WWF - WWF Madagascar & Western Indian Ocean office

The cry of the dolphin

2009-10-29

Russian WWF Director Viktor Nikiforov visited Madagascar in October 2009. In Tuléar, in the south of the island, he visited a WWF project protecting spiny and dry forest as well as one of the biggest coral reef systems in the world. During his visit to the village of Maromena, Viktor heard an incredibly inspiring story. It’s the story of a big dolphin rescue operation. And it’s the story about people in Maromena and Befasy who are about to turn around their fate.

“During the coast patrol I told local experts about our work on polar bear conservation in the Russian Arctic and about problems related to climate change. I was wondering what environmental problems people in these small fishery villages might have. Pele Bruno (44 year old) is the head of a small village called Maromena. He thinks that people have started to notice the changes since 1986. Local life highly depends on the rainy season. It used to start in November and last till late March or early April. Now they only get rain during January and February. This is bad for the cultivation of the main crop – maize. The yield is decreasing while the population is growing. It exceeds 800 people nowadays. The fish yield is also decreasing and people are worried about their future…

But there is hope. Supported by WWF Tuléar, villagers from Maromena and Вefasy have decided to establish a protected marine area covering 25’000 hectares. They now wait for the official papers, but have already ceased fishing since 2008. They believe that fish stocks will recover. The number of dolphins has already increased since 2005 when people stopped to hunt them. This initiative was supported by WWF and other environmental NGOs in the area. Before that time, people from the village of Maromena killed about 20 dolphins every year.

At 10am on the 1st of September 2009, people in Maromena heard anxious cries of dolphins – 75 dolphins were stranded and cried as if they called people for help. Virtually all people from the village participated in the rescue operation. Local WWF coordinator Sonina Velonjara also helped to save the animals’ lives. The rescuers put fishing nets around the dolphins and carried them to their pirogues to transport them further out. Within one hour all dolphins were rescued.

I talked to local fishermen and asked them, what they think about dolphins. After all, dolphins are fish eaters… “You know”, they answered, “we have understood that dolphins are not rivals to us. They accompany us during fishing. They are our fellow travelers, our partners”"

Climate change in Madagascar

2009-10-29

WWF was UNICEF's special guest during a workshop debate on climate change, one of the public events that marked the "La semaine des Nations Unies", from October 19 to 24. WWF was represented by Tiana Ramahaleo, head of Conservation Science / Species Programme.

The workshop started with the projection of the film "Climate witness in Itampolo (South-west)", followed by a presentation by representatives from WHO on the impacts of climate change on health around the world. The film was very well received and constituted a good warm-up for the exchanges. The latter focused mainly on WWF's policy and position on adaptation, the impacts of climate change on cattle farming and the need to have educational material to spread the "message" to sensitize the youth.

Shipwreck an ecological disaster for southern Madagascar

2009-10-28

Faux Cap, Madagascar – Toxic waste from a ship which went down off the coast in southern Madagascar in August has had severe impacts on the health of local people and on the rich coastal and marine environment, according to a study supported by WWF.

The Turkish vessel Gulser Ana grounded near Faux Cap in the very south of Madagascar The ship carried 39000 tons of raw Phosphates, 568 tons of fuel, 66 tons of diesel and 8000 litres of lubricant, most of which was slowly released into the Indian Ocean. The accident occurred in a whale reproduction and migratory corridor zone during the migratory season.

The report, co-funded by WWF was prepared by an interdisciplinary team of eight scientists which went to Faux Cap shortly after the accident.

While one to three whales normally beach in the area each year, nine whales beached in September alone, and some beach stretches seem to be real death zones, the report found. Villagers suffer from diseases such as respiratory problems, skin diseases and diarrhoea.

“WWF is very concerned about the possible negative impacts on biodiversity especially marine and coastal species, the threats to the ecosystems and the loss of people’s livelihood options. That’s why we decided to fund this mission,” said Harifidy Olivier Ralison, WWF Western Indian Ocean Marine Programme Coordinator.

Oil clumps cover the beach 30 km to the east and even further to the west of the shipwreck. People who were hired to clean up the area are not equipped properly and lack clothes protecting them. The collected oil clumps land in plastic bags on the beach where they are likely to burst and cause further damage, the report founds.

Almost half the 40'000 people in the area have been affected by consequences of the shipwreck, the study found with a key impact being the banning of fishing for three months.
Some 25 to 40 percent of the inhabitants depend on fishery as their source of income.

The impacts on marine species are also tragic.

"Like human beings, whales suffer from respiratory problems due to diesel odour. They come to the surface from time to time to breathe, so if they happen to surface through an oil film, this might result in the animal’s death,” Yvette Razafindrakoto, WCS (World Conservation Society) marine mammal specialist said.

