and variability in fire atmospheric science, models, and fires' impacts, in addition to providing quantitative estimates of the air pollution and radiative impacts of biomass burning. Coordinated under the auspices of the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution, the international atmospheric modelling and fire science communities are working towards the common goal of improving global fire modelling and using this multi-model experiment to provide estimates of fire pollution for impact studies. This paper outlines the research needs, opportunities, and options for the fire-focused multi-model experiments and provides guidance for these modelling experiments, outputs, and analyses that are to be pursued over the next 3 to 5 years. The paper proposes a plan for delivering specific products at key points over this period to meet important milestones relevant to science and policy audiences.
  • Drivers of cocoa agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers around the Taï National Park in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire
    Jean-Luc Kouassi, Lucien Diby, Dieudonné Konan, Allegra Kouassi, Yeboi Bene, et al.
    Scientific Reports, 2023
    The encroachment of agricultural expansion into protected areas has led to severe biodiversity loss. To promote sustainable agriculture practices and reverse the anthropogenic pressure, several initiatives such as the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI) and the National Strategy for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), have been undertaken. This study examines the adoption of cocoa agroforestry by smallholder farmers in the vicinity of the Taï National Park (TNP) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. A structured questionnaire was administered to 323 cocoa farmers to understand their practices and perceptions of cocoa agroforestry. Results showed that most farmers (95%) grow unimproved cocoa varieties with an average yield of 376 ± 36 kg ha−1 year−1. The majority of farmers (86%) use agroforestry practices in their farming systems, with pruning techniques being used by 82% and fertilizers applied by 27%. Additionally, 54% of farmers are adopting improved agroforestry practices or planting more trees in their cocoa plantations. Factors influencing cocoa agroforestry adoption include gender, the length of residency, the number of cultivated cash crops and the incidence of black pod attacks. These findings highlight the potential to leverage community knowledge in promoting sustainable agricultural practices and generate positive impacts. These results have important implications for future initiatives aiming to promote sustainable agriculture practices and biodiversity conservation in the region. By capitalizing on the adoption of agroforestry and leveraging socioeconomic factors, it is possible to enhance the conservation of the TNP and promote sustainable cocoa farming practices.
  • Exploring spatio-temporal trends and environmental drivers of wildfire occurrence and impacts in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa
    Jean‐Luc Kouassi, Narcisse Wandan, Cheikh Mbow
    African Journal of Ecology, 2022
    Wildfires are a significant threat to environmental, social, economic and agricultural systems. This study investigated the spatiotemporal trends in wildfire activity and its interactions with climate and environmental factors in Côte d'Ivoire through remotely sensed MODIS data associated with climate, biophysical and anthropogenic data. We analysed relationships between wildfire occurrence and climate drivers using cross‐correlations, while Pearson chi‐squared and Kruskal–Wallis tests were selected to identify linkages between qualitative and quantitative environmental data, respectively. Seasonal Kendall and Sen's slope approaches were applied for trend analysis. During the period 2001–2019, 8150 wildfires were recorded annually, burning 2.69 million hectares per year, representing about 8.34% of Côte d'Ivoire. Fire detections and burnt areas highlighted a downward trend in all ecoregions with a predominance in the Sudanian zone. Wildfire occurrence showed a significant and strongly negative link with relative humidity and visibility, as well as a significant and positive correlation with maximum temperature, thermal amplitude and vapour‐pressure deficit. Also, the spatial distribution of wildfires was significantly conditioned by environmental factors. The findings of this study will help decision makers and managers to make decisions to reduce the vulnerability of local populations to current and future wildfire hazards.
