Jean-Paul Aka

Jean-Paul Aka is an agricultural engineer and expert in forest governance, climate, and sustainable agriculture, with over 15 years of experience across West Africa. As Head of the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Unit at UNDP Côte d’Ivoire, he leads national initiatives that integrate sustainable agriculture, forestry, and carbon finance to drive the transition toward a zero-deforestation economy. He played a key role in establishing the national carbon market framework and promoting jurisdictional approaches linking cocoa, forests, and land tenure. Through flagship initiatives such as Cocoa Carbone+ and Côte d’Ivoire Bleue, he fosters innovative partnerships for land tenure security, climate-smart agriculture, and compliance with emerging environmental regulations.