Although raw phosphate is not poisonous, a huge amount of it being suddenly released into the ocean can be problematic. The expert team found signs of eutrophication in front of the shipwreck. « Phosphate acts like fertilizer, which leads to an extensive algal bloom. This depletes the oxygen in the surrounding marine environment and could cause the disappearance of species such as fish and molluscs» said Ralison.

Some common species of sand crabs were also only found sporadically and other species, such as various gastropods contained a very high amount of heavy metal, which is connected to higher mortality.

There are signs that the food chain in the area around Faux Cap is severely harmed. What this means for the coastal ecosystem and the villagers on the contaminated beaches can only be definitively estimated after the passage of some years, the report said.

For more information please contact:

Martina Lippuner, +261 20 22 348 85, mlippuner@wwf.mg

Forests fundamental to effective climate deal

2009-10-25

Buenos Aires, Argentina – The world’s ability to control climate change could be crippled if global leaders do not support clear and effective targets to arrest deforestation at climate talks in Copenhagen in December, WWF said at the conclusion of a key global foresty summit.

As the XIIIth World Forestry Congress finished Friday, WWF called for an ambitious and bold climate deal at Copenhagen to give clear guidance and incentives for the forestry sector to do its part in stopping catastrophic climate change and adapt to predicted changes.

“Setting immediate deforestation targets is a key component of any climate change agreement,” said Rodney Taylor, Director of WWF International’s Forest program.

“If the global deal on climate change ignores the dangers of unchecked deforestation, it will set the world on an accelerated path to savage climate change.”

Despite conservation efforts, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – 13 million hectares per year, or 36 football fields a minute. It generates almost 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and halting forest loss has been identified as one of the most cost-effective ways to keep the world out of the danger zone of runaway climate change.

To this end, WWF during the Congress proposed a global target of zero net deforestation by 2020 to avoid runaway climate change and stop the current catastrophic trend of species loss.

“A zero net deforestation by 2020 target will set the scale and urgency needed to gather the political will to stop forest loss,” Taylor said.

WWF will continue to advocate for a strong deforestation target to be included in all other relevant international treaties and agreements, including in the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In Copenhagen, negotiators need to agree to strong financial and emissions reduction commitments to craft a climate deal that enables developing countries to halt forest loss.

“WWF received strong feedback at the Congress from various sectors, including governments, other NGOs, and the private sector to support our target on deforestation,” said Gerald Steindlegger, WWF International’s Forest Manager on Global Policy.

Many developing countries already are adopting major deforestation policies that mirror WWF’s call for zero net deforestation by 2020.

On Wednesday, government representatives from Argentina and Paraguay pledged during a special ceremony co-hosted by WWF and its partner organization Fundacion Vida Silvestre at the Congress to work towards zero net deforestation in the Atlantic Forest, and to implement a package of measures that include national legislation to enforce those commitments.

The Atlantic Forest initially spanned 500,000 square kms, shared between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. However, only 7.4 percent of the forest is left today – or about 35,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most threatened and fragmented subtropical forests in the world.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian government already has established a zero deforestation target by 2010 for the Atlantic Forest. Brazil also has pledged to establish protected areas covering at least 10 percent of the forest.

This year, the World Forestry Congress brought together more than 4,000 participants in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Loophole looms for illegal loggers of rare Madagascar woods

2009-10-07

Antananarivo, Madagascar – An exceptional authorisation from the Malagasy transitional government for the export of raw and semi-processed precious woods risks opening a loophole for the legal export of illegally cut timber and encouraging further assaults on Madagascar's endangered forests and wildlife, conservation groups active on the island have said.

"It legalises the sale of illegally cut and collected wood onto the market (...) and constitutes a legal incentive for further corruption in the forestry sector. " said a communique published locally by WWF, Conservation International (CI) and the World Conservation Society (WCS).

„The measures proposed will only benefit a small group of people while contributing to further poverty and powerlessness of the people who depend on these natural ressources“

The communique follows a Reuters report quoting Prime minister Monja Roindefo denying that the transitional government was legalising the plundering of forests, but refusing to rule out issuing future licences.

Niall O’Connor, Regional Representative for WWF Madagascar and West Indian Ocean Programm Office in Antananarivo says „ We condem the impact of the plundering of Madagascar’s forests, particularly the protected areas, on biodiversity and the loss of livelihood options for the local population.“

A study about the „Evaluation of rosewood and ebony stocks in two communities in the North East and in the middle-west of the country“ commissioned by WWF Madagascar in August 2009 revealed shocking details about the professional exploitation of precious woods such as the above mentioned in Madagascar.

In Andranopasy, a community in western Madagascar, only six species of rosewood are left from previously 15. No rosewood trees with a trunk diameter of more than 30 centimeters have been found any more. Three species of rosewood are very unlikely to regenerate. Another species, Diospyros perrieri, is not regenerating any more as are five others in the two project sites.

