The DIANA region, in the Northern part of Madagascar, has 19 protected areas, 9 of which are financed by FAPBM. With the exception of the protected areas of COMATSA North and South, these protected areas cover more than 800,000 ha. Although they only occupy 40% of the region, each of them provides invaluable services to the region’s populations (889,962 inhabitants in 2018). For example, the Ambodivahibe and Ankivonjy protected areas sustainably manage fisheries resources for the benefit of local fishermen, the Montagne d’Ambre protected area supplies the JIRAMA water reservoirs for the town of Diégo and the water supply of 13 rural communes around the park, and Nosy Tanikely attracts nearly 50,000 tourists per year (before the pandemic). The pressures and threats faced by these protected areas therefore endanger the lives of the region’s inhabitants.
Faced with diverging interests in conservation, the DIANA protected areas platform is making the voices of managers and communities heard. Officially created in 2017, the platform has its roots historically in the exchange visits carried out in 2014 within the framework of a North-South collaboration between the managers of the DIANA region’s category V and VI New Protected Areas, and those coming from the department of Finistère (France). But in practice, it is the mission, the objectives and the common issues linked to the Region’s natural resources sustainable management that have brought together the 8 protected area managers around this platform.
The platform is a meeting place made available to members to find solutions to common or local problems. In 2017, for example, in the Galoka Kalobinono protected area (Ambanja District) managed by the Famelona Association, a private operator asked the Ministry of the Environment for the extension of his land, for the purpose of industrial exploitation of Ylang-Ylang over thousands of hectares in an area not foreseen for this use according to the protected area’s PAG (Management and Development Plan). It should be noted that the extension of private land is frozen in the protected areas and that large-scale cultivation of ylang-ylang requires land clearing in the area planned for its plantation. Faced with this issue, the site manager therefore mobilised the collective intelligence of the platform in order to define an appropriate response. At the end of the extraordinary meeting held, the platform proposed to submit official recommendations as well as the minutes of the meeting to the Ministry in charge. After a field visit with the Ministry’s team, representatives of the platform and the manager to assess the situation on the ground, the operator’s request was finally rejected.
As a collective of managers, the platform approaches the local authorities in a concerted manner to involve them in the challenges. In 2021, for example, following a meeting with the Governor, more resources were deployed by the authorities to protect the resources of marine fishermen.
The platform is currently working closely with other institutions such as Blue Ventures, NGO MIHARI, STD and Alliance Voahary Gasy to ensure that the managers’ voice is heard in this effort to conserve natural resources, which – it should be noted – is an engine of socio-economic development for local populations and the DIANA region.
Inspired by the other regions making up the Northern Triangle, a platform of managers was recently created in the SAVA Region with the same objectives as that of DIANA. Today, they intend to join forces in order to mitigate inter-regional pressures. Indeed, it has been noted that fishermen from the DIANA Region go fishing illegally within the limits of the Loky Manambato protected area (SAVA side) at the time of the Varatraza or during fishing season opening , and vice versa on the DIANA side.
“However, challenges remain for PFGAP to achieve the vision – to be a platform of solidarity, efficient and recognised at regional and local level. Challenges related to our business such as the threat of mining in or near PAs (rare earths in Ampasindava, sapphire in Ankarana), law enforcement for environmental crimes, or the visibility of PAs. And challenges related to the platform structure such as the mobilisation of funds necessary for the functioning and dynamisation of the platform”, says Ms Manorotiana M. Irina, PFGAP Focal Point.
