MG0020 Madagascar: WWF Programme Office

Project Summary:
This project supports the WWF Madagascar Programme Office, the
role of which is to assure coordination and oversight of the WWF
Madagascar country programme.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 100
|
Project Background:
View Map
Madagascar is a key conservation priority for WWF because of its
unique species and habitats. In 1970 an IUCN conference, held
in the capital Antananarivo, established priorities for a national
conservation programme. This project began in 1976 to help develop
a National Conservation Strategy for Madagascar. WWF Representation
was officially established in Madagascar in June 1979.
Project Objectives:
1. To protect the biodiversity and maintenance of ecological
functions in Madagascar to assure harmony between people and nature.
2. To promote sustainable management of renewable natural resources
in selected zones.
3. To change people's attitudes and behaviour towards the environment.
4. To reinforce local capacity.
5. To protect species and sites.
6. To carry out actions leading to the application of adequate
legislation.
7. To ensure that appropriate management, monitoring, and evaluation
mechanisms are in place.
MG0020.1: WWF Programme Office (Apr. 78 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
Madagascar is of priority interest to WWF and continues to rank
high in countries in need of conservation attention. Over the
years, WWF has tried and tested various actions to strategically
promote conservation. This approach has led to the identification
of three major WWF activities in Madagascar: education, protected
areas management, and institutional support. The programmatic
approach to WWF's activities in Madagascar guarantees links between
these themes and facilitates the establishment of indicators of
achievement for the programme as a whole. The WWF
Madagascar Programme has grown markedly in its operational activities
(field projects) and personnel. To maintain the momentum which
has made WWF the driving force for conservation in Madagascar,
support for the programme must be continued. The Madagascar Programme
budget in FY1995/96 was about CHF5 million, of which one-fifth
was required from private sector funds. This demonstrates the
pro-active fundraising approach that programme staff and colleagues
have adopted. The Madagascar Programme demonstrates clearly how
"need" (biological importance and level of threat),
"vision" (assessing priorities and strategic planning),
"drive" (motivation and energy of project executants,
in-country personnel and partners), and "reorientation"
(follow-up, evaluation, and direction), can bring about a successful
conservation programme.
Activity Objectives:
1. To coordinate and manage the WWF Madagascar Programme and
direct the WWF Programme Office in Antananarivo.
2. To exercise responsibility for all WWF funds, equipment, and
facilities within Madagascar and oversee the activities of all
WWF staff and project personnel in the country.
3. To ensure that all WWF projects in Madagascar are properly
managed, including review and approval of project workplans, budgets,
and technical and financial reports.
4. To ensure a strategic focus in the development of WWF's Madagascar
Programme at appropriate national and international fora.
5. To develop a communications strategy to promote WWF's policies
and to publicize WWF's projects and activities.
6. To approve media and news releases.
7. To assist with and provide advice and support to WWF fundraising
activities undertaken in Madagascar.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To develop the highest priority activities in the Strategic
Plan.
2. To integrate fundraising and communications activities into
the programme.
3. To participate strongly in the NEAP 2.
Activity Biomes:
Agricultural Land; Coral Reefs; Lake Systems; Littoral Zones;
Mangrove; Marshes/Swamps; Mixed Mountain Systems; Tropical Dry
Forest; Tropical Moist Forest; Tropical Woodland; Urban Zones.
Activity Methods:
Communications; Institutional Support and Development; Lobbying;
Policy Development; Programme / Project Development; Programme
/ Project Evaluation; Training.
MG0023 Madagascar: Environmental Education Programme
Project Summary:
The ultimate aim of WWF's environmental education (EE) programme
in Madagascar is to transform attitudes towards the environment
in such a way that humans live in harmony with nature. In pursuit
of this goal, the programme carries out a wide spectrum of activities,
including the incorporation of EE in the official school curriculum;
teacher training; production of education materials; the establishment
of EE centres; education outreach around priority protected areas;
publication of an environment and pedagogy magazine for secondary
schools; and increasing the capacity of local NGOs. This ambitious
programme is managed entirely by Malagasy professionals.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 100 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
View Map
In 1986 the government of Madagascar and WWF signed an agreement
under which WWF would play a key role in environmental education
(EE). A nationwide programme for schools was established. Although
initial efforts were focused on the primary school curriculum,
the intention was to extend this subproject to secondary
schools. A commission was set up by WWF and the Ministère
de l'Education Nationale (MEN [Ministry of Education]) to identify
priorities and to draft an addendum to the existing school curriculum.
Tailormade educational materials have been produced for
primary schools and training courses are carried out for education
administrators and Malagasy teachers. There is a desperate shortage
of teaching materials and school manuals in Madagascar. The schoolbooks
produced are often the only books a Malagasy child may have. These
precious books also inform parents about key environmental issues.
In 1989 WWFSwitzerland devoted an entire issue of their
quarterly journal, "Revue Panda", to Madagascar, which
proved extremely popular in that country. As a result, WWFSwitzerland
and the Swiss government proposed to jointly fund the production
of a magazine for secondary school students, entitled "Vintsy",
which means Kingfisher in the Malagasy language. Because of its
value and the interest it offers, the magazine is now read by
the general public and about 75% of the school districts (Circonscriptions
Scolaires) are covered by the publication. Student associations,
named "Vintsy Clubs" (there are 27), intend to take
up nature conservation activities and environemental protection
with secondary school teachers.
View Map
Under the project, three education centres have been established,
in Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological Park in Madagascar's capital
city, Antananarivo, in Fianarantsoa in 1994, and in Mahajanga
in June 1996. This serves to raise local awareness and concern
for the environment and to provide inservice training for
teachers. The education programme has played a key role in initiating
EE in WWF's Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs)
at Montagne d'Ambre, Andohahela, Beza Mahafaly, Marojejy, and
Andringitra. Here the aim was to improve environmental awareness
among local communities, and to encourage appropriate development
and sustainable use of natural resources in these critical areas.
In 1992, for administrative reasons, a decision was made to hand
over education activities in these pilot zones to the respective
national projects. The programme has also involved the use of
various media and cooperation with NGOs. This will help raise
public awareness and concern for the environment in Madagascar.
The WWF education programme is carried out entirely by Malagasy
professionals and is supervised by regular missions by the Senior
Education Officer at WWF International. Responsibilitiy for project
implementation is gradually being transferred to the Ministry
of Education.
Project Objectives:
1. To introduce and implement environmental education in Madagascar's
primary and secondary school curricula.
2. To train teacher trainers and teachers to make effective use
of new materials and to transmit the conservation message to their
students.
3. To produce an environment and pedagogy magazine for secondary
schools, which provokes new ideas and provides a forum for young
people to express evolving perceptions, and which also increases
environmental awareness.
4. To improve education and awareness in populations around priority
protected areas, facilitating the change from unsustainable practices
to the wise use of natural resources.
5. To perpetuate environmental education to bring about a change
of attitude and behaviour towards nature and sustainable development.
6. To establish environmental education and information centres
for the country's six provinces.
7. To raise environmental awareness nationwide through NGO outreach.
MG0023.1: Coordination, Education, and Environmental Education
Centres (Jan. 88 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
This activity serves as an umbrella for all the activities within
the education programme and deals with the development and the
implementation of the entire programme. Coordination includes
all administrative aspects linked with the rest of the programme,
such as salaries, vehicles, running costs, incountry travel,
and training of programme personnel. The Ministry of Education
(MEN) is working, in conjunction with WWF staff members, through
two technical committees: MEN/WWF for primary and secondary levels,
and an overall MEN Coordination Committee. Since FY1994/95 the
activity has incorporated the Teacher's Training Programme (previously
activity MG0023.02) and EE in School Curricula (previously activity
MG0023.10).
In order to decentralize EE, in 1987 the Ministry of Education
recommended the establishment of EE centres in the six provincial
capitals. WWF undertook to gradually fund the construction and
equipping of these centres, while the management and administration
is left to appropriate authorities. Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological
Park (TBZP), located in the middle of Antananarivo, is the ideal
location to encourage all sorts of target audiences to visit the
park, raise awareness about the unique flora and fauna of the
country, and explain the relationship between people and the environment.
The management of TBZP developed an education strategy in which
the construction of an education centre was considered an important
teaching tool. In 1988 WWF funded the construction of the centre,
which was completed in 1989. It is now administered by TBZP's
education team, in collaboration with provincial education authorities.
The centre serves as an in-service training centre for teachers
from the Antananarivo area. Another centre was created in 1994
in Fianarantsoa, and a third one in Mahajanga during World Environment
Day in June 1996. Practical activities are centered on the application
of elementary alternative technologies, based on research and
initiatives for the rational management of natural resources and
waste recycling. From FY1995/96 the activity incorporates these
EE centres (previously activity MG0023.04).
Activity Objectives:
1. To manage the WWF Environmental Education Programme.
2. To help the Ministry of Education modify school programmes
to include EE at all school levels.
3. To persuade the Ministry of Education to motivate civil servants
at both national and provincial level.
4. To continue the planning and organization of decentralized
training and further training courses for teachers and teacher
trainers.
5. To continue the reprint and distribution of pedagogical materials
for trainers and teachers, and to organize training courses on
the use of these materials.
6. To increase direct assistance to schools and to groups of
teachers in order to enable them to put into practice the techniques
and methods learnt during the courses.
7. To monitor, follow up, and evaluate various activities contained
in the programme.
8. To coordinate all WWF education activities in Madagascar.
9. To involve the Ministry of Education more in the management
and implementation of the education programme, and to coordinate
with the executing agencies as part of the Environmental Action
Plan 2 (PA2).
10. To increase public awareness about environmental problems
in Madagascar and the need for conservation.
11. To provide suitable education facilities, such as education
centres, to train teachers and receive school classes.
12. To hold training and information sessions at the existing
centres on themes which concern students, education people, women
and peasants, in the form of workshops, training sessions and
conferences; and to provide staff training and improvement either
in sessions or by visiting other institutions/centres.
13. To organize exhibitions to be shown in schools or cultural
centres throughout the country, and to organize media work on
radio awareness.
14. To organize socio-cultural events around World Environment
Day in the form of outings/visits to nature-oriented places and
in the form of youth clubs which promote environmental activities.
15. To organize fundraising events for the centres.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To study all possible strategies for development of the project.
2. To incorporate the MEN/WWF project into the PAE2 (Environmental
Action Plan2)
3. To ensure that project performance at all levels is maintained.
4. To maintain a good working relationship with the Ministry
of Education.
5. To reinforce the capacity of the Ministry's staff.
6. To draw up funding requests for the implementation of the
Education Programme.
Activity Methods:
Community Conservation; Education; Ethics; Institutional Support
and Development; Programme / Project Development; Programme /
Project Evaluation; Training.
MG0023.3: Production and Distribution of Educational Materials
"Ny Voary" (Jul. 87 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
From the very start of WWF's Education Programme in 1987, a technical
commission, consisting of WWF and Ministry of Education staff,
was formed at the primary school level. Its task was to produce
and distribute teaching materials suitable for use in primary
schools. In its experimental phase, the project produced 30,000
copies of a handbook entitled "Ny Voary" (meaning Nature)
for all five primary grades, along with 10,000 complementary teaching
guides. In 1988-1989 all 112 school districts in Madagascar received
training and were provided with the appropriate materials. In
1990-1991 this first edition of primary school handbooks was evaluated
and, as a direct result of the input of school directors, teachers,
pupils and parents, the first edition was revised and improved.