«This can be explained by the abusive commercial exploitation of the forest by foreign economic players. Even more, the local population cannot benefit from the precious woods in their forest for their very survival. Wood workers are paid the equivilent of 2 Euros a day while rosewood sells at 8.5 Euros per kilogramm.» says the study.

WWF Madagascar is investigating whether rosewood can be registered as an endangered species according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This will increase and tighten regulations on both import and export.

The recent increase in illegal logging is just another example in a long line of threats to Madagascar’s unique fauna and flora. Home to countless endemic plants and animals, the West Indian Ocean Island is one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world. The world-famous lemurs on top of all are very important for the developing eco-tourism sector. Nowadays, many end up in cooking pots to feed the loggers.

For further information:
Martina Lippuner
Communications Manager
WWF Madagascar & West Indian Ocean Programme Office
Tel : +261 20 22 304 20
+261 20 22 348 85
E-mail : MLippuner@wwf.mg

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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Loophole looms for illegal loggers ravaging Madagascar

2009-10-07

Antananarivo, Madagascar – An exceptional authorisation from the Malagasy transitional government for the export of raw and semi-processed precious woods risks opening a loophole for the legal export of illegally cut timber and encouraging further assaults on Madagascar's endangered forests and wildlife, conservation groups active on the island have said.

"It legalises the sale of illegally cut and collected wood onto the market (...) and constitutes a legal incentive for further corruption in the forestry sector. " said a communique published locally by WWF, Conservation International (CI) and the World Conservation Society (WCS).

The communique follows a Reuters report quoting Prime minister Monja Roindefo denying that the transitional government was legalising the plundering of forests, but refusing to rule out issuing future licences.

Niall O’Connor, Regional Representative for WWF Madagascar and West Indian Ocean Programm Office in Antananarivo says "We condem the impact of the plundering of Madagascar’s forests, particularly the protected areas, on biodiversity and the loss of livelihood options for the local population."

No forest containing precious woods is safe

A study entitled "Evaluation of rosewood and ebony stocks in two communities in the North East and in the middle-west of the country“, commissioned by WWF Madagascar in August 2009 revealed shocking details about the professional exploitation of precious woods such as the above mentioned in Madagascar.

In Andranopasy, a community in western Madagascar, only 6 of 15 species of rosewood survive. No rosewood trees with a trunk diameter of more than 30cm have been found. Three species of rosewood are very unlikely to regenerate. Another species, Diospyros perrieri, is no longer regenerating.

"This can be explained by the abusive commercial exploitation of the forest by foreign economic players. Even more, the local population cannot benefit from the precious woods in their forest for their very survival. Wood workers are paid the equivilent of 2 Euros a day while rosewood sells at 8.5 Euros per kilogramm." says the study.

Another statement, signed by 15 Madagascar and international conservation groups including WWF, said that “Precious woods are being extracted from forests by roving and sometimes violent gangs of lumbermen and sold to a few powerful businessmen for export. . . . Those exploiting the trees are also trapping endangered lemurs for food, and the forests themselves are being degraded as trees are felled, processed and dragged to adjacent rivers or roads for transport to the coast.

“No forest that contains precious woods is safe, and the country’s most prestigious nature reserves and favoured tourist destinations, such as the Marojejy and Masoala World Heritage Sites and the Mananara Biosphere Reserve, have been the focus of intensive exploitation. Currently thousands of rosewood and ebony logs, none of them legally exploited, are stored in Madagascar’s east coast ports, Vohémar, Antalaha, and Toamasina. The most recent decree will allow their export and surely encourage a further wave of environmental pillaging.”

WWF Madagascar is investigating whether rosewood can be registered as an endangered species according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This will increase and tighten regulations on both import and export.

Madagascar is home to abundant unique fauna and flora and one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world, with a developing industry in sustainable eco-tourism.

The world-famous lemurs are a key symbol of the island – lemurs going into cooking pots to feed illegal loggers of rare woods is a different symbol entirely.

Madagascar accused of profiting from illegal timber

2009-10-05

Madagascar's cash-strapped government has opened the door for timber barons to plunder the Indian Ocean island's precious natural resources.

WWF, Conservation International and Wildlife Conservation Society said an inter-ministerial order issued last month granted an exceptional authorisation to export raw and semi-processed hard wood.

"It legalises the sale of illegally cut and collected wood onto the market; allows for the potential embezzlement of funds in the name of environmental protection and constitutes a legal incentive for further corruption in the forestry sector," the three groups said in a statement.

Eco-tourism is the backbone of Madagascar's $390-million-a-year tourism industry, which has been wrecked by months of political turmoil this year.

Conservationists say its biodiversity is being wiped out on a shocking level as gangs take advantage of a security vacuum to pillage rosewood and ebony from supposedly protected forests and trap exotic animals, mainly for Asia's pet market.

