An in-depth study by Bangor University on the Ambatovy mine’s efforts to achieve a no net loss of biodiversity was the subject of a webinar organized by WCS’s COMBO+ (Conservation, Minimization of Biodiversity Impacts and Offsets) program and the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) IMEC (Impact Mitigation and Ecological Offsets) Thematic Group on March 31, 2002. Following the presentation of the study, FAPBM, through its Executive Director, Alain Liva Raharijaona, presented the QMM-Rio Tinto offset program for the Agnalazaha protected area (South-eastern Madagascar), which is financially managed by FAPBM.
Biodiversity offsets are a standard compensation mechanism for the extractive and mining industries and are the last resort when avoidance, reduction or restoration measures cannot be applied. They generally aim to achieve No Net Loss (NNL) of biodiversity, and if possible, a Net Gain.
The Agnalazaha protected area, managed by Missouri Botanical Garden (MBG), was chosen by QMM-Rio Tinto as an offset site because its landscape (coastal forest) and biodiversity (6 endemic species) are similar to those of its Mandena, Sainte-Luce and Petriky mining sites. In 2019, FAPBM was approached by QMM-Rio Tinto for its expertise in funding the protected areas, its ability to do monitoring and evaluation as well as its possibilities of financial sustainability.
It is encouraging to see the findings of a scientific study indicate that Ambatovy is in the process of protecting as much rainforest as it has destroyed in other parts of the island. The boom in mining and extractive projects in Madagascar and on the east coast of Africa, as well as the similar ecosystems on both sides of the Mozambique Channel, are pushing FAPBM to deepen its reflections on this funding mechanism. Its potential to reduce the funding gap of the Madagascar Protected Areas System (SAPM) is indeed significant.
However, a number of questions remain, including the sustainability of funding, the effectiveness of achieving No Net Loss (NNL), the probability of greenwashing, etc. To find answers, FAPBM has joined the COMBO+ program, whose objective is to better reconcile economic development and the preservation of biodiversity, by supporting the establishment and / or implementation of regulatory and institutional frameworks to encourage business financing. We will discuss the COMBO+ program in a future issue.
