Ravalomanana's Mission to Preserve Madagascar's Ecosystem
Matthew Thompson
Madagascar's president, Marc Ravalomanana, has set himself the challenge of increasing the country's protected areas to six million hectares (23,172 miles²) by 2008 and with the recent addition of another one million hectares of new protected areas he's well on the way!
One of the world's highest conservation priorities
Home to a vast array of native flora and fauna that can be found no where else on the planet, Madagascar is now thought to be one of the world's highest conservation priorities. Yet 90% of its forestland has already been destroyed and a number of the country's native endemic species, including sixteen species of lemur and the legendary giant elephant bird, have already been lost.
The introduction of another one million hectares of protected areas will have a significant impact on conservation efforts in the country and will bring the total area of protected land in Madagascar up to 3.7 million hectares (14,289 miles²). This is the second time that the Madagascan government has extended the country's protected areas in the last two years, with another one million hectares of land being set aside for the same purpose in 2005.
Many of the areas that are now designated protected areas are home to some of the country's most endangered species, including the Madagascan sacred ibis, the greater bamboo lemur and the golden-crowned sifaka. It is hoped that the preservation of natural habitats and the creation of "corridors" that will connect each of the protected areas, will help to ensure the survival of these now rare species.
Putting long-term benefits before short-term gains
Deforestation, ravaging farming techniques and an illegal wildlife trade that continues to damage populations of many endangered species, has left Madagascar in a conservation crisis but the introduction of these new protected areas looks set to change this. Now a significant portion of the country will be under the protection of the Madagascan government and the damage caused by human activity should be drastically reduced.
In the short term this is likely to cause considerable problems for the Madagascan population, who rely heavily on the country's natural resources for energy and farming. However, the preservation of these areas should open new avenues which will improve the economy and encourage growth.
Eco-tourism will play a major role in this and Madagascar is now being hailed as a role model for other developing countries. The president’s determination to preserve the country's natural wonders, to encourage tourists to visit them and even help out with conservation efforts, has shown that conservation and development can go hand in hand, and though the positive results that this brave move will have on the country’s economy may not be visible for some time yet, it can be safely assumed that the benefits will extend far beyond simply preserving the country’s natural resources.
Help needed
Madagascar’s eco-tourism industry is still in its early stages and is not, as yet, providing the country with a substantial income. If the government is to continue it’s good work and meet its targeted six million hectares of protected areas by 1998 then it will need to significantly increase the number of environmentally aware tourists that land on it’s shores and develop the eco-tourism industry into a sustainable and reliable source of income that will continue to feed the local economy long into the future.
Therefore, travellers visiting Madagascar now – be it for a brief eco-friendly break or a stint of volunteering – will be helping with conservation efforts simply by being there. The benefits of their time away will be two-fold, not only will they have a fantastic trip but they will also be showing their support for the direction which the Madagascan government has chosen to take and showing other countries that investing in their natural resources can be a wise and lucrative decision.
- Take a look at our projects in Madagascar.