Isolated from land masses for more than 160-million years, the world's fourth largest island is a biodiversity "hotspot" home to hundreds of exotic species found only there.

Prime Minister Monja Roindefo denied the government was legitimising the plundering of forests, but refused to rule out issuing future licences.

"We have brought the logging under control. For the moment we don't foresee another order being issued," he told Reuters.

The September 21 government order authorised 13 operators to export 325 containers of timber, with the authorities taking a 72-million ariary tax on each container.

The donor-dependent country has seen its reserves dwindle after key donors branded Andry Rajoelina's March power-grab a coup and froze hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.

Rich pickings
According to a Global Witness report seen by WWF, timber barons have felled 7 000 cubic metres of rosewood a month since Madagascar's political crisis erupted in January.

WWF estimates the wood would sell in Asia at about $5 000 a cubic metre.

WWF said it was pushing for rosewood to be registered as an endangered species according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).

Environment protection groups say illegal logging continues in Madagascar's north-east and fear more licences might be granted as the government looks for ways to generate cash.

"Preliminary research shows rosewood is under extreme pressure. If it was registered as endangered then much tighter regulation would be required for both export and import," said Niall O'Connor, head of WWF's Indian Ocean region office based in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo.

Ousted leader Marc Ravalomanana was credited with increasing the number of national parks and protected areas, backed by donors including the World Bank and the United States.

But decades of logging, mining and slash-and-burn farming have destroyed up to 90% of the ecology on the island, home to scores of endangered lemur species.

"It's a tragedy, we just don't know how many species are being impacted," O'Connor said.

International community calls for action against illegal logging in Madagascar

2009-06-05

Some protected areas are being invaded by organized criminals cutting down valuable rosewood trees and extracting other resources. Most of the wood is known to come from Marojejy National Park and Masoala National Park.

The 13 signatories of the statement include the embassies of France and Germany, the World Bank and other international organizations as well as the World Wide Fund for Nature and Conservation International.

"We believe the recent, dramatic escalation in illegal logging is directly linked to the irresponsible actions by mafia-like groups and governance challenges linked with a fragile institutional context that makes enforcement of existing laws and regulations difficult," the statement said.

"We are troubled that Madagascar’s image, nationally and internationally, as a country committed to the protection of its unique biodiversity and natural resources is being irreparably damaged."

The organisations said they were also afraid the damage could spread around other Protected Areas and their peripheral zone.

The increased illegal logging calls into question Madagascar’s genuine commitment to a transparent wood control system that documents the legality of harvesting and sales.

A significant amount of precious resources - hardwood, unique biodiversity and non-collected fees - are irreversibly lost from this uncontrolled timber harvesting. The Malagasy rural people only marginally benefit from this illegal trade of precious wood, as the international value of the exported wood is over 600 times the benefits to the collector.

According to the document, the current situation also stands in the way of the country's fight against poverty or the livelihoods of Madagascar’s rural population.

Illegal trade of timber is growing in importance and concern at the global level. The United States and European Union are putting in place new strict laws and regulations to stop the importation of illegally harvested and traded wood products.

But according to the international community and the conservation partners a "more proactive and aggressive" response is needed to address this increased harvesting of Madagascar’s unique natural resources.

"It is essential that the Malagasy authorities, with the support of all stakeholders, improve support to protected areas in order to preserve the extraordinary biological riches of Madagascar."

The statement was signed by:

• The French Embassy
• The German Embassy
• The Japanese Embassy
• The Norwegian Embassy
• The Swiss Embassy
• The USA Embassy
• KfW Entwicklungsbank
• United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• US Agency for International Development
• World Bank
• Conservation International
• Wildlife Conservation Society
• Worldwide Fund for Nature

Maminiaina Rasamoelina: "There is no routine in my job"

2009-01-20

Maminiaina Rasamoelina, who is leading the WWF/GoodPlanet project, has a PhD in forestry. He was born in 1976 in Antsirabé, a quite large town located 160 kilometres away from Antananarivo.

There was not too much nature to see in Antsirabé and Maminiaina spent his early years in a urban environment. But he was fascinated by the wildlife documentaries shown on TV.

“Movies on big cats, elephants, bears, eagles and sharks were gluing me to the screen,” he remembers.

What subjects did you like most at school?
I was much into natural science because I was learning many practical things that I could then test in the real life! The logical side of physics and chemistry suited me well, too. Math was too abstract, although I was quite good in that subject. Then, at the university, I became very interested in social psychology, which is all about human behavior, understanding why people are acting in a certain way in given situations. I was also captivated by the antagonism between two theories: the “survivalist” one (according to which natural resources have a limit; overexploitation then will no longer allow their natural pace for regeneration) and the “promethean” one (suggesting that the human race can get infinite development, and that technology will always solve any problem that may occur should a given resource disappear).

As a teenager, what did you want to do later?
I wanted to be a pilot or a pediatrician. I became neither!