  • Observed climate trends, perceived impacts and community adaptation practices in Côte d’Ivoire
    Jean-Luc Kouassi, Narcisse Wandan, Cheikh Mbow
    Environmental and Socio Economic Studies, 2022
    Climate change is a serious threat to local communities in West Africa. This study evaluated climatic trends and the perceptions of farmers to climate change in central Côte d’Ivoire. We surveyed 259 households across three agro-ecological zones. The knowledge of farmers about climate change was compared to observed trends of various climatic parameters from meteorological records (1973-2016). Results from trend analysis and descriptive analysis showed that the minimum, maximum and mean temperatures and rainfall showed a significant upward trend in all ecoregions. The average temperature and amount of rainfall increased by 3.2% (0.89°C) and 166.58% (645.5 mm) respectively over the 44 years. Local farmers perceived an increasing trend in temperature (all respondents) and a decreasing trend in rainfall (91.51%). Most of the respondents identified deforestation (76.83%), natural climate variation (50.97%) and wildfires (31.27%) as the main causes of these climatic disturbances, which induced plant dieback (92.66%), poor crop growth (59.46%) and crop loss (20.46%). The impacts on people and their assets encompassed a decrease in household income (63.71%), demolition of roofs (44..4%) and walls (43.91%) of houses, the scarcity of water points (39.38%) and the emergence of new diseases (30.89%). These climatic disturbances resulted in specific endogenous on-farm and off-farm strategies to adapt to the impacts of observed changes on their livelihoods.
  • Exploring Wildfire Occurrence: Local Farmers’ Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies in Central Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa
    Jean-Luc Kouassi, Narcisse Wandan, Cheikh Mbow
    Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2022
  • Exploring barriers to agroforestry adoption by cocoa farmers in south-western Côte d’Ivoire
    Jean-Luc Kouassi, Allegra Kouassi, Yeboi Bene, Dieudonné Konan, Ebagnerin J. Tondoh, et al.
    Sustainability Switzerland, 2021
    Agroforestry is part of the package of good agricultural practices (GAPs) referred to as a reference to basic environmental and operational conditions necessary for the safe, healthy, and sustainable production of cocoa. Furthermore, cocoa agroforestry is one of the most effective nature-based solutions to address global change including land degradation, nutrient depletion, climate change, biodiversity loss, food and nutrition insecurity, and rural poverty and current cocoa supply chain issues. This study was carried out in South-Western Côte d’Ivoire through a household survey to assess the willingness of cocoa farmers to adopt cocoa agroforestry, a key step towards achieving sustainability in the cocoa supply chain markedly threatened by all types of biophysical and socio-economic challenges. In total, 910 cocoa households were randomly selected and individually interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Findings revealed that from the overwhelming proportion of farmers practicing full-sun cocoa farming with little or no companion trees associated, 50.2 to 82.1% were willing to plant and to keep fewer than 20 trees per ha in their farms for more than 20 years after planting. The most preferred trees provide a range of ecosystem services, including timber and food production, as well as shade regulation. More than half of the interviewed households considered keeping in their trees in their plantations for more than 20 years subject to the existence of a formal contract to protect their rights and tree ownership. This opinion is significantly affected by age, gender, access to seedlings of companion trees and financial resources. A bold step forward towards transitioning to cocoa agroforestry and thereby agroecological intensification lies in (i) solving the issue of land tenure and tree ownership by raising awareness about the new forest code and, particularly, the understanding of cocoa agroforestry, (ii) highlighting the added value of trees in cocoa lands, and (iii) facilitating access to improved cocoa companion tree materials and incentives. Trends emerged from this six-year-old study about potential obstacles likely to impede the adoption of agroforestry by cocoa farmers meet the conclusions of several studies recently rolled out in the same region for a sustainable cocoa sector, thereby confirming that not only the relevance of this work but also its contribution to paving the way for the promotion of agroecological transition in cocoa farming.
  • Assessing land use and land cover change and farmers’ perceptions of deforestation and land degradation in south-west Côte d’Ivoire,West Africa
    Jean-Luc Kouassi, Amos Gyau, Lucien Diby, Yeboi Bene, Christophe Kouamé
    Land, 2021
    Deforestation and land degradation remain two major economic and environmental threats in Côte d’Ivoire. This study assessed land use and land cover (LULC) change and farmers’ perceptions of the drivers and effects of deforestation and land degradation in south-western Côte d’Ivoire. We used remotely sensed data to determine LULC change trends, and a household survey to collect farmers’ perceptions of deforestation and land degradation. A total of 411 households were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and the focus group discussions involved 25 farmers. Landsat image analysis reported a drastic LULC change and a conversion of forestlands into agriculture from 1987 to 2015 at a rate of 1.44%/year and 3.44%/year for dense forests and degraded forests, respectively. The household survey revealed that the major causes of deforestation perceived by farmers included population growth (79.3%), extensive agriculture (72.9%), migration (54.2%) and logging (47.7%). Land degradation evolved, from a shortened fallow period (46.7%) and an inappropriate application of inputs (31.4%). The perceived major effects linked to deforestation encompassed land degradation (70.6%), loss of biodiversity (63.8%), global warming (56.9%) and loss of livelihood assets (54.3%). Therefore, this study recommends participatory landscape planning, reforestation and capacity building of stakeholders for sustainable intensification of the production systems to reduce LULC challenges for enhanced productive and protective functions of remaining forests.
