World Wildlife Fund

Less than 10 percent of the island’s original forest cover exists today. Most has been cut down for firewood, cattle grazing, charcoal production and construction materials. Coastal mangroves and near-shore marine systems have been devastated by infrastructure development, aquaculture and destructive fishing practices.

WWF has responded to these challenges by working closely with government, scientists, industry and local communities. We are focused on four areas that present the best opportunities to secure the future for the island’s people and species.

Tripling and connecting protected areas
WWF is working closely with the government of Madagascar to triple the area of the country’s protected areas by 2008, which will protect at least 12 million additional acres, including over 2 million acres of marine habitat. Creation of the new protected areas will be done in close cooperation with local communities and is expected to generate additional economic benefits through initiatives such as ecotourism. We are placing special emphasis on the design of the new protected areas, linking small but critical sites to preserve rare species with limited range as well as conserving vast blocks of forest where migration corridors can be maintained. 

Making conservation sustainable through long-term financing
WWF is a leader in developing sustainable financing mechanisms for conservation. In 2005, we cofounded the Madagascar Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity, with international funding commitments totaling over $30 million, to support the efforts of national agencies and local communities against slash-and-burn agriculture and the illegal trade in plants and animals.

Educating the next generation of Malagasy conservationists
WWF and Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History run the Ecology Training Program through which students learn about field survey techniques, conservation biology, and taxonomy and have opportunities to publish their findings. Over the past 10 years, this program has been a driving force for the development of human capital in Madagascar. The program’s first 30 graduates have produced biological inventories of 110 sites, helped discover 78 new species, and published more than 300 scientific articles.

 

Protecting the Dry and Spiny Forests 
For a region that receives as little as 12 inches of rain per year, Madagascar’s southernmost forests host a staggering array of species. Animals found in this amazing region include the fossa, Madagascar's largest carnivore, as well as a variety of lemurs and mysterious plants. WWF has developed an ecoregion action program here. We have expanded our impact by supporting programs that address immediate threats to biodiversity. We also back programs that help some of the most marginalized and poverty-stricken communities manage their natural resources more sustainably while meeting their livelihood, family planning and health needs.

Reaching out to rural communities over the airwaves
Many of the rural communities of the Spiny Forest region are isolated from urban centers and do not have ready access to amenities such as electricity, running water and transportation. But because of their close proximity to the forests, they are important conservation allies. 

To reach out to these communities and advance conservation in the region, WWF, in collaboration with Andrew Lees Trust, is distributing solar powered radios and creating listener groups throughout the spiny forests of southern Madagascar. We work with communities to identify actors and orators and help them develop radio programs with a focus on the importance of conservation. These broadcasts reach about 1,500 people and have become a very popular way of distributing conservation messages in an enjoyable and educational format.