Protecting Madagascar’s biodiversity and its local economy

Madagascar is perhaps the single most important country for biodiversity in the world, with most of its plants, mammals and reptiles found nowhere else on earth. These unique species and the island nation’s overall ecological health are also increasingly threatened; only about 10% of Madagascar’s native vegetation and land cover remains. Fanamby, whose name means ‘challenge’ in Malagasy, is one of the country’s pioneering conservation organizations.

Fanamby believes that for conservation efforts to be successful, local communities must benefit from forests and biodiversity through improved livelihoods. Fanamby works across a portfolio of a half dozen protected areas spanning more than 500,000 hectares of Madagascar’s diverse forests and ecosystems. They help   resident communities responsible for managing these forests to generate income from markets through agricultural products, such as vanilla, and community-based ecotourism ventures.