But a forester…
Yes, I was studying forestry at the university and wanted to continue my career in the conservation sector, in Madagascar. I realized both during my studies and initial experiences in the field that it was unrealistic to ask starving people not to touch the forest. This prompted me to learn more about the social and economic aspects of conservation. Thanks to a scholarship, I could go to the United States for my PhD where I studied forestry extension, the human dimension of forestry. In parallel, as a faculty-research assistant at Oregon State University, I worked on projects linking small forest owners and the world of fundamental forestry research.

How did you end up working with WWF?
I can only work for an organization whose philosophy I share. In terms of forestry three words can summarize WWF’s approach: protection, management and restoration. I do have the same conservation vision. My other motivation was WWF’s world-wide reach and credibility. This means that my work can be adapted or replicated and benefit other communities in other regions or countries.

What do you like most about your job?
The fact that I can acquire new knowledge almost every day, there is no routine in my job.

What do you like least about your job?
Sometimes unexpected things can completely change the planning. So far, this is what I like least.

What are the prerequisite qualities to do your job?
First of all, you need to love nature passionately. Then, you must be open-minded so that you understand the many different types of behaviors you have to deal with on a regular basis. And finally, it is crucial to have a team spirit, listen to other people and express your own convictions and be flexible with your schedules. You certainly must be ready to work extra hours.

What are the assets of this project? And the main challenges to come?
This programme is the fourth REDD (reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) pilot project in Madagascar. If everything goes well, it will add a reliable and verifiable scientific basis for estimating the baseline, which is crucial to determine more precisely the amount of carbon dioxide that the planned activities of the project will be able to either prevent from being released into the atmosphere, or sequester. Compared to the other projects, it should also give a better idea of the total amount of the carbon stock in the area covered by the activities. In addition to the carbon in the above-ground biomass, we will take into account the carbon contained in the soil, litter, the necromass and eventually the underground biomass. Mathematical models will compare the situation with the project to the one without for each site. Later we will have to adjust these projections based on field observations and results. Since measuring the real carbon benefit of a project requires time, this will be our main challenge with a project that only lasts three years.

Le projet WWF/GoodPlanet présenté à Poznan

2008-12-22

La déforestation est responsable de 20% des émissions de gaz à effet de serre mondiales annuelles (IPCC, 2004). Ralentir ce phénomène est un des leviers majeurs de la lutte contre le changement climatique.

La Conférence de Poznan, avant-dernière étape d’un processus qui doit aboutir à Copenhague en 2009 à l’élaboration d’un accord post-Kyoto, avait notamment pour objectif de poursuivre les négociations entamées à Bali l’année dernière, et plus particulièrement progresser sur les aspects méthodologiques pour la prise en compte des forêts dans un accord global sur le climat.

La Réduction des Emissions dues à la Déforestation et la Dégradation des forêts (REDD) est en effet, à de nombreux égards, un levier puissant pour l’atténuation et l’adaptation aux changements climatiques – notamment via le maintien du stock de carbone présent dans les forêts, évalué à plusieurs milliards de tonnes – ainsi que pour la préservation des écosystèmes (sols, nappes phréatiques, biodiversité) et de l’habitat des populations dépendantes de la forêt pour leur survie.

A Poznan, les négociations sur ce sujet ont permis de valider le choix d’une approche dite « sectorielle » (prise en compte de la déforestation, la dégradation, le maintien des forêts, les plantations). Elle se justifie par la nécessité de comptabiliser de la manière la plus complète possible les variations de stock de carbone.

Par ailleurs, les pays membres se sont accordés sur la création d’un cadre de coordination des activités de renforcement des capacités, et sur la nécessité de progresser sur des méthodologies de mesure du carbone dans les forêts.

Enfin, la prise en compte des peuples indigènes a été reconnue. Ils seront inclus, par exemple, dans les comités de pilotage des projets et dans leur mise en œuvre.

Le « Programme holistique de conservation des forêts à Madagascar » s’inscrit pleinement dans les décisions prises à Poznan sur le sujet. Ses objectifs – au-delà de réduire le taux de déforestation – est d’impliquer fortement les populations locales, de tester des outils innovants pour établir une méthodologie de comptabilisation carbone et de participer à l’élaboration d’un standard pour la mise en œuvre de projets forestiers.

Matthieu Tiberghien, responsable du programme Action Carbone de l’association GoodPlanet, a présenté ce projet à Poznan lors d’une conférence organisée par le Ministère de l’Environnement, des Forêts et du Tourisme Malgache, sur le thème « Stratégies nationales de projets REDD, l’exemple de Madagascar ».

New Madagascar project to measure carbon savings from forest conservation

2008-10-06

Antananarivo, Madagascar: Up to 500,000 hectares of moist and spiny forests in Madagascar are to be protected or restored in a pioneering project which will include testing ways to measure climate impacts.

