Courtesy visit to the Minister of Environment
Mrs. Marie-Orléa Vina, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, received a delegation of FAPBM on April 28. This meeting reinforces the collaboration between the 2 institutions in favor of the sustainable funding of the Madagascar’s Protected Areas System (SAPM).
Mrs. Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana, the FAPBM President of the Board, expressed her wish that FAPBM be integrated as much as possible in the major projects funded by international initiatives such as GEF or GCF. FAPBM can be the financial mechanism for funding projects dedicated to protected areas, as is the case for GEF6 WWF project for the marine protected areas. FAPBM can also be the beneficiary of a capital endowment in order to ensure the financial relay at the end of the projects. The capital endowments from the French Development Agency (AFD) and KfW were mentioned as examples.
Courtesy visit to the Chargé d’Affaires of Germany
A delegation of FAPBM was received in audience by the Chargé d’Affaires of Germany in Madagascar, HE Günter Leo Overfeld, on May 17. Mrs. Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana, the FAPBM President of the Board, expressed her gratitude for Germany’s valuable endowment for the protection of biodiversity and the preservation of the local communities near the protected areas in Madagascar. Germany, through KfW, is the first contributor to the Foundation’s capital. To date, KfW has contributed a total of USD 85.6 million to FAPBM capital. In addition, the Government of Madagascar has committed to paying a total of 8.5 million Euros to FAPBM from 2007 to 2025 through a conversion of a German public debt. This mechanism, called debt-for-nature, allows governments to finance conservation programs from the repayment of their loans, while reducing the debt of the debtor countries.
The majority of the revenues from KfW’s endowments enables FAPBM to support the MNP network. To date, 29 out of 43 MNP areas extending over 2,100,000 ha are benefiting from this funding on an annual basis. In 2023, 11 additional MNP protected areas will be added to the list of FAPBM beneficiaries.