A second edition of 10,000 copies of each manual was printed and
distributed in 1992. In July 1994 a proposal for a third, pilot
phase edition of "Ny Voary" was submitted to the German
Development Bank (KfW). Funds were forthcoming and in May 1995
30,000 readers, 10,000 pedagogical documents, 10,000 wallcharts,
and 10,000 practical worksheets were published for primary schools;
and 8,500 basic documents, 10,000 worksheets, and 15,000 posters
were published for secondary schools. The materials for teachers
are distributed during teacher training seminars, while materials
for schools or pupils are distributed by WWF personnel during
field visits. All 112 school circonscriptions of the country have
received materials for primary level. This pilot phase edition
was successfully evaluated in May 1996, the materials produced
of interest not only to schools but to the general public as
well. There are now plans to print three million copies for distribution
to each primary school pupil over the course of two years.
Activity Objectives:
1. To assist the Malagasy education authorities in the production
and distribution of essential educational materials to primary
school teachers and pupils.
2. To help the Ministry of Education to reprint and distribute
primary school reader "Ny Voary", and to eventually
supply sufficient readers for each Malagasy pupil.
3. To assist the education authorities to develop, produce, and
distribute materials for secondary schools.
4. To develop, produce, and distribute a guide on EE for NGO
partners.
5. To develop, produce, and distribute a series of posters for
use in schools.
6. To help the Malagasy education authorities develop, print,
and distribute any material considered useful for the dissemination
of EE techniques, at all school levels.
7. To provide schools with educational materials adapted to the
realities of the country.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To supervise and control distribution.
2. To develop training on the utilization of the printed materials.
3. To control distribution in schools.
4. To ensure that the manuals and documents are valuable tools
and pedagogical auxiliaries to teachers and pupils.
5. To discuss future perspectives with the Ministry of Education.
Activity Methods:
Communications; Education; Ethics; Institutional Support and Development,
Training.
MG0023.8: "Vintsy" Ecology Magazine for
Secondary Schools (Jan. 91 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
This activity produces a quarterly environmental magazine entitled
"Vintsy", which is targeted at secondary school students
between the ages of 12 and 16. Each issue contains 24 pages, written
in French and Malagasy. Production is handled by Malagasy professionals
and takes place in Madagascar. In early 1991 a training workshop
run by media experts from Switzerland and Madagascar resulted
in the selection of three journalists to carry out the "Vintsy"
project. By September 1994, 11 issues had been produced. The magazine
is enormously popular, not only with the target group, but also
with younger and older children, parents and other adults. With
a circulation of 50,000, "Vintsy" is now the most widely
read publication in Madagascar. A project evaluation was carried
out in January 1995.
Activity Objectives:
1. To present environmental realities in Madagascar to further
the reader's understanding.
2. To enthuse readers with a love of nature.
3. To explain the ecological processes which control the functioning
of ecosystems.
4. To promote positive changes in readers' attitudes and behaviour
towards the environment.
5. To encourage readers to form activist groups to further the
cause of conservation.
6. To present the ideas of individuals and groups on how to provide
solutions to environmental problems.
7. To denounce actions that have a negative effect on, or are
harmful to, the environment.
8. To communicate WWF activities which are relevant to local
conditions, both in Madagascar and worldwide.
9. To promote students' associations to Vintsy Clubs.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To target further audiences (e.g. workers, economic and political
decision-makers) while keeping the initial recipients (schools).
2. To reach a maximum possible number of readers by realizing
the distribution policy proposed by the Commercial Agent.
3. To establish "Vintsy" as the young people's magazine
by its content, price, and quality.
4. To maintain the leadership role of "Vintsy" as the
first ecology magazine.
5. To reinforce the capacity of existing and new Vintsy Clubs
so that they become, in their respective regions, the partners
and lobbyists for any activity with an environmental impact.
6. To make the Vintsy Clubs the magazine's local correspondents.
Activity Methods:
Communications; Education; Ethics; Institutional Support and Development.
MG0023.9: Capacity reinforcement (Nov. 91 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
Initially entitled "Awareness Raising through NGOs",
this activity serves to promote environmental NGOs and associations,
and introduces them to environmental and conservation concerns.
The main problem for emerging NGOs is a lack of orientation, planning
and training in carrying out their activities. Thirty associations
are now active and have been given orientation advice and information;
twenty have benefited from training in environmental protection;
and fifteen have received grants to support their work. One hundred
and thirty NGOs and associations have contacted WWF since 1989,
of which 40 contacts were received during FY1995-1996. In its
support role WWF provides information, financial and technical
advice, and help with orientation, in order to make them dynamic
and guide them to action in support of nature conservation and
environmental protection. The outputs from Madagascar's growing
NGO community may not be particularly high, but they are far from
negligible in the context of the country's current economic condition,
which is not favourable to the development of private initiatives.
Activity Objectives:
1. To disseminate information on nature and the environment through
national and international NGOs that are active in the country.
2. To promote and assist the work of NGOs active in the field
of environmental education, and the training of lead persons.
3. To collaborate with NGOs and help them set up environmental
projects, especially in strategically important and protected
areas.
4. To promote the creation of new NGOs for environmental protection,
such as "Fikambanana Miaro ny Tontolo Iainana" (FMTI,
environmental protection associations), decentralized throughout
the country, and to assist them to set up their activities.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To develop activities in line with strategic planning decisions.
2. To develop community projects (of quarters or villages).
3. To consolidate cooperation and collaboration with integrated
conservation and development projects (Education section).
4. To draw up funding requests for planned activities.
Activity Methods:
Community Conservation; Education; Ethics; Institutional Support
and Development; Training.
MG0032 Madagascar: Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management
Project Summary:
The Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Programme, supported
under this project, is the WWF Madagascar Programme Office's principal
mechanism for field conservation in protected areas, ecosystems
at risk, and threatened species. The major tasks of this programme
are to plan, coordinate, and provide incountry monitoring
and supervision for selected experimental integrated conservation
and development projects. The project also supplies a high level
of support services, as well as advice to the government of Madagascar
and diverse organizations.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
|
Sustainable Resource Use 100 |
| Treaties & Legislation 0 |
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Conserving all of Madagascar's current biodiversity and ecosystems
without further loss is, in reality, likely to be an impossible
task. Practical activities and objectives must therefore be prioritized
in order to quickly safeguard those biological communities most
at risk, while longerterm sustainable strategies are developed.
This approach requires multidisciplinary tactics, involving protected
area (PA) management, ecosystemspecific management programmes,
threatened species conservation, improved natural resource utilization,
research, educational and training opportunities, and, above all,
integration of local communities into conservation initiatives.
Integrated conservation and development projects (ICDP) for priority
PAs will remain the programme's principal focus. A typical structure
for ICDP is based on a central administrative service and three
operational units: conservation/protection; rural development;
and education/awareness. As there are no fixed solutions to the
complex environmental problems threatening Madagascar's biodiversity,
WWF's approach is to test the effectiveness of alternative types
of intervention and to develop systems and methodologies appropriate
to local conditions.
Project Objectives:
1. To manage Madagascar's protected areas and threatened ecosystems
so that biological diversity is conserved and the use of natural
resources is sustainable in the long term.
2. To establish a cadre of trained/experienced Malagasy conservation
professionals for the management of protected areas and natural
resources.
3. To ensure that priority protected areas are sustainably managed
through effective communitybased conservation and development
systems.
4. To reduce, and eventually stop, unsustainable exploitation
of Madagascar's natural resources through the development and
dissemination of Sustainable Resource Use practices.
5. To develop and implement priority ecosystems and species at
risk.
6. To further develop the capacity of Malagasy scientists for
planning and carrying out ecological and socioeconomic research.
7. To enhance the institutional capacity of the Association National
pour la Gestion des Aires Protégées (ANGAP) and
Direction des Eaux et Forêts (DEF) to manage protected areas,
and to conserve threatened species and ecosystems.
MG0032.1: Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (Aug.
86 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
The use of systematic planning and operating approaches, and the
development of appropriate methods (essential to all ICDP), is
of significant value in terms of building up Malagasy institutional
capacity for future project management. Incountry capacity
is a critical factor in establishing viable longterm protected
area (PA) management systems. Ultimately, local and national authorities
must create management systems that meet local community needs
while safeguarding the PAs, and these authorities must eventually
develop a lasting trust with people affected by their actions.
Similarly, the capacity for incountry nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs), including WWF, to support Ministries and
their institutions in this complicated task must also be a focus
of attention. Technology transfer to appropriate decisionmaking
organizations must take place if PAs are to exist in the long
term.
Activity Objectives:
1. To effectively protect 13 reserves/National Parks, six national
forests, and one site of high biological interest.
2. To reclassify three integral reserves, three national
forests, and one site of high biological interest.
3. To demarcate and re-design reserve boundaries.
4. To acquire detailed and progressive baseline information of
biodiversity and socioeconomic conditions for six project
sites.
5. To accept and effect alternative methods of agriculture/livestock
rearing in pilot villages.
6. To produce tree nurseries and outplantings in villages and
forestry stations.
7. To train staff at all project levels: management and administration;
tree nurseries; park wardens; foresters; agronomists; biologists;
teachers; sociologists; and other development agents.
8. To produce and distribute public awareness materials for effective
utilization.
9. To identify and adopt incentives to preclude entry into reserves
and prevent misuse of natural resources.
10. To increase the standard of living (including income) at the
community level.
11. To selfcatalyse village activities based on those developed
collaboratively by projects initiated in other villages.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To establish a cadre of trained and experienced Malagasy conservation
professional for the management of protected areas and natural
resources.
2. To sustainably manage the priority protected areas through
effective community-based conservation and development systems.
3. To reduce and eventually stop the unsustainable exploitation
of Madagascar's natural resources, through developing, reinforcing,
and disseminating Sustainable Resource Use practices and research
in alternative products and methods.
4. To develop and implement conservation programmes for priority
ecosystems and species at risk.
5. To further develop the capacity of Malagasy scientists for
planning and carrying out ecological and socio-economic research,
in order to improve understanding of conservation problems and
their potential solutions.
6. To ensure that the institutional capacity of ANGAP and DEF
to develop environmental policy, to manage protected areas, and
to conserve threatened species and ecosystems is enhanced.
Activity Biomes:
Agricultural Land; Coral Reefs; Lake Systems; Littoral Zones;
Mangrove; Marshes/Swamps; Mixed Mountain Systems; Seagrass
Beds; Tropical Dry Forest; Tropical Grasslands and Savannas; Tropical
Moist Forest; Tropical Woodland; Urban Zones.
Activity Methods:
Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Ecotourism Development;
Forest Management; Information Systems; Institutional Support
and Development; Natural Resource Economics; Protected Area Establishment;
Protected Area Management; Programme / Project Development; Research
and Monitoring; Species Management; Training; Wildlife Trade Monitoring.
MG0047 Madagascar: Ecology Training Programme (ETP)
Project Summary:
The ecology training programme is designed to create a pool of
highly trained (academically) and skilled (in the field) Malagasy
conservation professionals. Longterm training is offered
to a small selection of exceptional students through the Malagasy
network of universities, supported by a library, computer equipment,
and specialist supervision. Selection of a maximum of 10 students
in any field related to conservation is made on a yearly basis.
The students/researchers often undertake their studies in the
context of other WWF projects.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 80 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 100 |
Oceans and Coasts 10 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 10 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
The longterm success of Madagascar's National Conservation
Strategy and Environmental Action Plan depends upon having the
skills present incountry to implement these initiatives.
Conservation projects now under way do provide occasions for technical
and managerial training, but relatively few academic opportunities
currently exist. Possibilities for high-quality academic training
are vital as they allow and encourage exceptional students to
develop to their fullest intellectual abilities. The demand by
conservation organizations for welltrained Malagasy graduates
currently exceeds supply. This imbalance is likely to be further
aggravated in the future unless action is taken. It is essential
therefore that efforts are made now to create a pool of highly
skilled professionals who can become future environmental leaders
and policy-makers. The Ecology Training Programme (ETP) is strongly
oriented towards providing training within Madagascar; this is
the most costeffective approach and can reach a greater
number of candidates. However, some support is reserved for longterm
higher degree training, or shortterm courses in other countries.