  • Correction: Assessing the impact of climate variability on wildfires in the nzi river watershed in central côte divoire (Fire 2018, 1, 36)
    Jean-Luc Kouakou Kouassi, Narcisse Eboua Wandan, Cheikh Mbow
    Fire, 2020
    The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
  • Predictive modeling of wildfire occurrence and damage in a tropical savanna ecosystem of west Africa
    Jean-Luc Kouassi, Narcisse Wandan, Cheikh Mbow
    Fire, 2020
  • Assessing the impact of climate variability on wildfires in the n’zi river watershed in central Côte D’Ivoire
    Jean-Luc Kouakou Kouassi, Narcisse Eboua Wandan, Cheikh Mbow
    Fire, 2018

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Cities and climate change: combining bibliometric trends and city-level evidence to understand the connections between urban resilience and adaptive capacity
    W Leal Filho, RS Bichueti, MAP Dinis, H Begum, P O’Hare, K Malakar, ...
    Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 101277 , 2026
    2026
  • Beyond degradation metrics: Ecological value of degraded forests and implications for evidence-based forest policy in Côte d'Ivoire
    BGJM Zaouri, JL Kouassi, AC Kambou, DD Akian, TA Ouattara, IC Zo-Bi, ...
    Scientific African, e03317 , 2026
    2026
    Citations: 1
  • HTAP3 Fires: towards a multi-model, multi-pollutant study of fire impacts
    CH Whaley, T Butler, JA Adame, R Ambulkar, SR Arnold, RR Buchholz, ...
    Geoscientific Model Development 18 (11), 3265-3309 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 11
  • Drivers of cocoa agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers around the Taï National Park in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire
    JL Kouassi, L Diby, D Konan, A Kouassi, Y Bene, C Kouamé
    Scientific Reports 13 (1), 14309 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 53
  • Exploring spatio‐temporal trends and environmental drivers of wildfire occurrence and impacts in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    African Journal of Ecology 60 (4), 1218-1236 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 11
  • Observed climate trends, perceived impacts and community adaptation practices in Côte d’Ivoire
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    Environmental & Socio-economic Studies 10 (3), 43-58 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 6
  • Exploring Wildfire Occurrence: Local Farmers' Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies in Central Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    Journal of Sustainable Forestry 41 (2), 173-192 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 21
  • Exploring barriers to agroforestry adoption by cocoa farmers in South-Western Côte d’Ivoire
    JL Kouassi, A Kouassi, Y Bene, D Konan, EJ Tondoh, C Kouame
    Sustainability 13 (23), 13075 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 58
  • Assessing land use and land cover change and farmers’ perceptions of deforestation and land degradation in South-West Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa
    JL Kouassi, A Gyau, L Diby, Y Bene, C Kouamé
    Land 10 (4), 429 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 167
  • Predictive Modeling of Wildfire Occurrence and Damage in a Tropical Savanna Ecosystem of West Africa
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    Fire 3 (3), 42 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 21
  • Variabilité climatique, dynamique des feux de végétation et perceptions locales dans le bassin versant du N'Zi (Centre de la Côte d'Ivoire)
    JL Kouassi
    Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 12
  • Comparison of grafting techniques and their effects on some growth parameters of ten elite cocoa clones (Theobroma cacao L.)
