Madagascar Protected Areas and Biodiversity Fund (FAPBM) has provided equipment grants to experts and local communities in protected areas. In this regard, 30 protected areas have received material support for firefighting and mobility, for a total amounting to 664 million MGA. This in-kind contribution complements the annual grants awarded to strengthen efforts to preserve the essential ecosystem services that protected areas provide.
An essential contribution to firefighting
Protected areas play a crucial role in biodiversity preservation and ecosystem protection, supporting key economic sectors such as fishing, tourism, and hydroelectric energy. However, managers of these protected areas face various challenges, including firefighting for terrestrial protected areas. Through improved fire management, FAPBM-funded protected areas have been able to limit deforestation to approximately 0.67% since 2021 (FAPBM Annual Report, 2022). FAPBM strengthens these encouraging results by targeting a substantial part of this grant to the most vulnerable forest ecosystems, particularly the dry forests of Western Madagascar. The allocated equipment essentially allows managers to store and distribute water to respond quickly to fires (water bags, tanks, barrels, jerry cans, etc.).
For the accessibility of protected areas
In addition to firefighting, another major challenge for these protected areas is the accessibility of remote areas. FAPBM grant also includes means of transportation such as motorcycles, bicycles, and boats. The equipment allows experts to move efficiently in the field, ensuring rapid surveillance and adequate intervention. Communication equipment such as smartphones and talkies-walkies has also been provided to ensure effective coordination among intervention teams. These mobility materials add to the threat-fighting equipment, forming a comprehensive set for the proactive management of these strategic locations.
An integrated approach
Protected area managers focus their efforts on conservation, community development, and finding ways to ensure the financial sustainability of these initiatives. Annual grants, consistently provided by FAPBM, play a crucial role in financing and sustaining these activities, in addition to supporting operating costs. Through this material grant, FAPBM complements financial resources and aligns with the concrete needs of managers and local communities.
In summary, this strategic investment by FAPBM in firefighting and mobility supports the operational capacity of field teams, thereby reinforcing FAPBM’s impact on the preservation of these crucial strategic locations for the sustainable development of Madagascar.