Those going abroad for higher degree training are exceptional
students with a proven capacity to compete with others for university
places that are difficult to obtain. WWF support to these students
is generally catalytic and the candidates are expected to find
the greater part of their funding from competitive grants. Support
is also conditional upon agreement by the candidate to take a
position in Madagascar upon completion of his or her studies.
Project Objectives:
1. To ensure that talented Malagasy scientists and technicians
have sufficient training in order to be effective conservation
planners and policy-makers.
MG0047.1: Ecology Training Programme (ETP) (Jun. 91 - Jun.
99)
Activity Background:
The Ecology Training Programme (ETP) focuses on incountry
support for students and researchers linked to universities or
to national research institutes. Recipients are either nominated
by their parent organizations, or approach WWF directly. As funds
and other resources are limited, the decision to provide support
is based on written proposals, and selection is competitive. Students
who apply for incountry support must have adequate supervision
in a Malagasy academic institution. However, additional external
supervision is often provided for specialized subjects through
the participation of expert scientists, based in US and European
universities, who regularly visit Madagascar for their own research
interests. These scientists either invite Malagasy students to
participate in their research programmes, or they devote a portion
of their time to providing supervision or field and laboratory
training. This supervision has proved invaluable in terms of stimulating
student interest in new theories, approaches, techniques, and
fields of research. WWF also provides material and logistical
support for the students and researchers. Within the Madagascar
Programme Office a study room has been furnished with three computers
and accessories, a range of word processing, spreadsheet, graphics
and statistical software, map collection, over 100 books, and
hundreds of original or photocopied articles from journals. Training
in the use of this equipment is provided by WWF staff or visiting
supervisors. The students and researchers have access to the Programme
Office's growing library and map collection. Numerous scientific
papers in international journals have been published, or are currently
in press. An adequate investment now in Madagascar's researchers
and students will help ensure that a cadre of highly trained,
competent conservation professionals is available to assume lead
roles within Madagascar's increasingly complex Environmental Action
Plan.
Activity Objectives:
l. To generate academic and practical opportunities for Malagasy
students and researchers in educational exchanges, research and
training.
2. To train Malagasy students and researchers in scientific oral
and written communications skills.
3. To provide logistical, financial, and supervisory support
to Malagasy students in fields related to conservation, in collaboration
with their university or other national institution.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To ensure that the Ecology Training Programme is operational
in the context of the new structure of the WWF Madagascar Programme
Office.
2. To try to ensure that Malagasy students and researchers trained
through the ETP are later employed by governmental and nongovernmental
organizations working in the environmental sector in Madagascar.
Activity Biomes:
Littoral Zones; Tropical Dry Forest; Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Institutional Support and Development; Research and Monitoring;
Training.
MG0048 Madagascar: Nature Conservation in Zombitse and Vohibasia
Project Summary:
View Map
This project involves a conservation programme linked to rural
development in south-western Madagascar. The forests of Vohibasia
and Zombitse were selected for this programme because of their
unique biodiversity, the high level of threat, their importance
as Level 2 in the National Environmental Action Plan, and the
feasibility of positive results. The approach established in this
programme is unusual in that it involves very low investment from
outside the region and high involvement of local people.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 20 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 40 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 40 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
The scarcity and unpredictability of water has kept many southern
environments in Madagascar relatively free of human pressures;
these areas are too dry for subsistence farming or livestock production.
However, as human populations grow and demands on natural resources
escalate, native ecosystems of the south are coming under increasing
threat. Rural people, living at a marginal level of subsistence,
invest little in the land and fertility is rapidly exhausted.
Consequently, native vegetation is cleared in search of better
soil for cultivation, or to create pasture for grazing. Destruction
of native forests in southern Madagascar has been most severe
in accessible areas around larger urban centres, such as Toliara
and Tolagnaro, where demand for fuel creates a market for charcoal.
Charcoal production can lead to the complete disappearance of
native forests. The charcoal makers in these areas also cultivate
crops. They use shifting agriculture, with marginal productivity,
and continuously need to clear land. These forces are rapidly
shrinking and fragmenting the remaining forests. As fragile southern
ecosystems often harbour species with highly restricted distributions,
forest clearance can have serious consequences for biodiversity.
In the Zombitse and Vohibasia project, WWF is using different
methods that require modest financial and technical investments
to promote direct communitybased conservation planning and
management. Through this project, WWF will be able to examine
the effectiveness of different investment levels, the degree to
which local communities are willing to develop their own initiatives,
and thus provide insights into the cost-effectiveness of various
methods of promoting harmony between human needs and nature. Zombitse
and Vohibasia forests are biologically important. They lie close
to the boundary between the western and southern Domains, with
a consequent high level of diversity. Few similar boundary zones
remain intact. The two forests, which are near the main road between
Antananarivo and Toliara, are easily accessible. At a distance
of 140km, Zombitse is close enough to Toliara to profitably provide
fuel and construction materials to this city. Recently, both Zombitse
and Vohibasia have come under severe pressure as forests closer
to Toliara have been cleared. Logging activities followed by charcoal
production and maize farming have attracted migrants from other
regions. The migrants become established around forest edges and
clear significant areas of forest. Current practices are clearly
unsustainable and human poverty in the region is increasing.
Project Objectives:
Main objective:
1. To preserve the Zombitse and Vohibasia forests so that the
surrounding communities are able to satisfy their needs through
Sustainable Resource Use .
Specific objectives:
1. To develop sustainable rural practices that are not harmful
to natural environments.
2. To create and maintain an adequate protection system for the
Zombitse and Vohibasia Classified Forests.
3. To promote education for youth in selected rural village sites.
4. To improve public awareness regarding environmental protection.
5. To promote possibilities of ecotourism development to the
benefit of local populations.
6. To improve the capacity of local institutions responsible
for environmental protection.
MG0048.1: Nature Conservation in Zombitse and Vohibasia
(Aug. 92 - Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
Project plans, in terms of conservation, involve the direct protection
of forests by rangers, with an organized infrastructure and support
system. With regard to education and public awareness, formal
and informal education programmes will be devised. Emphasis will
be put on sustainable development, water management, agricultural
production, and livestock rearing, amongst other plans. A key
element of the project will be the creation of village action
committees, motivated and organized, to tackle environmental and
socioeconomic needs.
Activity Objectives:
1. To organize, in collaboration with the WWF Madagascar Programme
Office, the internal administrative procedures necessary for the
smooth functioning of the project.
2. To set up an orientation committee and an executive team.
3. To select the members of the team to be hired by the project.
4. To set up working collaborations with: ANGAP, Ministère
des Eaux et Forêts (MEF)/DEF in Antananarivo, MEF/Service
Provincial des Eaux et Forêts (SPEF)/Circonscription des
Eaux et Forêts (CIREF) in the province of Toliara, and the
WWF DebtforNature Project, and to establish relationships
with governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations
involved in the region.
5. To establish an on-site working base.
6. To conduct a socioeconomic study of the two selected
sites.
7. To create a Community Action Committee in each of the two
targeted villages.
8. To compile a bibliography of existing work on the selected
sites.
9. To carry out an aerial survey of the selected sites (ZombitseVohibasia),
as well as of Tsimanampetsotsa Strict Nature Reserve.
10. To purchase and interpret both aerial photographic coverage
and satellite imagery of the selected sites, and carry out ground-truthing.
11. To study the legal status of classified forests of Zombitse
and Vohibasia, and verify their physical boundaries in collaboration
with MEF/DEF/Service provincial des Eaux et Forêts Reboisement
(SPEFR) Division.
12. To produce a draft landuse map of selected sites and
of Tsimanampetsotsa Strict Nature Reserve.
13. To organize study visits to the Andohahela, Beza Mahafaly,
and Morondova sauvegarde et amènagement des forêts
(SAF) projects.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Dry Forest.
Activity Methods:
Institutional Support and Development; Protected Area Establishment;
Research and Monitoring; Training.
Activity Species:
Appert's greenbul (Phyllastrephus apperti); Benson's rockthrush
(Monticola bensoni); Brown lemur (Lemur fulvus); Forkmarked
dwarflemur (Phaner furcifer); Ringtailed lemur (Lemur
catta); Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi).
MG0048.2: Rural Development (Aug. 92 - Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Methods:
Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Institutional
Support and Development.
MG0048.3: Conservation and Protection (Aug. 92 - Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Dry Forest.
Activity Methods:
Community Conservation; Forest Management; Protected Area Management.
Activity Species:
Appert's greenbul (Phyllastrephus apperti); Benson's rockthrush
(Monticola bensoni); Brown lemur (Lemur fulvus); Forkmarked
dwarflemur (Phaner furcifer); Ringtailed lemur (Lemur
catta); Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi).
MG0048.4: Environmental Education (Aug. 92 - Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Methods:
Education; Training.
MG0049 Madagascar: Ethnobotanical Training
Project Summary:
View Map
This project involves training Malagasy students and professionals
in ethnobotany and ethnomedicine and related subjects. The focus
is on the use of flora in healthcare systems and, as such,
an integrated health clinic was established at the base of the
foothills of Manongarivo Special Reserve, Madagascar. The uses
of medicinal plants are investigated, domestic production of certain
of these plants is undertaken in a nearby village, and chemical
analyses are then conducted at the University of Antananarivo.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 40 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 20 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
|
Sustainable Resource Use 40 |
| Treaties & Legislation 0 |
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Many plants in Madagascar are known to be useful for both medicinal
and nonmedicinal purposes. However, information about these
plants has not been well documented, due in part to the lack of
trained Malagasy personnel. If this is to change it is essential
to generate interest in conservation work and to provide training
opportunities. This project involves training in ethnobotanical
techniques. Fieldwork is carried out at different localities in
Madagascar.
The activities of this project are aimed at helping to build Madagascar's
capacity in ethnobotany and related disciplines (areas that look
at people's links with biodiversity through their use of biodiversity).
They also consciously target and harness local communities' links
with (knowledge of and dependence on) local biodiversity as a
positive tool to help conserve local biocultural diversity, while
at the same time improving the wellbeing of these communities
through the sustainable use of local resources.
Project Objectives:
1. To involve or train Malagasy scientists in the field of ethnobotany
and related subjects.
2. To collaborate with villages in Manongarivo Special Reserve
to determine plants used and to promote conservation of plants
and habitats.
3. To determine medicinal plant usage and investigate their activity
through chemical and related studies.
4. To work towards development of integrated health care, using
a combination of traditional and western medicines.
5. To contribute to the development of public awareness programmes
about environmental issues.
6. To continue the collection and compilation of data on the
flora of Madagascar, especially those with medicinal uses.
MG0049.1: Ethnobotanical Training (Oct. 92 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
This activity concentrates on: fundamental and applied research
through formal and informal training, in field and laboratory
settings, directed at helping to solve local conservation and
related development problems; production of theses by trainees,
receiving formal training, to enable them to obtain their academic
degrees in their respective fields of study; carrying out special
training programmes in laboratory techniques for selected trainees;
and the participation in seminars by trainees.
Activity Objectives:
1. To train Malagasy scientists (students and professionals)
in conservationbased ethnobotany and related disciplines.
2. To collect data on the useful flora of Madagascar, with particular
reference to medicinal plants.
3. To initiate laboratory research into medicinal plants.
4. To assess the conservation requirements and priorities in
the areas covered by project activities.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Dry Forest; Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Communications; Education; Institutional Support and Development;
Research and Monitoring; Training.
MG0049.2: Integrated Health Care Clinic (May. 93 - Jun.