The research could potentially provide precious information to many other forest-carbon projects around the world.

The three-year project is funded by GoodPlanet – with Air France as sole sponsor – and implemented by WWF. GoodPlanet is a French foundation which aims to raise public awareness on the world’s current main issues and promotes sustainable development.

“With deforestation responsible for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is a growing interest to use forests as an instrument to fight against global warming,” said Matthieu Tiberghien, Programme Officer at GoodPlanet. “However, we must ensure that we have the proper methodologies to assess the level of greenhouse gas emissions that can be reduced by reducing deforestation.”

Activities to be carried out include the creation of new, community managed, protected areas, the transfer of forest management rights from Government to local communities, the establishment of fuelwood plantations to reduce pressure on natural forests and the restoration of forests in some key degraded landscapes.

WWF and GoodPlanet will join efforts and expertise to acquire as much knowledge as possible on verifiable ways to measure how much the emission of carbon can potentially be reduced by reducing the rate of deforestation and degradation, and how much carbon can be effectively and permanently sequestered by complementary forest restoration activities.

According to estimates by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and various studies in Madagascar, the carbon storage potential of the forests in the project area could be between 61 to 68 million metric tons.

The current deforestation and degradation of forests in the project area is mainly caused by local slash and burn agriculture. The project seeks to reverse this situation by giving the farmers and communities direct, better, access to the management of forests and their natural resources, and by promoting alternative, sustainable and income-generating agricultural practices, such as agro-forestry.

“When local communities have the responsibility to manage their natural resources, they tend to protect them better and use them in a sustainable way,” said Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana, WWF’s Conservation Director in Madagascar. “This in turn ensures them additional revenues and improves their living conditions.”

Farmers in the project’s key landscapes will be trained to establish and maintain tree nurseries for reforestation activities and restoration of degraded landscapes. Plantations will also be established in degraded areas close to urban areas in order to provide fuelwood for the cities and towns where there is high demand, thus providing an alternative to the wood that would otherwise be directly extracted from the natural forests.

Contacts:
Olivier van Bogaert
Project Manager and Communications –
Congo and Madagascar
WWF International
T +41 22 364 9001
E-mail: ovanbogaert@wwfint.org

Sylvain Rafiadana-Ntsoa
WWF-MWIOPO Communications Manager
T +261 20 223 48 85
srafiadanantsoa@wwf.mg

Matthieu Tiberghien
Programme Officer, GoodPlanet
T +33 1 48 42 76 05
matthieu@actioncarbone.org

Study: Growing more rice with less water

2007-10-03

Tripura, India – A new method to grow rice could save hundreds of billions of cubic metres of water while increasing food security, according to a study by WWF published today.

With a focus on India – a country which faces a major water crisis, yet has the world’s largest rice cultivated area – the study found that the system of rice intensification (SRI) method has helped increase yields by over 30% — four to five tonnes per hectare instead of three tonnes per hectare, while using 40% less water than conventional methods.

The system is based on eight principles which are different to conventional rice cultivation. They include developing nutrient-rich and un-flooded nurseries instead of flooded ones; ensuring wider spacing between rice seedlings; preferring composts or manure to synthetic fertilizers; and managing water carefully to avoid that the plants’ roots are not saturated.

The method was initially developed in the 1980s in Madagascar and has been demonstrated to be effective in 28 countries.

“Although the system of rice intensification has shown its advantages, the scale of its use leaves much to be desired,” said Dr Biksham Gujja, Senior Policy Adviser at WWF International.

"It is time to start large-scale programmes to support a method that could make a lasting global impact with far-reaching benefits to people and nature.”

The report suggests that major rice-producing countries — such as India, China and Indonesia — convert at least 25% of their current rice cultivation to the new system by 2025. This would not only massively reduce the use of water but also help ensure food security. In addition, this will reduce significant amount of methane emissions. SRI fields do not emit methane as is the case with the more conventional system of growing rice.

For example, if the SRI method was applied to 20 million hectares of land under rice cultivation in India, the country could meet its food grain objectives of 220 million tonnes of grain by 2012 instead of 2050.

Authorities in the Indian state of Tripura have already committed to move in that direction.

“Our farmers proved that the system of rice intensification improves productivity and we will convert at least 40% of our rice cultivation using this method over the next five years,” said Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura State.

“We urge this as a model for rice cultivation elsewhere as it represents one hope for the water crisis affecting so many billions of people.”

Demand for a water-intensive crop such as rice is expected to increase by 38% by 2040, deepening the water crisis during the same time. However, less than 6% of rice is traded internationally and savings in water have potential for mitigating domestic water conflicts, especially in poor, rural areas where water is scarce.

Already 1.2 billion people have no access to adequate water for drinking and hygiene.

WWF is focusing on sustainable agriculture efforts for cotton, sugar and rice, some of the most consuming crops for which alternative techniques can result in a strong yield and water savings.

