Of the 123 protected areas in the Madagascar Protected Areas System (SAPM), 45 will receive annual grants from the Foundation for Biodiversity and Protected Areas of Madagascar (FAPBM) in 2022. The total funding amounts to 10,711,991,923 MGA (USD 2,735,170). The total surface area of the protected areas financed covers 3,231,165 Ha, or 50% of the total surface area of SAPM.
6 new sites will join the network of FAPBM beneficiaries in 2022, namely:
- Ambodivahibe (managed by Conservation International), Ankivonjy (managed by WCS), Andrafiamena Andavakoera (managed by Fanamby), Ibity (managed by Missouri Botanical Garden), thanks to a capital endowment from the French Development Agency (AFD) in 2020,
- The National Parc of Lokobe (managed by Madagascar National Parks),
- Menabe Antimena proected area, under serious deforestation. Discussions are in progress to set up the amount of the funding.
The annual grants to the 45 protected areas will be allocated to the following:
- Community development for the well-being of the communities surrounding the protected areas, including alternative and income-generating activities,
- Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems,
- Securing the operational costs of funded protected areas.
In addition to the annual grants, FAPBM also offers two funding mechanisms to build the capacity of protected area managers or to deal with exceptional situations. Any protected area manager can apply to FAPBM, whether or not it receives annual funding from the Foundation.
Nearly 95% of funding comes from interest on the capital invested by the Foundation. This capital is the result of the commitment of conservation actors and bilateral and multilateral donors to protected areas. The remainder is made up of funds entrusted to the Foundation for management.
FAPBM invites the nation’s active forces to give more support to these structures which sustain life : ““We must save biodiversity now and not tomorrow”. These were the very words of the President of the Republic. “Our compatriots are suffering today from lack of water, declining soil fertility, climate change. Forests, swamps, mangroves, are nature based solutions that provide for the essential needs of the population. Protected areas are the sanctuaries that preserve these ecosystems. If man is capable of destroying, he is also capable of restoring and rebuilding,” said the President of FAPBM Board of Trustees, Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana.
The Foundation’s efforts are important, but so are the challenges. Continuous biodiversity loss, poor human development, and climate change have been intensified by the vulnerability caused by the pandemic. To address these issues, FAPBM has adopted its 2022-2026 strategic plan which has been presented at a distance to FAPBM’s partners. It is based on 3 pillars:
- Strengthening sustainable funding for SAPM by increasing its capital, and diversifying donors,
- Financing SAPM to strengthen impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem services, human well-being and climate change,
- Strengthening the Foundation’s structure through more effective tools, policies and procedures.
ANNEXE 1 : 45 PROTECTED AREAS FUNDED BY FAPBM IN 2022[1]
[1] Including Menabe Antimena in progress
