Replication Package for “Forest management plan validation gradually reduces forest loss in Congo Basin concessions”

This replication package is a companion to Houngbedji, K., Bouvier, M., Leblois, A., Makak, J.S., and Mertens, B. Forest management plan validation gradually reduces forest loss in Congo Basin concessions. <i>Commun Earth Environ</i> (2026).The package provides the data and code required to reproduce the results presented in the paper. It combines satellite-derived measures of forest cover, forest loss, undisturbed and regenerating tropical moist forests with administrative information on forest concessions and forest management plans across the Congo Basin.The repository includes:Processed datasets ("data/final") containing all key variables needed to replicate the empirical results without redistributing restricted raw data.Stata do-files ("code/stata") for data construction and statistical analysis, including the implementation of counterfactual impact evaluation methods used in the paper.Google Earth Engine (GEE) scripts ("code/gee") used to extract and process satellite-derived datasets at the concession level.Documentation describing data sources, file structure, replication workflow, and the purpose of each dataset and script.Replication can be performed either:Using the processed datasets included in the package and running "00_main_dofile_with_final_data.do", orUsing the raw data sources (where access is available) to reconstruct the processed datasets and running "00_main_dofile_with_raw_data.do".Data AvailabilitySome raw administrative data on forest concessions and proprietary information on donor-funded projects supporting forest management plans cannot be redistributed due to licensing and access restrictions. Links to the original data providers and detailed instructions for obtaining these data are provided in the documentation. All variables derived from restricted sources that are required to reproduce the paper’s results are included in the processed datasets.