    KD Kouassi, J Kahia, L Diby, JL Kouassi, K Bene, C Kouame
    African Journal of Agricultural Research 13 (41), 2249-2255 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 17
  • Assessing the Impact of Climate Variability on Wildfires in the N’Zi River Watershed in Central Côte d’Ivoire
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    Fire 1 (3), 36 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 24
  • Effect of inoculating seeds with Bradyrhizobium japonicum on the agronomic performance of five varieties of soybean (Glycine max) in Côte d'Ivoire
    JC N'Zi, AP Koua, KD Kouassi, J Kahia, JL Kouassi, SPNG Assanvo, ...
    African Journal of Agricultural Research 10 (37), 3671-3677 , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 6
  • Suivi de la dynamique de l'occupation du sol à l'aide de l'imagerie satellitaire et des Systèmes d'Informations Géographiques : Cas de la Direction Régionale des Eaux et Forêts …
    JL Kouassi
    Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 26

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Assessing land use and land cover change and farmers’ perceptions of deforestation and land degradation in South-West Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa
    JL Kouassi, A Gyau, L Diby, Y Bene, C Kouamé
    Land 10 (4), 429 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 167
  • Exploring barriers to agroforestry adoption by cocoa farmers in South-Western Côte d’Ivoire
    JL Kouassi, A Kouassi, Y Bene, D Konan, EJ Tondoh, C Kouame
    Sustainability 13 (23), 13075 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 58
  • Drivers of cocoa agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers around the Taï National Park in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire
    JL Kouassi, L Diby, D Konan, A Kouassi, Y Bene, C Kouamé
    Scientific Reports 13 (1), 14309 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 53
  • Suivi de la dynamique de l'occupation du sol à l'aide de l'imagerie satellitaire et des Systèmes d'Informations Géographiques : Cas de la Direction Régionale des Eaux et Forêts …
    JL Kouassi
    Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 26
  • Assessing the Impact of Climate Variability on Wildfires in the N’Zi River Watershed in Central Côte d’Ivoire
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    Fire 1 (3), 36 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 24
  • Exploring Wildfire Occurrence: Local Farmers' Perceptions and Adaptation Strategies in Central Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    Journal of Sustainable Forestry 41 (2), 173-192 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 21
  • Predictive Modeling of Wildfire Occurrence and Damage in a Tropical Savanna Ecosystem of West Africa
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    Fire 3 (3), 42 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 21
  • Comparison of grafting techniques and their effects on some growth parameters of ten elite cocoa clones (Theobroma cacao L.)
    KD Kouassi, J Kahia, L Diby, JL Kouassi, K Bene, C Kouame
    African Journal of Agricultural Research 13 (41), 2249-2255 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 17
  • Variabilité climatique, dynamique des feux de végétation et perceptions locales dans le bassin versant du N'Zi (Centre de la Côte d'Ivoire)
    JL Kouassi
    Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 12
  • HTAP3 Fires: towards a multi-model, multi-pollutant study of fire impacts
    CH Whaley, T Butler, JA Adame, R Ambulkar, SR Arnold, RR Buchholz, ...
    Geoscientific Model Development 18 (11), 3265-3309 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 11
  • Exploring spatio‐temporal trends and environmental drivers of wildfire occurrence and impacts in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    African Journal of Ecology 60 (4), 1218-1236 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 11
  • Observed climate trends, perceived impacts and community adaptation practices in Côte d’Ivoire
    JL Kouassi, N Wandan, C Mbow
    Environmental & Socio-economic Studies 10 (3), 43-58 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 6
  • Effect of inoculating seeds with Bradyrhizobium japonicum on the agronomic performance of five varieties of soybean (Glycine max) in Côte d'Ivoire
    JC N'Zi, AP Koua, KD Kouassi, J Kahia, JL Kouassi, SPNG Assanvo, ...
    African Journal of Agricultural Research 10 (37), 3671-3677 , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 6
  • Beyond degradation metrics: Ecological value of degraded forests and implications for evidence-based forest policy in Côte d'Ivoire
    BGJM Zaouri, JL Kouassi, AC Kambou, DD Akian, TA Ouattara, IC Zo-Bi, ...
    Scientific African, e03317 , 2026
    2026
    Citations: 1
  • Cities and climate change: combining bibliometric trends and city-level evidence to understand the connections between urban resilience and adaptive capacity
    W Leal Filho, RS Bichueti, MAP Dinis, H Begum, P O’Hare, K Malakar, ...
    Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 101277 , 2026
    2026