99)
Activity Background:
This activity focuses on: the examination of villagers in Manongarivo
Special Reserve to identify, diagnose, and determine the distribution
of diseases in the area; interviewing local people (lay people
and specialists) to collect information on treatment of diseases
in their area (especially on the use of medicinal plants); the
collection of observational data on the effect of the population
on the forest of Manongarivo Special Reserve. The integrated clinic,
which has been built in Ambodisakoana, will serve the communities
in the project area.
Activity Objectives:
1. To reinforce the Integrated Health Care System in the Manongarivo
area through the use of both medicinal plants and modern medicines.
2. To increase local awareness of the importance of using local
medicinal plants in a sustainable manner to meet some of their
health needs.
3. To help set up a Local Health Committee for the Manongarivo
area.
4. To increase local awareness of the importance of personal
hygiene for the prevention of certain diseases.
5. To help train Malagasy personnel in the area of medicinal
plant research, especially the capacity to carry out incountry
laboratory investigations.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Community Conservation; Communications; Education; Forest Management;
Institutional Support and Development; Lobbying; Protected Area
Management; Research and Monitoring; Training.
MG0055 Madagascar: Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve - Training
and Research Centre
Project Summary:
This project aims to integrate research and training in conservation,
biology, and socioeconomic development, to help protect
an area of spiny and gallery forest in southern Madagascar. In
addition, certain development activities are undertaken to reinforce
the support of local communities and to promote active local associations.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 50 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 50 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
View Map
Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve was the first Malagasy protected
area (PA) to benefit from a conservation project. This involved
direct protection and training in applied research and rural development
initiatives, now recognized as the basis of integrated conservation
and development projects (IDCPs). Interest in developing a project
at Beza Mahafaly began in 1977 when scientists from Antananarivo,
Washington, and Yale Universities selected a site in the arid
south-west for research and training. Beza Mahafaly was chosen
because of encouragement from local communities, together with
support from the Direction of Water and Forests, Malagasy and
American universities, and conservation organizations. This eventually
culminated in the creation of the reserve in 1985 and the strengthening
of research, training, conservation/protection and rural development
activities. The reserve includes two parcels of different forest
types - dry thorn thicket and riverine forest - covering 520ha
and 80ha respectively. Riverine forests, which extend less than
1.5km from the river's edge, have probably always been naturally
rare, and few contiguous tracts remain. They are often the first
habitats to be cleare because of their fertile alluvial soils
and nearby water supply. Populations of animal species are often
at their highest in riverine forests because they constitute relatively
safe refuges with more predictable resources compared to harsher
environments nearby.
Project Objectives:
1. To create a cadre of trained and competent conservation personnel,
particular focus being given to addressing the problems of the
arid south-west and on integrated conservation and development
under the south's harsh conditions.
2. To conserve Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve as a representative
area of Madagascar's unique south-western ecosystems.
3. To establish a centre for training conservation professionals.
4. To ensure hypotheses are defined, tested, and refined concerning
the maintenance of biodiversity and sustainable development practices.
5. To train Malagasy students in ecology and environmental sciences,
through workshops, field schools and research projects.
6. To train "Agents de Protection de la Nature" and
local user groups in communitybased conservation and natural
resource management methods appropriate to the south-west.
7. To expand Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve and to enhance its
integrity by physically linking the two parcels; and to ensure
financial selfsufficiency for the reserve and its conservation
and research programmes.
MG0055.1: Conservation and Development (Jul. 90 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Desert.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development; Protected Area Management.
MG0060 Madagascar: Andohahela Reserve Integrated Conservation
and Development
Project Summary:
View Map
This project aims to maintain and protect the biodiversity and
ecological processes of the Andohahela Reserve system through
integrated conservation efforts, development initiatives, and
by reinforcing them with education and research. While the project
can be classed as an integrated conservation and development project
(ICDP), it is unusual that the project partners are all Malagasy
NGOs, governmental oganizations, and decentralized or local associations.
Thus the project also aims to reinforce these institutions and,
as rapidly as possible, affect a transfer of responsibility for
certain activities.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 50 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 50 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
The Andohahela Reserve is made up of three noncontiguous
parcels. The largest parcel (No. 1, covering 63,100ha) delimits
a section of rugged mountains rising to nearly 2,000m, which are
mostly covered by moist evergreen forests. Parcel No. 2 (2,420ha)
lies entirely within the southern Domain and supports the thorn
thicket that is typical of this biogeographic region. Parcel No.
3 (500ha) is a small enclave of residual transition east/west
forest that was added to the reserve to protect the rare, endemic
triangulated palm (Neodypsis decaryi) and a nearby narrow band
of transitional forest.
Biologically, Andohahela is unique. It spans Madagascar's two
most divergent biogeographic regions, the moist forests of the
eastern centre of endemism and the semiarid thorn scrub
of the southern Domain. Contact between these vegetation zones
has been severely reduced by habitat clearance and the only transition
zones remain in Andohahela and in the adjacent national forests.
Andohahela harbours four of the six Malagasy phytogeographic domains.
As a result, biodiversity and the number of regional endemics
is exceptionally high. The reserve plays a dominant role in the
economy of the south-east. Relief rainfall generated by Andohahela's
high mountains provides a yearround water supply, vital
to local rural economies. The mountains' protective forest cover
keeps streams largely free of sediment. These water supplies are
especially important for communities on the western side, a rain
shadow area where semiarid conditions prevail. The principal
threats to Andohahela's biodiversity are from poverty-driven human
activities, a lack of fertile land and water resources, and a
dearth of opportunities to use or develop appropriate technologies.
Dwindling or limited supplies of many natural resources are another
important factor. These problems are intricately linked with traditional
views that forests are unlimited entities that will always be
available for exploitation.
Since the project began in 1986, local authorities and communities
have been overwhelmingly in favour of having an integrated conservation
and development initiative in the region. The Andohahela project
is structured along the three operational units of conservation/protection,
rural development, and education/awareness. Planning is greatly
facilitated by the project's previous activities, which were based
on grass roots intervention from a very early stage.
Project Objectives:
1. To maintain the biodiversity and ecological processes in the
Andohahela Strict Nature Reserve and surrounding classified forests
and natural areas.
2. To replace destructive exploitation of the reserve's resources
with sustainable alternatives.
3. To address the social and economic needs of people living
around the protected areas in an effort to balance the costs of
conservation with benefits.
4. To create an appreciation among local residents of the relationship
between conservation and development.
5. To review the legal limits and status governing the reserves
with a view to establishing a more appropriate delimitation and
reclassification, which could lead to tourist development and
an increase in economic returns to local residents.
6. To develop an effective system of education and biological
and social research within the reserve by both students and conservation
professionals.
7. To reinforce the capacity of local institutions (both governmental
and nongovernmental) and village associations to manage
natural areas and promote sustainable conservation and development
activities.
MG0060.1: Coordination (Jan. 90 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The Andohahela project is a large, complex undertaking. Coordination
activities include such functions as project management, administration,
finances, planning, reporting, and logistical support.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 7.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To secure funding for NGO partners for social and development
programmes in Andohahela periphery.
2. To implement forest management programmes in Fanjahira and
Tsitongambarika in collaboration with the Forest Service.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Dry Forest; Tropical Woodland.
Activity Methods:
Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Education; Forest
Management; Protected Area Management; Research and Monitoring;
Training.
Activity Species:
Baobab (Adansonia digitata); Coquerel's dwarflemur (Microcebus
coquereli); Lesser mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus); Radiated
tortoise (Geochelone radiata); Spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides).
MG0060.2: Rural Development (Jan. 90 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
Rural development activities are linked to the conservation of
the region's protected areas. Development activities are targeted
to address the primary pressures facing these areas.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives 2 and 3.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To collaborate with ANGAP on educational and interpretive
programmes on Andohahela Reserve.
2. To ensure the self-supporting cost effectiveness of Andohahela
Reserve.
Activity Methods:
Community Conservation.
MG0060.3: Conservation and Protection (Jan. 90 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The official boundaries of Andohahela are not respected and do
not reflect conservation priorities. The reserve's status as a
strict nature reserve prohibits tourism. The resources of the
area's forests are not being utilized in a sustainable fashion.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 5.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To develop a selfsupporting management programme for
Fanjahira.
2. To develop a successful programme in pilot villages around
Tsitongambarika forests which can be duplicated elsewhere.
Activity Methods:
Protected Area Management.
MG0060.4: Environmental Education (Jan. 90 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The Education Team has been expanded to four members and activities
now include communication and public relations.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 4.
Activity Methods:
Education.
MG0060.5: Monitoring and Evaluation (Nov. 93 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
Monitoring and evaluation systems are designed to help measure
the impact of the project's activities and to provide staff with
feedback on the effectiveness of their actions.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 6.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
1. To involve national research institutions in socio-economic
and ecological monitoring programmes in and around Andohahela.
2. To provide a functional GIS system that is accessible to all
organizations working within the region.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Dry Forest; Tropical Woodland.
Activity Methods:
Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Education; Forest
Management; Protected Area Management; Research and Monitoring;
Training.
Activity Species:
Baobab (Adansonia digitata); Coquerel's dwarflemur (Microcebus
coquereli); Lesser mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus); Radiated
tortoise (Geochelone radiata); Spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides).
MG0061 Madagascar: Montagne d'Ambre Protected Areas ICDP
Project Summary:
This integrated conservation and development project helps ensure
the longterm survival of Madagascar's Montagne d'Ambre forest
ecosystems. Together these forests make up one of the country's
richest areas of biodiversity. The project concentrates on smallscale,
locally based initiatives in natural resource management, reserve
protection, rural development, education and public awareness.
Research, training, and institution building are also fundamental
elements of the project.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 50 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 50 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
View Map
The Montagne d'Ambre Protected Areas integrated conservation and
development project (ICDP) in the extreme north of Madagascar
comprises four protected areas (PAs): Montagne d'Ambre National
Park and the Special Reserves of Ankarana, Analamera, and Forêt
d'Ambre. This region, with its variety of substrates, elevations
and microclimates, is one of the island's most ecologically diverse.
The volcanic Montagne d'Ambre massif, rising to 1,475m, is sufficiently
high to generate rainfall exceeding 3m per year and to support
lush evergreen forests on its fertile slopes. The Forêt
d'Ambre Special Reserve, lying at slightly lower elevations, constitutes
one of the few remaining speciesrich transitional zones,
between dry deciduous and eastern moist forests. In abrupt contrast
to these two forests, the uplifted limestone blocks of Ankarana
and Analamera are dominated by western forest species. In addition,
the Ankarana reserve contains a system of unique and spectacular
karstic pinnacles, with extensive caves and underground rivers.
With such a rich diversity of biomes and habitats it is not surprising
that the degree of local endemism is also strikingly high. Each
of these four PAs plays a positive role in the lives of local
people. The forests of Montagne d'Ambre retain water for those
living in the immediate vicinity, as well as for inhabitants of
the provincial capital, Antsiranana, Madagascar's fifth-largest
city (population 80,000). The rivers originating in these forests
are the only source of yearround water, upon which the region's
agriculture, industry, and domestic supply depend. The economic
importance of the forest in maintaining this permanent water source
should not be underestimated. The loss of natural vegetative cover
during the past 25 years has been accompanied by the drying up
of many of the massif's smaller streams. The core problems driving
people to clear natural habitats and overexploit natural resources
have been identified as inequitable land tenure, increasing population
pressure, and the inefficient management of water, soil, and forest
resources.
The Montagne d'Ambre project is currently operating under a three-year
US$2.7 million grant from the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) (Savem Phase II) that started in February
1994. Partners in the Phase II activities include WWFUS,
WWF International, and Veterinaires Sans Frontieres (VSF). The
project's initial USAID operational programme grant of US$795,000
ran from October 1989 to June 1993.
