Investigating the management of public parks and gardens of Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)

Abstract

The study highlights the factors of the state of public parks and gardens in Abidjan . This research was based on documentary research and direct observation. The review is completed by the inventory of the physical assets and surveys of municipal services, the district of Abidjan and users conducted in 2015 and 2020. The results revealed that there were  120 public parks and gardens available in the city of Abidjan. These parks and gardens are organised into four main categories: forest parks, classical gardens, and gardens integrated into the housing and road network. Furthermore, our results revealed that the state of the services offered by these green spaces is declining at various levels. This is due to the uneven distribution of public services t to satisfy public demand. The supply of services is also decreasing with the disappearance of 13.4% of public gardens and the degradation of 43% of these spaces. Despite public efforts to manage the heritage directly or indirectly via private partners and through residents, the situation remains problematic. The inadequacy of the funds allocated, the lack of synergy in the action of public services and the incivism of the population are proving to be at the origin of this situation. Moreover, the lack of ecological culture among 40% of the population and global warming.