Category: News

FAPBM, as a member of the Alamino Board, responded to the officialization by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), on March 26, 2022, of the 10 principles of effective reforestation. This practical guide book was designed jointly with the Alamino Initiative which is a thing thank aiming to “regreen” Madagascar, and with the support of INDRI (Initiative for Development, Ecological Restoration and Innovation). FAPBM was represented by Evah Ralalarisoa (Internal Control Officer) and Elysabeth Razanamiarana (Consultant in charge of GEF6-Marine Protected Area). Thanks to these 10 principles, FAPBM will better focus its interventions in the protected areas in terms of reforestation and the deforestation control, both in terms of activities to be funded in the annual plan and the evaluation of outcomes and impacts of the actions funded. Here are the 10 principles: 1- A long-term commitment 2- A landscape approach 3- Taking into account local interests 4- …

In Ibity, located 170 km south of the capital, the endemic biodiversity of the savannah, such as Aloe, Pachypodium, Hypochoeris, Cynorkis (orchid), critically endangered (CR) according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, is threatened by the spreading phenomenon of invasive plants.  Weeds and pine seedlings contribute to endanger these endemic species. Some are proliferating thanks to fertile soil, others under the action of the wind. Misssouri Botanical Garden (MBG), the manager of the protected area, has opted for a rather disruptive method to fight invasive plants: fire. To better understand the approach, let’s consider this background information on fire: Fires often come from human sources, but they may also occur naturally. In Ibity, strikes of lightning ignite bush fires naturally during the rainy seasons (about 5 times a year); Fires contribute to the germination of certain seeds. The principle of slash-and-burn and fires for grazing …

At the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Marseille (September 2021), the Agence Française pour le Développement (AFD) and the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) took stock of their contribution to eight Biodiversity Conservation Trust Funds (CTFs) in Africa and South America. The study’s findings have positioned FAPBM as a sustainable financing mechanism for biodiversity that can complement existing government support and tourism resources independently on local conditions. The end of April 2022 meetings with the AFD and the French Embassy in Madagascar review the collaborations between the institutions. Meeting with the French Ambassador FAPBM was granted an audience with H.E. Christophe Bouchard, French Ambassador, on April 28, 2022. The delegation was composed of Mr. Fredy Rajaonera Andriambelo, member of the Executive Committee, and Mr. Alain Liva Raharijaona, Director. France, through a Debt Reduction-Development Contract and AFD capital endowment, amounting to a total of EUR 23 million, is today the …

Imagining a world without nature was the reflection to which Internet users were led in a digital campaign. How would the world be without water, forests, animals and all the components of wildlife? Through an alteration of their logos, by removing the symbols of nature on their identity, several entities have joined the online mobilization initiated by WWF to illustrate the meaningless of a world without nature and the need for us to preserve it.   For World Forest Day, FAPBM launched a digital campaign on March to highlight the reforestation and restoration efforts taking place at the level of protected areas. In 2020, 45% of FAPBM funding for protected areas (3.5 million ha) was dedicated to the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, whose results within protected areas are more effective. …

On February 23, 2022, the Executive Secretariat of the Consortium of African Funds for Environment (CAFE) held a virtual meeting of the ESMS working group, in which CAFE members participated. FAPBM presented the progress of the development of its ESMS, started in early 2021, on this occasion.   The ESMS declares the environmental and social safeguard commitments and principles of FAPBM to ensure that the negative environmental and social impacts of projects funded by FAPBM are avoided or, if unavoidable, minimized and properly mitigated. It also includes an operational guide (at the level of the Foundation and PA managers, the system for managing complaints, grievances and complaints, the risks of funding impacts, environmental and social standards, and monitoring and evaluation of the system).   The 2nd presentation of the meeting was made by Biofund from Mozambique, entitled « avoiding trouble : a scaled approach to an ESMS (Environmental and Social Risk Management …

Emnati then Batsiraï, in less than 2 weeks (10 and 22 February), two cyclones hit the south-east of Madagascar where two FAPBM-granted protected areas are located: Agnalazaha, managed by MBG and Manombo, managed by MNP. Serge Ratsirahonana, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, and Evah Ralalarisoa, Internal Control Officer of FAPBM, paid a visit on site in late February and early March for an audit and monitoring and evaluation mission. It was clear that both protected areas were heavily impacted by cyclones.   With regard to biodiversity, those tropical cyclones have severely depleted forests of their foliage. This scarcity of leaves in their usual territories would have forced arboreal and folivorous fauna species, particularly lemurs, to change territory and/or travel greater distances to feed. In addition, in the restoration areas, more than 85% of the seedlings planted last year (Q3 2021) were uprooted. Seedlings from previous years were more or less resistant …

16 of the 21 wetlands (2,147,911 ha) listed on the RAMSAR site are housed in protected areas and thus benefit from conservation activities. 7 of them are part of FAPBM grantees. Other wetlands do not benefit from this protection nor even listed as RAMSAR. In this cyclone season, the celebration of Wetlands Day on 2 February is a stark reminder of the need to provide the means to preserve these areas. Lakes, ponds, peat bogs, watersheds, swamp forests, mangroves, etc. are all wetlands. As such, they house biodiversity, provide water (for livestock, agriculture, electricity, food, etc.) and are buffer zones in case of flooding. The national theme of the 2022 celebration also denounces human activities that cause wetlands loss: “Acting for wetlands means acting for nature and humanity. Do not fill in with soil to guarantee access to water for all, do not destroy to maintain life”. FAPBM supported the …

The Directorate of Protected Areas, Renewable Natural Resources and Ecosystems (DAPRNE) has invited its close partners to its annual reforestation. On 11 February 2022, teams from FAPBM led by the Executive Director, Alain Liva Raharijaona, joined the DAPRNE and its partners (among which MNP, Group of Madagascar’s fauna and flora exporters) for this civic duty. Nearly 2,000 plants were planted in the Manankazo forestry station (north of the capital Antananarivo) by the participants. Among the species planted were acacia, tavolo, harongana, afotra, mongy hasina, fanala sopatra, mokaranana, handrarezina. Young plants evolution will be monitored and maintained by the local team of the MEDD. This physical participation – coupled with financial support – is in line with the long-standing collaboration between FAPBM and the MEDD within the framework of improving protected areas management. Most recently, the Director of DAPRNE has joined the Financing Committee of FAPBM’s Board of Trustees. Among other …

At the forefront of protected areas conservation and protection, local communities participate in patrols, restoration activities and are even co-managers of protected areas. More than that, they are taking steps to become less dependent on natural resources. Together, let’s discover these start-ups, whose efforts deserve to be supported. During the month of February, in collaboration with protected areas managers, FAPBM conducted a digital campaign to publicise communities’ achievements. To this end, internet users were encouraged to share publications about these achievements. Some important figures joined the campaign voluntarily, namely: igersmadagascar, Jay L’Exploratrice, Baonjava Monika, Marie Christina Kolo, Mbolatiana Raveloarimisa. We warmly thank the managers who offered the gifts. If you too would like to support the protected areas and their communities in any way, or buy their products, please contact the managers directly: –           Apiculture of Agnalazaha: Fidy Ratovoson fidy.ratovoson@mobot.mg –           Apiculture of Beanka: Radosoa Andrianaivoarivelo aniainodna@yahoo.fr –    …