Project Objectives:
1. To assure the effective protection and management of the four
protected areas (PAs) of the Amber Mountain Complex.
2. To diminish the pressure on the PAs through the development
and implementation of sustainable rural development activities
which provide alternatives for the local communities, including
the development of ecotourism in the PAs.
3. To develop and enhance a liaison between conservation and
development activities in such a way that there will be a change
in attitudes towards, and an improvement of respect for, protected
areas.
4. To stimulate and assure the transfer of competence and abilities
between the project and governmental, as well as nongovernmental,
institutions.
MG0061.1: Project Coordination (Jan. 90 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
Coordination activities encompass the functions that are necessary
for the effective and efficient operation of the project: project
management, administration, finances, planning, reporting, and
logistical support. This activity also includes initiatives that
cut across the thematic issues of conservation, development, and
education.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 4.
Activity Biomes:
Mixed Mountain Systems; River Systems; Tropical Dry Forest; Tropical
Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Ecotourism Development;
Education; Forest Management; Protected Area Management; Research
and Monitoring.
Activity Species:
Crested owl (Lophostrix cristata); Crowned lemur (Lemur coronatus);
Madagascar fisheagle (Haliaeetus vociferoides); Sandford's
lemur (Lemur fulvus sandfordi).
MG0061.3: Conservation and Protection (Jan. 90 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
Conservation activities revolve around managing the four PAs under
the project's jurisdiction. Biodiversity conservation, tourism
development, and ecological restoration are the primary components
of the conservation efforts.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 1.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development; Protected Area Management.
MG0061.4: Environmental Education (EE) (Jan. 90 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The education and public awareness component of the project will
promote the adoption of a longer-term perspective on natural resource
use. This activity targets all sectors of the community, from
schoolchildren to adults, farmers to politicians, and decisionmakers
to followers.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 3.
Activity Methods:
Education.
MG0061.5: Monitoring & Evaluation (Jan. 90 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Methods:
Programme / Project Evaluation.
MG0062 Madagascar: DebtforNature Programme
Project Summary:
This project uses the 'debtswap' mechanism to provide funds
to support the Ministry of Water and Forests in managing and maintaining
the natural environments for which it is responsible.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 100
|
Project Background:
In the early drafts of Madagascar's Environmental Action Plan,
there was little or no provision for safeguarding and supporting
lowerpriority and proposed new PAs, at least for the first
few year's of the plan's implementation. This meant that more
than half of Madagascar's PAs were to remain vulnerable for several
years. Because some new sites were considered to be high priorities
previously overlooked, WWF developed a programme to address these
problems. Fortunately, USAID was interested in supporting a substantial
debtfornature initiative, and agreed to work with
WWF to bring the two organization's interests together into a
common programme. The resulting "debtfornature"
agreement, signed in 1989, involved a programme of support to
the Ministry of Water and Forests, providing sufficient funding
and technical assistance to enable the Ministry to assume its
mandate to safeguard and manage all PAs and other important natural
habitats.
The debt swap mechanism is particularly constructive because all
partners benefit. Malagasy external commercial debt, amounting
to US$3 million, was purchased by WWF at approximately half of
its face value. When converted by the Malagasy Central Bank into
local currency for this programme, the funds were given their
full face value. Madagascar's Central Bank benefited from this
arrangement as a significant proportion of its difficulttoservice
foreign currency debt was paid off. Convertible currency payments
depend on credit being raised through export revenues. These funds
are always difficult to raise compared to local currency. WWF
and the Ministry of Water and Forests benefited in that the swap
doubled the funds invested in this conservation programme.
The WWF debtfornature agreement was the first to be
carried out in the African region, and differs substantially from
all previous debtswaps throughout the world. This difference
arose from a fortunate change in US law, whereby local currency
funds arising from debtswaps could be invested and the interest
earned used for project activities rather than be reimbursed to
the US Government (as was the case in the past). Hence, the Debt-for-Nature
Programme can now run most of its activities from accrued interest
alone and thus maintain support to the Ministry over a longer
period of time. This change has enabled the programme to shift
its orientation from stopgap to longerterm support.
In 1994-1995 the programme implemented the Forestry Support Unit
(FSU), aimed at improving the protection of Malagasy rainforests
by increasing the technical and material resources available to
inservice foresters and to concerned village organizations.
The Malagasy forest protection policy has three component parts:
(a) the "Agent Forestier" (traditional foresters); (b)
the "Agents pour la Protection de la Nature" (APNs);
and (c) the KASTI, village environment committees, whose role
is to involve individual villages in the protection of their environment.
Modest support for the "Agents Forestiers" and the APNs
has been made available through the Debt-for-Nature Programme
but few resources have been earmarked for KASTIs. The FSU is intended
to provide practical training for foresters and village organizations
(KASTIs, women's groups, etc.) and to provide resources to enable
each group to define and implement conservation projects corresponding
to local needs and priorities. The FSU will be linked with the
Debt-for-Nature Programme at all levels, administratively and
in the field. The FSU will also provide an important resource
for integrated conservation and development projects currently
under way in rainforest areas.
Project Objectives:
1. To ensure that the Ministry of Water and Forests has the technical,
financial, and human resources to effectively manage and maintain
the natural environments for which it is responsible.
2. To ensure that the Ministry of Water and Forests has technical,
financial, and human resources to develop local communities' desire
and ability to manage their natural resources sustainably.
3. To provide, through the Forestry Support Units, inservice
training and support to concerned village groups (including women
and young adults) and Malagasy foresters.
MG0062.1: DebtforNature Programme (Aug. 89 -
Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
Main objectives:
1. To focus the programme's activities towards developing the
Ministry of Water and Forests' internal capacity.
Specific objectives:
2. To provide institutional support (salaries, training, and
equipment) to conservation protection agents (APNs).
3. To provide intensive training for APNs through regional workshops,
followed by regular instruction by the central team, local forestry
agents, and programme coordinators.
4. To start, through APNs, smallscale community selfhelp
activities, such as school construction and agricultural improvements.
5. To carry out regular monitoring and evaluation.
FSU Programme objectives:
6. To train and support APNs and "Agents Forestiers".
7. To establish training programmes and support for village forestry
committees.
8. To promote participation of village women and young adults
in local environmental activities.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Agriculture Management; Community Conservation; Forest Management;
Institutional Support and Development; Protected Area Management;
Training.
MG0063 Madagascar: Coordination of ICDPs at Andringitra and
Marojejy Reserves
Project Summary:
View Map
The purpose of this project, funded entirely by the German development
bank KfW and the Malagasy government, is to provide the necessary
support at the WWF Madagascar Programme Office level for two major
integrated conservation and development projects: MG0079 "Andringitra
and Pic d'Ivohibe Reserves", and MG0080 "Marojejy and
Anjanaharibe Sud Reserves".
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 50 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
|
Sustainable Resource Use 50 |
| Treaties & Legislation 0 |
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
This project, funded entirely by the German development bank KfW
and the Malagasy government, provides the necessary support at
WWF Programme Office level for two major integrated conservation
and development projects (ICDPs): MG0079 "Andringitra and
Pic d'Ivohibe Reserves", and MG0080 "Marojejy and Anjanaharibe
Sud Reserves".
Project Objectives:
1. To coordinate and provide technical support to the Marojejy
and Andringitra ICDPs; and provide technical advice to two others:
MG0048 "Nature Conservation in Zombitse and Vohibasia"
and MG0060 "Andohahela Reserve - Integrated Conservation
and Development".
2. To assist in the development of workplans, budgets, longterm
project proposals and research priorities for the Marojejy and
Andringitra ICDPs.
3. To ensure a coordination role in the Andringitra and Marojejy
ICDPs and the development/execution/followup and evaluation
of activities, in all sectors of these two field projects.
4. To participate in meetings held specifically for these field
projects or, on a national scale, which concern issues related
to these field projects, forest management, and the sustainable
use of natural resources.
5. To assure information exchange between projects at WWF, between
partner organizations, home offices, funder and field projects,
and between government institutions and the projects.
6. To continue to assist the field projects in the identification,
recruitment, and development of terms of reference and workplans
for project staff, consultants, etc.
7. To help develop research priorities for field projects and
identify executants for these studies.
8. To help develop a database in Antananarivo which can serve
the field projects and contribute to the monitoring and evaluation
of the WWF Madagascar Programme.
MG0063.1: Project Coordination (Jan. 93 - Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
This activity provides a coordination function for the project,
including the follow-up on project developments, the assessment
of results, and promoting linkages and relations between the ICDPs,
other institutions and funding bodies. Technical coordination
also promotes the development of activities concerned with local
management of natural resources.
Activity Objectives:
1. To set up the project Advisory Committees.
2. To establish the project office, recruit personnel, and purchase
project equipment.
3. To organize the Objectives Oriented Project Planning (ZOPP)
workshops.
4. To build necessary infrastructures.
5. To select consultants to carry out socioeconomic, biological,
and technical studies.
6. To provide technical support and supervision to the field
projects, particularly with respect to project workplans and technical
and financial reports.
7. To inform field project leaders about international and national
issues on sustainable management of natural resources.
Major targets for FY1998 and beyond:
When the Andringitra and Marojejy ICDPs begin Phase II:
1. To contribute to the strategic discussions to motivate local
people to be responsible for the management of the environment
in the conservation area.
2. To seek ways in which the sustainable use of renewable natural
resources are self-financing (e.g. through a foundation for the
environment, savings/credits for development proposals).
3. To contribute to the establishment of an adequate system of
evaluating environmental actions.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Community Conservation; Forest Management; Protected Area Management.
MG0073 Madagascar: Forestry Support Units - Bringing Training
and Resources to the Field
Project Summary:
Under this project a Forestry Support Unit team of two specifically
trained foresters are assigned to each of four tropical rainforest
areas of Madagascar, where they lend technical and material support
for local conservation initiatives. Assistance is provided to
professional foresters ("Agents Forestiers" and "Agents
pour le Protection de la Nature") and to community-based
conservation groups.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 100
|
Project Background:
The principle goal of the project is to protect Malagasy tropical
rainforests by supporting the conservation activities of foresters
and by empowering community organizations to implement conservation
initiatives of their own design. The project will be integrated
into the current WWF Debt for Nature Programme. It will supplement
the current activities of "Agents Forestiers" and "Agents
pour le Protection de la Nature" (APNs), as well as provide
support for KASTI (village-based forest committees).
Project Objectives:
1. To provide community organization and outreach skills to a
selected group of foresters.
2. To train and support APNs and "Agents Forestiers".
3. To establish, train, and support village forestry committees.
4. To promote the participation of village women and young adults
in local environmental activities.
5. To reduce Madagascar's external commercial debt.
MG0073.1: Forestry Support Units (Jul. 93 - Dec. 02)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Institutional Support and Development.
MG0079 Madagascar: Andringitra and Pic d'Ivohibe Reserves -
Integrated Conservation and Development
Project Summary:
View Map
This project aims at maintaining the biodiversity of the Andringitra
and Pic d'Ivohibe reserves through the sustainable, communitybased
management of natural resources.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 50 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 50 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Andringitra Strict Nature Reserve, in south-central Madagascar,
encompasses a scenic, uplifted granite block between the eastern
side of the island's central plateau and the western edge of the
coastal mountains. Much of the reserve consists of an undulating
plateau some 2,100m high and is dissected by deep gorges. Numerous
rocky domes rise to higher altitudes, the tallest of which are
Pic Boby (2,658m) and Pic Bory (2,630m), constituting the second
and third highest points in the country. The steep slopes on the
reserve's eastern side support three distinct floristic zones:
the eastern Domain or lowland moist forest; the central Domain
midaltitude moist forests; and the high mountain Domain
consisting of dwarf montane flora and heathlands. Like all high
mountain areas in Madagascar, Andringitra has its own particular
species assemblage, rich in endemics. The neighbouring Pic d'Ivohibe
Special Reserve rises steeply to 2,060m and supports a wide diversity
of central and high mountain species. Like Andringitra, it is
a massif, rich in Betsileo and Bara history and folklore, constituting
a sacred area.
