Madagascar

WCS in Madagascar

With its extraordinary, yet highly threatened endemic biodiversity, Madagascar is a global conservation priority. Poverty and unsustainable resource use are leading to the depletion of the island's biodiversity capital and having dramatic impacts on the mostly rural population. However, as Madagascar enters the third phase of its national environmental action plan, there is a new vision for the sustainable development of the country. WCS is a key partner in this plan, which encompasses the involvement of communities and the establishment of protected areas in an integrated approach to development and conservation. WCS has worked in Madagascar for over 13 years in site-based programs and on species-based conservation.  In the overall aim to inform sustainable resource use in Madagascar's unique terrestrial and marine environments, WCS' work is integrated in national and regional conservation planning and policy development initiatives.

The Human Aspect
Until recently, the Malagasy rural population had limited land tenure rights, little access to information, and minimal support for alternative livelihoods. This has had devastating consequences for both the country's natural environment and its people's standard of living. The catalyst for the change now taking place in Madagascar was the development of new legal mechanisms to empower and support communities in management of their forest and marine resources.

Threats
The majority of the biodiversity of Madagascar is found in the forests, which are also the direct source of livelihoods for over 90% of the country's population. Forests provide wood, non-timber forest products, and water for the rice-growing rural population. Madagascar has lost most of its forests and only around 15% of the land surface remains forested. This has been due, in recent times, to slash and burn agriculture, agricultural expansion, grazing, as well as uncontrolled wildfires. The poor infrastructure, particularly the lack of roads across the country also puts immense constraints on the ability for people to develop and have alternatives to destructive and unsustainable resource use.

WCS Activities 
WCS works in five key areas encompassing a range of biomes. In the north, Masoala and Makira forests, which represent over 10% of the remaining humid forests of Madagascar, are home to 50% of the country's biodiversity, and are the source of water for over 100,000 people. Nestled in Masoala peninsula, Antongil Bay is the largest calving and breeding ground for humpback whales in the Indian Ocean, and is home to rare species of sharks and reef fishes. The bay provides critical resources for half a million people and significant stocks for commercial fisheries. Sahamalaza is a marine biosphere reserve with important reef and mangrove systems and deciduous dry forests. This will soon be a new marine and coastal national park, supported by the local communities who are looking towards eco-tourism and management of the natural resources as a means to improve their livelihoods.  The Spiny Desert of southern Madagascar is home to some of the island's most traditional communities, with whom WCS is working in key areas to conserve the radiated tortoise and its habitat. Both play a strong role in the traditional beliefs and livelihoods of the local people.

The key strategies that underpin the work of WCS in Madagascar are:

• Building capacity through long-term support to national institutions, community associations, local NGOs and Malagasy scientists
• Providing technical support to assist communities and the government to plan and implement conservation and sustainable natural resource use
• Supporting conservation of biodiversity through protected areas
• Developing long term sustainable finance mechanisms for communities and national institutions
  

Important Next Steps 
WCS works at a national level on several "cross-cutting" projects, which have results beyond a particular site and which help drive new policies.
These include:

• Development and promotion of ecotourism in Madagascar
• Support to government institutions on setting national and regional conservation priorities
• Protected area management
• Support for a new policy on integrated coastal zone management and sustainable fisheries
• Development of conservation finance mechanisms for government institutions and local communities
• Development of conservation training curricula for universities and  governmental  institutions
• Continuing a Program of applied research in terrestrial and marine environments