Thanks to funding from the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Madagascar will place emphasis on the critical intersection between agriculture and environmental concerns.

Following an informatory meeting in July 2020 focused on recent progress and expectations with regards to the Project Preparation Phase (PPG) of the project “Biodiversity Conservation, Restoration and Integrated Sustainable Development of Lower Mangoky and South-Mananara watersheds”, the PPG of the project was launched online on 9 November 2020, bringing together decision-makers, key partners and the media.

Madagascar is one of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots showcasing extraordinary levels of biodiversity and endemism, affected by extremely high levels of threats. The benefits of biodiversity in Madagascar are huge: more than 18 million people depend on biodiversity for their livelihood needs, with 80% being entirely dependent on natural resources. According to the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2025, deforestation and forest degradation are among the greatest threats to Madagascar's terrestrial ecosystems. The illegal and abusive exploitation of natural resources, including in protected areas, also remains a concern for critically endangered and vulnerable species. Due to the country's high rate of endemism, the loss of one hectare of forest in Madagascar has a greater effect on biodiversity than the loss of forests elsewhere in the world.

The main environmental challenges include issues related to water resources management, globally significant biodiversity conservation and soil fertility maintenance and improvement of soil fertility. The target landscapes are also faced with institutional challenges (limited local governance, lack of capacities and of effective financial mechanisms) and socio-economic challenges (demographic growth, limited productivity, unsustainable practices, inadequate land rights management system).

This project, which will be funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF-7), aims to support the government’s efforts to address the environmental issues mentioned above by promoting integrated land use management and biodiversity conservation in the degraded landscapes and watersheds of Southern Madagascar while promoting alternative livelihood options and inclusive businesses models. The project aims to tackle the main drivers of biodiversity loss, namely habitat change (loss, degradation and fragmentation) and unsustainable use of resources.

"We will have to reflect on the potential ecological impact of agricultural policies by looking for possible misalignments and by asking ourselves how to reconcile the objectives of sustainability and productivity growth" affirmed the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fishing, Lucien Ranarivelo.

“Addressing these factors requires reviewing management plans and practices both in protected areas and on surrounding production lands, which equally contribute to the disruption of these ecosystems. Habitat change and unsustainable use in the targeted landscapes are the result of unsustainable agricultural practices, illegal logging, hunting and agricultural encroachment” underlines the Minister of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Baomiavotse Vahinala Raharinirina.

By adopting a landscape approach, the project aims to restore ecosystems within protected areas, alongside the sustainable management of lands designated for agriculture, grazing and forestry. The expansion and consolidation of existing protected areas is a necessary part of a set of activities for the conservation and integration of biodiversity.

“The project is designed to strengthen national food systems while providing environmental benefits to people. They will help smallholder farmers, fishermen and foresters to diversify their livelihoods and build their resilience to climate change and other major stress factors, such as the COVID-19 virus” affirmed the FAO Representative in Madagascar, Mbuli Charles Boliko.

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