END NOTES:

• The report More Rice with Less Water was released today at a conference held 3-5 October in Tripura. The conference is being jointly organized by the Department of Agriculture of the Government of Tripura, the Directorate of Rice Research (DRR), the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), the Directorate of Rice Development (DRD), the Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University (ANGRAU), the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) Mumbai and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-ICRISAT Dialogue Project based at ICRISAT, Patancheru.

• Rice is the main source of directly consumed calories for about half the world’s population and 90 per cent of it is produced and consumed in Asia.

• Contrary to popular belief, rice is not an aquatic plant and the main reason it is submerged in water is for controlling weeds.

• Conventional method of rice cultivation uses 60-70 kilos of seeds per hectare, SRI requires just five kilos per hectare.

For further information:
Lisa Hadeed, Communications Manager
WWF Global Freshwater Programme
Tel: +41 22 364 9030
E-mail: lhadeed@wwfint.org

Sea turtles threatened by rising seas

2007-09-10

Climate change is warming the earth. Ice is melting and sea levels have started to rise. This causes damage, with serious consequences for nature and for coastal communities.

Scientists have now looked at the impacts of sea level rise on sea turtles. These ancient animals lay their eggs into the beach sand. Many turtle species return to the exact beaches that they were hatched to lay the eggs for the next generation of turtles.

However, sea level rise threatens beach habitat and turtle reproduction will be hard hit. To investigate the threat of climate change, a recent study examined the nesting sites of sea turtles in the Caribbean Islands under three likely sea-level rise scenarios.

The authors of this report found that with a moderate 0.5 m rise in sea level, a third of the total current beach area could be lost. Among the 13 beaches that were surveyed one particularly vulnerable beach could lose almost its entire suitable sea turtle habitat. This magnitude of beach habitat loss could literally be the point of no return for populations of already critically endangered sea turtles, such as the hawksbill turtle.

Climate change effects on marine turtles can include:

loss of nesting and feeding habitats due to sea-level rise;
increased sand temperatures, which can lead to changes in sex ratios or potentially result in mortality;
increased ocean temperatures, which can lead to coral bleaching and other damage to turtle feeding habitats;
changes in ocean currents, which can modify migrations paths and feeding patterns; and
extreme rainfall events, which can increase the potentially lethal transfer of sediment to coral reefs and raise water tables, thereby flooding nests.

WWF´s Latin America and Caribbean Programme and the Climate Change Programme are constructing a research project to quantify the impacts that climate change will have on hawksbill turtles, provide a model for assessing future climate change impacts to other marine turtle species, and begin to shape how we develop conservation strategies to protect marine turtles in the face of climate change. The first stage of this project targets the Caribbean region.

This study will identify the location and susceptibility of known hawksbill nesting areas to climate change and will provide management prescriptions to reduce the vulnerability of hawksbill turtles and increase their resilience to climate change. When completed WWF will provide tools, such as a map highlighting current nesting areas, key habitats and migration paths that are potentially threatened by sea level and temperature rise, so that managers and conservationists can prioritize their efforts. WWF is currently looking for partners to embark in this program of work.

WWF is also working across the globe to help protect hawksbill, leatherback, and other species of sea turtles and the habitats that they need to survive. They are threatened by hunting, pollution, beach development (such as coastal resorts), and by unsustainable fishing practices (for example, unintentionally catching turtles when harvesting fish). Now climate change adds an additional threat.

“As we continue to pollute our atmosphere with emissions from power plants, sea level rise increases and will drastically reduce sea turtle nesting sites,” says Michael Case, WWF Climate Change Research Scientist. “Climate change could well be the long-term threat that determines whether some species of sea turtles survive or go extinct.”

Will the people also be affected?

Nearly half of the world’s human populations live within 200 km of coasts. Many countries rely on the environmental and economic values of coasts such as fishing, tourism, and transport. Many of the largest cities are coastal cities, for example London, New York, Shanghai and Singapore.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the current rate of sea level rise is 1-2 mm per year. By 2100 we could see the water rising between 90 and 880 mm. This rise in sea levels will have a number of impacts including coastal flooding, the destruction of coastal wetlands, increased erosion of beaches and other coastal land.

We can only guess how prohibitively expensive sea level rise will be.

Source:
Fish et al. 2005. Predicting the Impact of Sea-Level Rise on Caribbean Sea Turtle Nesting Habitat. Conservation Biology 19(2):482-491.

See Carlos Drews' interview with CNN en Español on September 13, 2007

Volunteering with the Vezo

2007-04-11

At age 53, I had no illusions. I knew I would not be able to fulfill all the criteria mentioned in the WWF Global Youth Volunteer Programme and yet I thought that I had all the qualities required as described on it’s Home page: I felt I still ‘had a brain’ after raising three boys (or at least part of a brain), I still had that same passion for conservation that had led me to work for the French Ministry of the Environment, for IUCNand for WWF in the 70’s/ 80’s, and I felt that I was fit and adaptable. I also found that it was easy to sit around bemoaning the sad state of the planet, and yet not doing anything about it.