Both reserves play a significant role in the lives of local people.
Clean water running from them sustains irrigated rice cultivation
and market gardening. Virtually every suitable area of the valley
floor, and many of the more gentle slopes, are currently irrigated,
particularly in the Betsileo and Bara regions to the north, west,
and south of the reserve. The eastern slopes cultivated by the
Tanala suffer from tavy or itinerant slash-and-burn practices.
The oftenrepeated classic problem of destruction of lifesupporting
environments is occurring at the hands of the people who depend
on them most, brought about by poverty, high population growth,
and lack of available alternatives. This project, funded by the
German development bank KfW and the Malagasy government, aims
at maintaining the biodiversity of the Andringitra and Pic d'Ivohibe
reserves through the sustainable, communitybased management
of natural resources.
Project Objectives:
1. To collect and analyse essential ecological and socioeconomic
data and to implement an effective system to monitor ecological
and socioeconomic trends.
2. To provide opportunities for increased revenue by improving
agricultural and livestock production, making maximum use of existing
local resources, and by ensuring that production is both sustainable
and compatible with local natural resources.
3. To ensure local communities are fully aware of the value of
natural resources and the consequences of their loss.
4. To ensure Andringitra Reserve is at least partially reclassified
to National Park status and to develop proposals to protect other
forested areas under little threat, but which provide a corridor
between Andringitra and Pic d'Ivohibe.
5. To develop an ecotourism programme, thus generating income
and increasing the value of the reserve to local people.
6. To halt forest destruction by itinerant tavy practices by
securing access to land and water resources, and by the introduction
of sustainable agricultural methods.
MG0079.1: Local Coordination (Jan. 93 - Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
This activity covers coordination of administration and management
for the entire project, including the supervision and follow-up
of both office and field activities. A new accounting system (ACCPAC)
has been installed to provide better accounting management, complete
with an internal audit software application.
Activity Objectives:
1. To improve the coordination and management of human, material,
and financial resources.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development.
MG0079.2: Rural Development (Jan. 93 - Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
This activity concerns field interventions, e.g. providing alternative
solutions to agricultural productivity problems, improving farming
and livestock methods, and managing products. This requires training
and technical assistance, as well as follow-up of beneficiaries.
Activity Objectives:
1. To promote sustainable alternatives to destructive subsistence
practices, and to help increase revenue.
2. To enhance the capacity and technical competence of local
communities and to seek lasting management of renewable natural
resources by local communities, as well as their self-promotion
and self-development.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development.
MG0079.3: Conservation and Protection (Jan. 93 - Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
This activity aims at establishing a mixed forest corridor between
the two protected areas, as a means of preserving the Special
Reserve function of Pic d'Ivohibe. To enhance the value of this
future National Park, a number of studies are also being undertaken
with a view to the preparation of a management and development
plan.
Activity Objectives:
1. To enhance the ecological, biological, aesthetic, and economic
value of the protected areas by changing their status from Natural
Reserve to National Park, and by the preparation and implementation
of a development and management plan.
2. To ensure that local communities are aware of the value of
protected areas and that they participate in their protection
and development.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development.
MG0079.4: Environmental Education (Jan. 93 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
To facilitate integration of the project into the target communities
living in the villages surrounding Andringitra and Pic d'Ivohibe
Reserves, this activity plays a catalytic role, through environmental
education (EE) programmes, by informing local people about the
project and its objectives. Ongoing EE, awareness campaigns, and
technical training on and around the reserves have been organized
to develop the capacity of local communities, with the aim of
ensuring self-promotion and conservation.
Activity Objectives:
1. To improve the targeted villages' perception of the environment
and interactions between conservation and development.
2. To enhance the capacity of the local communities to rationally
manage their renewable natural resources, aiming at self-development
and self-promotion.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development; Education.
MG0079.5: Studies / Surveys (Jan. 93 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
In order to obtain a better knowledge of the area's biodiversity
and ecological and socio-economic status, data are being collected
from the protected areas and their surroundings. To monitor ecosystem
trends, the project continues the study of biological indicators.
A database management system, including geographic information,
is used to evaluate and manage the results.
Activity Objectives:
1. To obtain a better understanding of the two reserves and of
the corridor in order to enhance the value and the management
of the protected areas and their surroundings.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development.
MG0079.6: Unallocated / Discretionary (Jan. 93 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
During its intervention, the project reserves the right to undertake
activities not mentioned in its initial programme, but which are
considered appropriate to achieving its objectives. Such activities
are covered by this activity.
Activity Objectives:
1. To improve management of the project and to develop national
and international partnerships.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development.
MG0080 Madagascar: Marojejy and AnjanaharibeSud Reserves
- ICD
Project Summary:
The high rainfall generated on the Madagascan mountain reserves
of Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud ensures that the region's inhabitants
receive a yearround water supply for irrigation and domestic
consumption. Water for irrigation is taken from the Lokoho River
which rises in AnjanaharibeSud. The quality of this water
supply is now under threat from deforestation for unsustainable
rainfed rice production on the lower slopes of the reserve.
The longterm goals of this project are to reduce the need
to clear additional forest for cultivation and to maintain the
biodiversity of Marojejy and AnjanaharibeSud reserves.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 100 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 50 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 50 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
The Special Reserve of AnjanaharibeSud in Madagascar lies
20km south-west of Marojejy and covers 32,100ha. Elevations range
from 500m to 2,060m and the gentler slopes of AnjanaharibeSud
support a more homogenous forest cover. The reserve is an outstanding
example of lowland and midaltitudinal forest that is still
largely intact. This reserve, together with Marojejy Reserve,
plays a significant, if largely unrecognized, role in the lives
of the region's people. The high rainfall generated on the two
mountains ensures a yearround water supply for irrigation
and domestic consumption.
The role of AnjanaharibeSud is particularly important in
this respect as it is the sole source of water for one of Madagascar's
industrialscale irrigated rice schemes. The rice is produced
in the Cuvette d'Andapa, a 16km wide basin between the two reserves.
Approximately 11,000ha are suitable for irrigated rice, which
can be produced at rates well above the national average. To date,
some 2,500ha have been brought under intensive irrigation, with
a further 3,000ha planned during the coming years by a local parastatal
organization, "Société d'Aménagement
d'Andapa" (SOAMA). Water for irrigation is taken from the
Lokoho River which rises in AnjanaharibeSud. The quality
of this water supply is now under threat from deforestation for
unsustainable rainfed rice production on the lower slopes
of the reserve.
In the complex case of trying to resolve the unsustainable shifting
agriculture, there are no immediate solutions. This MPAEF/WWF
project sets out to address the issues progressively, in a way
that will allow gradual improvement of local conditions and living
standards. The project will be coordinated with another rural
development project operating in the Andapa area (by SOAMA), funded
by the European Development Fund. The project will address many
diverse problems and will require a coordination centre for its
activities. One of the keys to its success is ensuring that the
implementation team have sufficient materials and equipment to
analyse and then tackle the problem. In addition, in order to
ensure longterm viability of the project's activities, the
local governmental agencies require institutional strengthening.
Such is the importance of the two reserves and the effects of
poor land management in the area that the Malagasy government
has rated this project as a level 1 priority within the National
Environmental Action Plan. The integrated conservation and rural
development approach is necessary in order to reduce loss of fertile
lands and make better use of areas that have already been cleared.
Project Objectives:
Main objectives:
1. To ensure that the biodiversity of Marojejy and AnjanaharibeSud
reserves is maintained.
2. To help find sustainable alternatives to current destructive
landuse practices.
Specific objectives:
1. To collect and analyse appropriate baseline data on the ecology
and socioeconomics of the reserves, their surroundings,
and the local communities, and to implement an effective monitoring
programme.
2. To stabilize land tenure in areas surrounding the reserves,
providing secure access to cultivable land, sufficient to meet
basic living needs.
3. To increase local agricultural production and income through
the introduction of new crops, varieties, and technologies, appropriate
to local conditions.
4. To ensure that local communities are aware of the value of
natural resources and the consequences of their loss.
5. To prepare and implement management plans for the reserves,
which ensure biodiversity maintenance while promoting their value
in terms of education, research, and revenuegenerating recreational
activities.
MG0080.1: Local Coordination (Jan. 93 - Jun. 99)
Activity Background:
The project is nearing the end of its first phase and its mission
is to produce a management plan, as well as making a proposal
for Phase II. Particular attention must be given to finding partners,
with a view to closing activities with a progressive reduction
of activities in the budget.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0080.2: Rural Development (Jan. 93 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
Support to the rice programme is the principle activity being
carried out in this component and is given in as complete a way
as possible, encompassing microirrigation management, improved
seeds, locally produced materials, training of planters, and improvement
of commercialization. Improvement of this programme should help
to increase the employment situation in the nonforest zone
and keep rice at a sufficient quantity with reasonable prices
in the peripheral zones. This should limit the needs to attack
the mountains for slash-and-burn cultivation.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0080.3: Conservation and Protection (Jan. 93 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The initial situation met by the project was completely different
from that anticipated. The lateness in starting, as well as a
political crisis in the country, led to a general "laissezaller",
which in turn led to intense deforestation in the reserves. Intensive
controlling was the only way to reestablish the situation.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development.
MG0080.4: Environmental Education (Jan. 93 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
Education plays a major role in the creation of knowledge, awareness
and movement towards sustainable utilization of natural resources.
Educational activities under this project help to generate support
for the ideas developed by the project, which has a good working
relationship with the Ministry of Education.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Methods:
Education.
MG0080.5: Studies / Surveys (Jan. 93 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
This activity addresses the need to collect information necessary
for the positive development of the project and followup
activities, including the establishment of a management plan.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0080.6: Unallocated / Discretionary (Jan. 93 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0081 Madagascar: Formulating Coastal Zone Conservation and
Management Strategies for Madagascar
Project Summary:
A study carried out in 1994 to develop WWF priorities for marine
conservation in the Africa and Madagascar region determined that
Madagascar is the top priority in terms of marine conservation
potential, based on biological and feasibility indices. The purpose
of this project is to develop a strategic framework for marine
conservation activities in Madagascar.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 30 |
Oceans and Coasts 100 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 30 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 40
|
Project Background:
With a coastline of over 4,800km, high diversity of reef and corals,
five endemic species of marine fish, over 1000 species of marine
molluscs and extensive mangroves, Madagascar is WWF's top priority
for marine conservation in the African region. Apart from its
sea turtles and dugong, Madagascar's waters may be home to the
largest breeding group of humpback whales in the western Indian
Ocean. Following WWF's study of marine priorities in the region,
the Africa & Madagascar Subcommittee endorsed a factfinding
survey to determine countryspecific marine priorities. In
1992, a WWF preproject (MG0070) in the Toliara area, which
involved 15 local experts, generated a great deal of information
on the coastal ecosystems and potential impacts of increased tourism.
UNESCO is now implementing a project in the Grand Récif
area in the Toliara region, which will hopefully become a marine
protected area and biosphere reserve.
The timing for developing a WWF marine initiative in Madagascar
is propitious, as the country's "Association Nationale pour
la Gestion des Aires Protégées" is keen on
extending Madagascar's protected areas to include marine parks
and reserves. The need for coastal zone protection is immediate.
