Madagasikara Voakajy
Madagasikara Voakajy, Madagascar
Preventing endemic species’ extinction in Madagascar with local communities
ABOUT: Madagasikara Voakajy (MV) is an organization under Malagasy law dedicated to safeguarding Madagascar’s most endangered endemic species and their habitats. It strives to enrich scientific knowledge in order to develop and implement effective community conservation approaches across the country, including the creation and management of Protected Areas (PAs) and community conservation areas. The organization launches initiatives aimed at protecting and restoring vital ecosystems, as well as fostering community involvement and livelihoods.
Since its establishment, MV has had a remarkable track record in preserving biodiversity. Through collaboration with local communities, the government and other stakeholders, MV has managed to:
Establish seven Protected Areas to protect and safeguard endangered species,
Reclassify the golden mantella frog from “Critically Endangered” to “Endangered”,
Set up a fair and sustainable value chain for the fruit of the Grandidier’s baobab, generating benefits for resource managers and reinforcing the protection of the species and its natural habitat.
Political, economic and climatic crises in Madagascar are aggravating the livelihood problems faced by communities around PAs and exacerbating their dependence on natural resources. MV’s mission for 2024-2028 is to reverse the risk of extinction of threatened species and their habitats in Madagascar through close collaboration with local communities.
In order to do so, MV relies on four key pillars of intervention:
(i) applied research, which guides the actions to be implemented;
(ii) community involvement in the vicinity of target species and their natural habitats;
(iii) conservation and restoration of natural habitats that are essential for species conservation; and
(iv) promoting the economic value of endemic species, in order to encourage their conservation in their habitats. A high level of coordination within the organization is required to achieve these goals.
In Madagascar, organizations like MV find themselves having to address issues that extend beyond community conservation, such as creating income-generating activities, building community infrastructure and ensuring compliance with the socio-economic requirements imposed by PA regulations. In doing so, they aim to encourage community participation in conservation efforts, which in turn represents a strategic challenge for MV, as it seeks to strengthen its team, key management functions and partnerships in order to achieve its objectives.
Learn more: article on BBC | IUCN SOS
Impact
Fostering community engagement and promoting behavior change: Since its creation, Madagasikara Voakajy has worked with local communities in various ways to conduct research on endemic species and restore their natural habitats. MV has hired members of local communities as part of their green employment initiative. A number of former poachers have now become nature patrollers, helping to preserve the environment rather than destroy it.
Success in endangered species conservation: MV has developed and implemented the conservation strategy for the golden mantella frog. The Mangabe protected area was established in 2015 for the conservation of this endangered species. Through MV’s monitoring, the Golden mantella population was shown to have increased in its natural habitat. As a result, the species was downlisted from the Critically Endangered category on the IUCN Red List. While it is still in the Endangered category, this is a positive step for the species and MV aims to continue on this trajectory.
Community benefits from nature: Three community-based conservation groups in Menabe have been participating in harvesting and processing Grandidier’s baobab fruits with MV. The powder made from the baobab fruits became an important source of income for these groups. With this incentive to restore the dry forests of the Menabe, the natural habitat is recovering.
Youth involvement in nature preservation: In Mangabe, a remote area where small-scale farming is the main economic activity, MV noticed that even 14-year-olds were involved in deforestation for farming. To address this issue and engage the youth in conservation, MV launched the Youth project in 2016. This initiative focused on training teenagers from 21 villages in project management, sustainable farming, and forest preservation. The introduction of project management techniques inspired youth groups to develop infrastructure, including constructing and repairing roads. Consequently, more young individuals have joined community-based conservation groups, with some assuming leadership roles.
Nurturing the Grandidier's baobabs: MV started conserving Grandidier's baobabs in the Menabe region in 2012, aiming to involve local communities in restoration. To incentivize their participation, a baobab powder and jam production initiative was launched in 2016. This allowed communities to harvest baobab fruits and transform them into valuable powder, sought after locally and internationally. The pilot program successfully engaged VOI members in fruit harvesting, powder production, and restoration activities, resulting in a significant increase from 300 to 1000 healthy baobab trees.
