The natural forests of Madagascar, including moist evergreen, dry, and spiny forests, are primarily preserved within terrestrial protected areas. These areas, managed by conservation experts such as Madagascar National Parks and national and international NGOs, face the dual challenge of preserving and restoring natural forest ecosystems in close collaboration with local communities.
Preserving forests from fire to fight deforestation
Fire is the main form of pressure and is subject to dedicated management systems within each protected area. Fires in protected areas may have multiple origins: natural, intentional, or resulting from uncontrolled proliferation. Protected areas that encompass dry forests, dry thickets, and sclerophyllous forests are particularly prone to fires. Rainforests are also affected by fires during the dry seasons for the purpose of slash-and-burn agriculture.
Experiences of protected area managers show that physical securing of protected areas, effective presence, and community mobilization are crucial for an effective fire management system. In terms of passive firefighting, protected areas combine on-ground fire point monitoring with satellite imagery. New firebreak management methods, such as agricultural firebreaks, can be implemented and adapted to local contexts within protected areas.
The local communities engagement remains a prerequisite for effective efforts against deforestation. Protected area managers in Madagascar have begun to achieve success in community involvement.
Engaging Communities in Protection
According to FAO projections, deforestation in Madagascar will continue at its current rate between 1990 and 2050 (0.9% to 1.14% outside protected areas at the national level, assuming no health-related lockdowns or major natural disasters), particularly in the vicinity of large forest blocks where population growth is higher. The total forest area depends on the population density in the location near these forests, according to Wright and Muller-Landau’s modeling (2006).
In the protected areas of the Tsimembo Manambolomaty and Mandrozo Complex (western Madagascar), Dr. Yverlin Pruvot, site manager at The Peregrine Fund, has developed a community-centred approach where fires are linked to agro-pastoral practices. Prior to fire events, communities are sensitised and educated on regulatory texts. They are involved in control and monitoring, data collection, and detection (community patrols, maintenance and cleaning of reforestation areas, establishment and maintenance of firebreaks). In case of confirmed fires, they are mobilised to extinguish them.
Simultaneously, the economic and social development actions carried out by protected area managers help to lift the communities out of economic precariousness. In Oronjia, the implementation of dynamic agroforestry has helped combat drought and ensure sustainable income for communities. Preserving the ecosystem services provided by protected areas secures income for communities (e.g. inland and coastal fishing, watershed agriculture, drinking water, etc.).
Restoring Madagascar forests
Approximately 99,000 hectares of forest are lost every year in Madagascar, mainly due to fires. Madagascar’s protected areas contribute to reverse this global trend through reforestation and restoration efforts.
In the Agnalazaha protected area, communities tend nurseries, plant trees, and monitor their growth. This is why restoration activities are more effective in protected areas. For example, in 2021, 25,000 seedlings were produced.
In the Mangoky Ihotry-CMI Complex protected area, 40 hectares of forest were restored between 2020 and 2021 with funding from FAPBM. Asity Madagascar has successfully expanded the dry forest, which can endure extended periods without rain. Its dense and wide roots retain water and prevent soil erosion.
In the Montagne des Français protected area, 21 hectares of forest were restored between 2020 and 2021 with support from FAPBM. Gallery forests along watercourses are essential for soil retention and preventing siltation.
Since 2020, 32,000 seedlings have been planted in the Oronjia protected area with support from FAPBM, to protect the dense dry forest and fragmented mangroves caused by charcoal production or illicit logging.
The majority of the Beanka protected area, covering 17,000 hectares, is dominated by dense dry forest. Since 2020, 80,800 seedlings (approximately 33 hectares) have been planted to reforest and restore cleared areas.
A Call for support to protected areas
Based on input from expert managers in the field, an indicative list of protected areas most vulnerable to fire was developed by FAPBM in 2021. This will allow for anticipation of interventions and the necessary resources to be provided to managers. FAPBM’s support enables the implementation of innovative approaches and their scaling up through platforms for exchange between protected area managers. However, this support remains insufficient at the scale of Madagascar’s 123 protected areas.
In 2020, 45% of FAPBM funding for protected areas (3.5 million hectares) was dedicated to conservation and ecosystem restoration, resulting in more promising outcomes within protected areas. The area restored in 2021 reached nearly 3,000 hectares across all funded protected areas, with a success rate of 75% from the beginning to the end of the year.
Let’s invest in protected areas where impacts and sustainability are more effective thanks to the monitoring carried out by managers and communities. Let’s assist the experts in the field to do more. To contribute to forest protection, visit the website or contact us directly at mail@fabm.org