Throughout the western Indian Ocean region the nearshore
area is highly productive and, as a result, is subject to extensive
exploitation and continuing development. Previous assessments
of the south-west and north-east coasts of Madagascar indicate
that the coastal systems of these areas are heavily exploited
and degraded. In these areas endangered species such as turtles
and dugong occur only in low numbers. However, circumstantial
evidence suggests that the west, north-west and north coastal
systems of Madagascar may be less heavily exploited. Consequently
an assessment of these areas seems most logical.
Project Objectives:
1. To serve as an informationgathering and training period
with the objective of determining the condition of various areas
along the west and north coasts of Madagascar as potential sites
for marine reserves or sanctuaries.
MG0081.1: Marine Surveys to Develop Coastal Conservation
Strategies (Jul. 95 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
View Map
This project aims to examine and assess various coastal areas
as potential marine reserves or sanctuaries, in an effort to conserve
and manage coastal biodiversity, using marine mammals (in particular
dugongs) and turtles as 'flagship' species. The need for dugong
protection is immediate. Recent surveys off areas of Mozambique,
Madagascar, and the entire Kenyan coast indicate that dugong numbers
are alarmingly low. Throughout the western Indian Ocean region
the nearshore region is highly productive and, as a result,
is subject to extensive exploitation and continuing development.
Dugongs, along with many other living resources, are entirely
dependent on the nearshore seagrass and reef resources,
which are extremely sensitive to overexploitation and, in many
areas, are showing signs of degradation. To arrest the process
of coastal habitat destruction it is necessary to involve and
raise the awareness of those human communities that are dependent
on the resource. The latter is not difficult since fishermen are
invariably the first to notice any change in the environment.
Community involvement, taking social and historic traditions into
account, in ensuring sustainable exploitation and resource management
is much more difficult and requires innovative ideas based on
scientific and sociological research.
Activity Objectives:
1. To encourage marine conservation and management, through government
and NGO participation, in consultation with conservation agencies
in Madagascar.
2. To determine areas of high dugong abundance and to investigate
and propose suitable methods (socioeconomic, protected areas,
etc.) for their management and conservation.
3. To establish community-based and scientifically sound conservation
methods for the protection of coastal ecosystems, which should
then be implemented by the communities with the guidance of selected
NGOs.
Activity Biomes:
Coral Reefs; Littoral Zones; Mangrove; Seagrass Beds.
Activity Methods:
Ecotourism Development; Education; Information Systems; Institutional
Support and Development; Programme / Project Development; Research
and Monitoring; Species Management; Training.
Activity Species:
Dugong (Dugong dugon); Green turtle (Chelonia mydas); Hawksbill
turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata); Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae);
Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta); Olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys
olivacea); Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus).
MG0081.2: Programme Development (Jul. 93 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
1. To propose criteria and priorities to the Malagasy authorities
for the establishment of a comprehensive system of marine and
coastal reserves, including mangroves, salt flats, islands, reefs,
sand beaches, rocky beaches, estuaries, mudflats, dunes, and open
water.
2. To complement the existing reserve network with projects targeting
specific species, e.g. dugongs - assemblages; marine mammals,
turtles - habitats; fish nurseries, avian nesting sites; and economic
functions (sustainable fisheries, shell trade).
3. To determine the best ways of preventing pollution from both
marine and terrestrial sources.
Activity Methods:
Programme / Project Development.
MG0083 Madagascar: Toliara Sustainable Energy Project
Project Summary:
View Map
This project will investigate the problem of energy supply and
consumption (mostly charcoal and wood for cooking) for the town
of Toliara, in south-west Madagascar, and explore various solutions.
An important part of the project will be to raise awareness among
producers, consumers, local authorities, and government technical
services of the issues and the potential solutions. The longterm
aim of the project is to ensure that Toliara's energy needs are
supplied and are sustainable so that energy provision does not
threaten Madagascar's natural ecosystems.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 90 | | Consumption & Pollution 65
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 35 |
Oceans and Coasts 10 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 0 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
Toliara is the provincial capital, port, and trading centre for
southwest Madagascar. Its population has doubled, from 60,000
in 1980 to 120,000 in 1995. It is situated close to the transition
between spiny bush typical of the arid southwest and the
dense dry deciduous forest of western Madagascar. The majority
of Toliara's energy for domestic cooking is provided by wood and
charcoal. In addition to domestic use, nearly all small restaurants
and coffee stalls use wood and charcoal. All of the charcoal and
fuel-wood used in Toliara is supplied from native forests; there
is no use of plantation wood for charcoal production. Charcoal
production started in spiny forests within 10km of Toliara around
40 years ago. Today it is mostly supplied from spiny forests 30-40km
north of Toliara, from riverine forests near the Onilahy river
up to 50km south-east of Toliara, from dense deciduous forests
along Route Nationale 7 from as far as 150km north-east of Toliara,
and from mangroves both north and south of Toliara.
Forests nearer Toliara are severely degraded by the extraction
of all exploitable hardwoods. Hardwood species of dry forests
in this arid area (300-750mm rainfall per annum) grow very slowly.
In studies in similar dense deciduous forest at Morondava, north
of Toliara, it was discovered that hardwood species take around
500 years to grow to 0.5m diameter. It is unlikely that charcoal
production could be sustainable from these forests. The forests
that have been exploited will take many centuries to recover,
if ever. Charcoal is often produced by migrants from areas further
south. They form transient settlements, moving on in search of
new wood supplies as required. Their charcoal production is often
associated with slashandburn shifting cultivation.
This is even more destructive as repeated burning destroys the
seed bank and leaves the soil infertile, leaving almost no possibility
of regeneration. The dense deciduous forest of Andranovory, 60km
north-east of Toliara, has entirely disappeared in the last 50
years as a result of slashandburn cultivation and
charcoal production. This project will work closely with local
partners, and with them will develop a proposal for longer-term
and larger-scale action to achieve the long-term aim of ensuring
that Toliara's energy needs are supplied sustainably.
Project Objectives:
1. To encourage production of firewood and charcoal from plantation
wood.
2. To promote more efficient charcoal production.
3. To promote cooking techniques which reduce the energy required,
and use firewood and charcoal from plantation wood.
4. To promote working techniques which use alternative sources
of energy such as solar energy and biogas.
MG0083.1: Toliara Sustainable Energy Project (Jul. 96 -
Jun. 98)
Activity Background:
See Project Background.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Mangrove; Tropical Dry Forest.
Activity Methods:
Community Conservation; Institutional Support and Development;
Programme / Project Development; Research and Monitoring; Training.
MG0851 Madagascar: Amber Mountain, Phase II
Project Summary:
The purpose of this project is to maintain the quality of the
natural environment in and around the Amber Mountain Complex of
Protected Areas through the integration of conservation, development,
and education. The project will concentrate on park/reserve protection
which will be reinforced through locally based initiatives, including
resource management, community-managed ecotourism, and environmental
education. Research and training (institution building) are fundamental
crosscutting elements of the project.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 20 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 60 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 20 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 0
|
Project Background:
View Map
The Amber Mountain Complex of Protected Areas (Amber Mountain
National Park and the Special Reserves of Amber Forest, Ankarana
and Analamera) were selected as priority sites for conservation
action during preparation of the Madagascar National Environmental
Action Plan in 1989. The following criteria were used in the selection:
level of biodiversity and endemism; level of influence on the
economy in the region; accessibility and feasibility for accomplishing
planned tasks; and acceptance of and participation in the project
initiatives on the part of local people.
In June 1989 WWF-US entered a contract with USAID/Madagascar for
an integrated conservation and development project targeting rainforests
and deciduous forest ecosystems in the Amber Mountain Complex
of Protected Areas. The goal of the project was to ensure the
continued survival of the Amber Mountain area's forest ecosystem
through an integrated conservation, development, and public awareness
programme. WWF proposed to finance technical assistance, commodities,
training, and construction to establish the programme. Following
an evaluation in January 1992, CARE and Vétérinaires
Sans Frontières (VSF) were invited to collaborate with
WWF in reformulating the project, particularly in the development
activities where the evaluation found the project to be weakest.
Reformulation of the project started in October 1992, and in June
1993 a proposal was submitted to USAID for the second phase of
the project. This focuses on closely linking conservation, development,
and education activities, and facilitating the transfer of capability
from the project to governmental and nongovernmental institutions.
WWF will be responsible for the conservation/protection and environmental
education/awareness raising components and overall project administration;
CARE International will implement rural development activities
in the areas of agriculture and agroforestry; and VSF will implement
development activities in the area of animal husbandry. Other
partners include the Provincial Service of Water and Forests (SPEF),
GTZ (German Technical Development Agency), IDEA (a local NGO)
and others, all coordinated by the National Association for Protected
Areas Management (ANGAP).
September 1996: CARE involvement with the project has been
terminated and WWF will assume management of the development component
of the project (see Activity 3).
Project Objectives:
Main objective:
1. To implement Phase II of the Amber Mountain Project through
three contracted operators: WWF (the lead organization), CARE,
and VSF, in collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental
institutions and local communities.
Specific objectives:
2. To ensure the effective protection and management of the four
protected areas of the Amber Mountain Complex.
3. To diminish the pressure on the protected areas through the
development and implementation of sustainable rural development
and ecotourism activities that will provide income alternatives
for the local communities.
4. To develop and enhance the link between the conservation and
development activities through awareness and education activities
in order to promote attitudinal change and greater respect for
the protection of protected areas.
5. To facilitate the transfer of capability from the project
to governmental and nongovernmental institutions.
MG0851.1: Amber Mountain, Phase II (Jul. 94 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The expected outputs from this activity are: (a) improved protection
and management of the Amber Mountain Complex; (b) development
and implementation of alternative income-generating activities,
including rural development and ecotourism activities; (c) decreased
pressure on natural resources; and (d) understanding on the part
of the communities of the link between conservation and development.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives 2, 3 and 4.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0851.2: Conservation and Protection (Jul. 94 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The expected outputs from this activity are: (a) clearly marked
and identified limits of Amber Mountain National Park, the northern
block of the Amber Forest Reserve, and the Ankarana Reserve; (b)
raised community and national institution awareness of the rationale
for the protected areas and the boundaries surrounding them; (c)
restoration schemes for natural habitats which have been degraded
and abandoned in the national park; (d) use of biological data
from park/reserves to form a base for planning and evaluation;
(e) reduced illegal commercial activities in the protected areas;
(f) identification of ways for the local communities to actively
participate in and benefit from park/reserve management, for example
through the development and management of ecotourism and revenue
sharing; (g) reduced conflict between local residents in the National
Park or reserves; (h) implementation of a management and training
plan to transfer responsibility for park maintenance; (i) implementation
of interior regulations for the park reserve system to establish
the legal and managerial framework; (j) necessary infrastructure
to ensure protection of the complex; (k) trained conservation
and protection staff and positive working relationship with DEF
officials to ensure protection of the complex; (l) a plan for
the elimination of feral cattle from the protected areas; (m)
an ecological monitoring system for the complex ecosystems; and
(n) policy recommendations to the Malagasy government concerning
existing protected area boundaries.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 1.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0851.3: Development for Conservation (Jul. 94 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
This component of the project, now under WWF management, will
implement rural development activities in three different pilot
zones, targeting rural populations around the following protected
areas: Joffreville/Sakaramy on the northeastern side of
the Amber Mountain National Park and the Amber Forest Special
Reserve; Bobakilandy on the west side of the Amber Mountain National
Park; and Andasibe on the southeastern side of the Amber
Mountain National Park.
For the project's development component to be successful, it is
essential that all project development activities are linked to
conservation, specifically that: (a) all natural resource utilization
schemes take into account the rarity of species and their value
in terms of contributing to ecological processes, the rules, regulations
and laws which are applicable in Madagascar, costbenefit
relationships, market/finance access to rural populations, and
the capacity for selfmanagement; (b) communication and networking
become integral to all approaches and all steps necessary to promote
positive attitudinal changes; (c) proposed activities, solutions
or alternatives should be based on actual knowledge and actions
of rural communities and not developed from a "should do/should
have" standpoint. Phase I PRA studies have set the stage
to ensure compatibility with local needs; (d) reinforcement of
local structures and positive community perceptions is primordial;
(e) all interventions from outside the population promote the
reinforcement and respect of village/community land management
plans.
The following specific set of activities in agriculture and agroforestry
is neither exhaustive nor to be applied in every community in
the selected pilot zones. Following consensus with communities,
some of these interventions will be tested for costeffectiveness,
level of participation by local people (in terms of affordability
and manageability), replicability, and sustainability. As a follow
up to Phase I PRA studies, Phase II will: (a) conduct feasibility
studies for implementation of improved agricultural production
of the Ambararatra, Sakaramy, and Normandy II plains; (b) test
and implement systems for the improvement of storage and marketing
systems associated with development activities stimulated by the
project and help improve rural marketing networks; (c) carry out
studies and establish systems to control agricultural pests, such
as "Hispa gestroi"; (d) introduce and experiment with
improved varieties of rice which have a shorter growing cycle;
(e) introduce and experiment with improved varieties of sweet
potatoes, maize, and manioc; (f) establish a system with the local
communities for the use of ANGAPfunds coming from protected
area entry fees; (g) in collaboration with rural farmers, design
methods for the improvement of agricultural equipment and materials
used locally; (h) establish a participatory autofunctioning
micro-rural credit system; (i) examine the relationship and functioning
of Malagasy laws regarding natural resource utilization and traditional
uses of the resources; (j) identify and apply solutions for land
tenure problems affecting land-use plans; (k) help improve organization
of rural farmers through the creation of village associations
or similar bodies; (l) experiment with and test more diverse agricultural
crops; (m) install improved marketing systems for fruit tree and
garden production; (n) introduce and/or improve systems using
compost or "green" fertilizer; (o) introduce and/or
improve the use of live fencing around fields and other areas
of activity; (p) introduce and/or improve agroforestry practices;
(q) help rural farmers improve crop development in new fields;
(r) help fight erosion above and around agricultural plots, using
applied technologies; (s) collaborate with the Special Energy
project of GTZ on the introduction of improved charcoal production
technology, and set up a sustainable wood management system with
the selected charcoal burners who have learned this technology;
(t) develop income-generating activities for the rural populations
based on the primary or secondary links with ecotourism in and
around the protected areas; (u) help to diminish the pressure
on protected areas through implementation of the above mentioned
income generating activities and the development of alternatives
for human activities inside the protected areas.
VSF: VSF will implement animal husbandry activities in
four different pilot zones, targeting rural populations around
the following protected areas: Joffreville/Sakaramy on the northeastern
side of the Amber Mountain National Park and the Amber Forest
Special Reserve; Bobakilandy on the west side of the Amber Mountain
National Park; Andasibe on the southeastern side of the
Amber Mountain National Park; and Ambondromifehy/ Mahamasina/Maroataolana
on the northeastern side of the Ankarana Special Reserve.
The following specific set of activities in animal husbandry are
neither exhaustive nor to be applied in every community in the
selected pilot zones. Following consensus with communities, some
of these interventions will be tested for costeffectiveness,
level of participation by local people (in terms of affordability
and manageability), replicability, and sustainability. As a follow
up to Phase I PRA studies, Phase II will: (a) identify and implement
activities focusing on the improvement of livestock marketing
systems associated with development activities initiated by the
project and help improve rural marketing networks; (b) establish
income-generating activities such as improved poultry breeding,
improved pig-keeping, and beekeeping with locally constructed
beehives; (c) develop and introduce a system of improved pasture
management with local farmers; (d) collaborate with the local
veterinary service and help to improve cattle vaccination and
distribution and use of medicines against cattle parasites; (e)
help improve organization of rural farmers through the creation
of village associations or similar bodies; (f) help to diminish
the pressure on the protected areas through the development of
the above-mentioned income-generating activities and the development
of alternatives for human activities inside the protected areas.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 3.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0851.4: Education and Awareness Raising (Jul. 94 - Jun.
97)
Activity Background:
This activity, to be implemented by WWF, sets out to develop and
enhance the link between the conservation and development activities
through awareness raising and education activities to promote
attitudinal change and greater respect for the protection of protected
areas.
The expected outputs from this activity are: (a) the development
and distribution of appropriate informational documentation on
the environment, protected areas, and natural resources; (b) creation
of a communications network for the environment; (c) preparation
of courses, training sessions, Round Table discussions, radio,
and television programmes for the target audiences; (d) introduction
of environmental activities in schools and extracurricular
in the Amber Mountain region; (e) improvement in the level of
scholarships through teacher training, provision of materials,
physical improvements (school upgrading), and development of appropriate
curricula related to local needs and concerns; and (f) the staffing
and implementation of environmental education (EE) programmes
in an EE centre at the Station de Rosette in Amber Mountain National
Park.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 4.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0851.5: CrossCutting Activities (Jul. 94 - Jun.
97)
Activity Background:
This activity deals with the following components and activities
which cut across the themes of conservation, development, and
education:
Training/Capacity Building: the provision of training and
capacity building opportunities to facilitate transfer of capability
and responsibility to more permanent institutions/organizations
in the Amber Mountain region.
Research: the design and execution of analytical research
in both the biological, and social and economic subject areas
which will facilitate continuous appraisal (monitoring and evaluation)
of project activities, and their results and impacts.
The expected outputs from this activity are: (a) the training
and reinforcement of NGO, government and parastatal staff in methods/approaches
to deter or halt habitat degradation; (b) development of a management
and training plan to transfer responsibility for park maintenance;
(c) establishment of an advisory board at the regional/local level
to ensure that projectassisted activities are both appropriate
and sustainable; (d) the encouragement and support of local, national,
and international researchers emphasizing applied topics which
will aid in the management of the protected area; (e) the design
and implementation of an ecological monitoring programme for the
protected area, for baseline data collection.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 5.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0852 Madagascar: Andohahela Integral Reserve, Phase II
Project Summary:
View Map
The activities of this project are intended to help conserve and
protect the biodiversity of Andohahela and the surrounding forests
by promoting the sustainable use of natural resources in south-eastern
Madagascar. Conservation efforts will be linked with development
activities to empower the local population to manage their land
and take responsibility for their proper development. Emphasis
will be placed on the training of project personnel, helping local
institutions to carry out sustainable conservation and development
activities, and the development of alternative approaches that
can be disseminated throughout the region. Village structures
will be strengthened so that they can become true partners in
the management and the monitoring of conservation and development
activities in and around the Andohahela reserve.
Priority Biomes %
| | Strategies %
|
Forests 0 | | Consumption & Pollution 0
|
Freshwater Ecosystems 0 | |
EE & Capacity Building 0 |
Oceans and Coasts 0 | |
Protected Areas 0 |
Non-Priority Biomes 0 | |
Species 0 |
Non-Biome Specific 100 | |
Sustainable Resource Use 0 |
| | Treaties & Legislation 0
|
| | Non-Priority Strategies 100
|
Project Background:
The 75,200ha Andohahela Integral Reserve is a storehouse of biological
diversity and endemicity located in the south-eastern corner of
Madagascar. The variety of ecosystems, from Sahelianlike
deserts to high mountain rainforests, support the evolution and
adaptation of many life-forms and lifestyles. In human terms,
Andohahela is one of the poorest areas in the country, a fact
that could endanger the survival of its unique ecosystem. WWF
selected Andohahela as a potential high priority site for the
development of an integrated conservation and development project
in 1985. Nationwide protected area surveys carried out by WWF
and the Malagasy Department of Water and Forests in 19861987
confirmed Andohahela's importance and played a role in the inclusion
of the reserve in the Malagasy Environmental Action Plan as a
Priority Level 1 locality. During the pilot phase of the WWF Andohahela
project, international and national NGOs, government institutions,
and rural communities looked for a cohesive approach to stabilize
people's relationships with the environment.
To reach the objectives of this Phase II project, activities will
be carried out to reinforce the conservation of the protected
area, promote the sustainable use of natural resources, educate
the population, and develop the protected area through the introduction
of ecotourism. The project's development activities will aim at
improving the economic situation of the population, as well as
working to empower the population to take responsibility for its
own development and the management of its resources, including
those in protected areas.
The project is based upon redesign studies, completed in 1993,
that examined social, agricultural, economic, and ecological issues.
These studies analysed the existing situation and provided initial
recommendations for project activities. Andohahela Phase II addresses
the primary threats identified by the studies and includes indicators
for monitoring and evaluating activities. Ultimately, the project
emphasizes the reinforcement of local technical services and of
national NGOs to ensure the sustainability of actions at Andohahela
and in south-eastern Madagascar.
Project Objectives:
Main objective:
1. To sustain and protect the biodiversity of the Andohahela
Reserve and adjacent classified forest and to promote the sustainable
use of natural resources in south-eastern Madagascar.
Specific objectives:
2. To replace the destructive exploitation of natural resources
in the forest zone with sustainable alternatives.
3. To address the social and economic needs of the people living
around the reserve in an effort to obtain their confidence and
cooperation in conservation programmes.
4. To create an appreciation among local residents of the relationship
between conservation and development.
5. To assure a protected area with boundaries that are well known
by all concerned parties and a status that permits activities
that support development in the region.
6. To develop an efficient system of monitoring and biological
and social research in the region, with national institutions.
7. To reinforce the capacity of local institutions (both governmental
and nongovernmental) and village associations to manage
natural areas and to implement sustainable conservation and development
activities.
MG0852.1: Andohahela Integral Reserve, Phase II (Jul. 94
- Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The expected outputs from overall project activity are: (a) improved
protection and management of the Andohahela Reserve; (b) the development
and implementation of alternative income-generating activities,
including rural development and ecotourism activities; (c) decreased
pressure on natural resources; (d) strengthened capacity of local
institutions to implement conservation and development projects;
and (e) increased understanding on the part of the community of
the link between conservation and development.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objective 1.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0852.2: Conservation and Protection (Jul. 94 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The expected outputs from this activity are: (a) knowledge and
respect of the boundaries at all levels; (b) respect of the protected
area by the population; (c) reduced exploitation of the natural
forest; (d) reduced wild fires by 50%; (e) increased quality and
quantity of reforestation; (f) increased availability of tree
species chosen by the population; (g) rational resource use; and
(h) development of income-generating activities related to conservation.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives 2, 5 and 6.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0852.3: Rural Development (Jul. 94 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The expected outputs under this activity are: (a) rational resource
use; (b) development of income-generating activities related to
conservation; (c) improved understanding of the relationship between
conservation and development; (d) improved capacity of local institutions
and village associations to manage natural resources and development
projects.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives 3, 4 and 7.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
MG0852.4: Environmental Education (Jul. 94 - Jun. 97)
Activity Background:
The aim of environmental education efforts under this activity
is to give an appreciation of the environment and an understanding
of the conservation of protected areas to students. The expected
outputs are: (a) distribution of training materials and books,
and training of teachers; (b) development of extracurricular activities,
such as restoration efforts; (c) teaching materials appropriate
for the south (to be undertaken by the school department); (d)
development of teacher training programmes; (e) establishment
of a committee for the upkeep of schools; (f) a programme aimed
at developing school canteens; (g) elaboration of a literacy programme
with the population and the government service responsible for
rural sensibilization; and (h) the building of an environmental
education centre in Ankazofotsy by ANGAP and equipped/managed
by the project.
Activity Objectives:
See Project Objectives.
Activity Biomes:
Tropical Moist Forest.
|