I therefore wrote to WWF explaining all of this and proposing to stop off in Madagascar (where the Global Youth Volunteer programme is up and running) on my way back from Christmas in South Africa, so as to offer a month of my time, free of charge, to my ‘old love’: environmental conservation.

After an exchange of emails with individuals at WWF-International and WWF-Madagascar, I was told that I could help organise a first festival of environmental awareness that was planned for the children of Anakao, a remote village of traditional fishermen in the south-west of Madagascar, inhabited mainly by the Vezo tribe.

A conservation ethic already exists in the religious beliefs and practices of the Vezo people but the objective was for us (together with a few staff members of the Malagasy national park service and of the regional WWF office), to highlight these beliefs, to instill pride in them and to reinforce that ethic by engaging the help of the local spiritual leader and school teachers.

The Vezo live along the world’s 3rd largest coral reef but that reef is threatened and is already dying in places because of over–fishing and general human pressure. The Vezo themselves are aware that fish and other edible stocks are diminishing and occasionaly catch endangered species such as turtles and dolphins. Ultimately, WWF and the Madagascar National Park Service hope to give some form of protection status to parts of the coast but are well aware that this can only be done with the support and trust of the Vezo.

The village of Anakao, with approximately 3000 inhabitants, is one of the largest concentrations of Vezo people along the coast. One reaches the village by boat, after a 1 and ½ hour journey from the provincial capital of Toliary, depending on the weather, the type of boat, etc., which is preferable to the 8-10 hour car journey on dirt tracks. There is no running water, no electricity, no internet and no mobile reception (unless one climbs the highest sand dune or tree in the village, aims the phone high to the sky and leans north - which I got quite good at).

Just about all the villagers live in small stick and reed huts built on the sand, each property marked off from the others by stick fences. There are about 7 hotels in the area but most were empty, tourism having come to a halt at that time of year due to the excruciating heat and the threat of cyclones.

I arrived to discover that I could hardly communicate with anyone (all speak Malagasy and very little French), that I had picked up a pretty rough tummy bug on landing in the country and that the heat combined with the high humidity was very debilitating. I was therefore feeling the effects of cultural and physical shock those first few days, but when I realized that the villagers used their beautiful beach as their loo and left the cleaning up job to the high tide, I nearly freaked out!

It is interesting to observe how one adapts to a new and different environment and how quickly the process takes place when there’s no choice but to do just that – adapt! I stayed in some of the few hotels that were open, learned to make do with, and not to waste my daily bucket of water (brackish water drawn from holes in the sand) although luckily I could buy bottled drinking water. It was not long before I found it normal to walk past a woman or a child crouching on the beach doing ‘their business’ (the men came out at night!) – it was the most hygienic option in their circumstances.

Little by little, as I watched the Vezo going about their daily lives, I felt the cultural shock shifting: from being taken aback by the way they lived, I started to think that perhaps it was our way of living in the developing world that was truly shocking.

The Vezo lead very natural lives, consuming primarily what they can obtain from the sea, plus some pulses, rice and mangoes and a few other scarce items that they can buy in the village, all of which they cook over charcoal fires. Because of this, they hardly produce any waste or pollution. Pots, pans, clothing and anything else is washed at the edge of the shore without soap – rubbing sand into stains and spots, I found out, is a great way to remove them.

The villagers own very little – some items of clothing, some cooking utensils, a few pieces of furniture, sometimes a transistor radio, and generally a large ‘pirogue’ (traditional and very ancient sailing boat originally from the Pacific). They all look lean and muscular and nobody appears to suffer from malnutrition.

The children roam the village free all day with huge smiles and happy faces. I never saw a toy (other than a football made by bunching old plastic bags into a tight ball fastened by a fishnet) and observed instead the children playing some very intriguing sand games.

I didn’t come across any sullen looking or loutish youngsters, nor saw nor heard of any talk about drink or drug problems, rape, paedophilia or violence, with which our society is plagued. All of this made my mind buzz with questions: so who, after all, has got it right…..they or us? And what, exactly is poverty? If it is solitude, dissatisfaction, frustration, lack of family and social networks, lack of ‘joie de vivre’ then who is more poor…they or us? That said, there was a chronic lack of formal education, proper medical care and sanitation, all of which are, indisputably, necessities.

Because of the total absence of materials in Anakao, we had to prepare for the festival in Toliary, to which I travelled twice during the month.

The festival took place over a weekend at the end of January and was a great success. We expected some 200 children, but about double that number turned up. We had a drawing competion of what the children believed were endangered species, a quiz contest concerning environmental matters, a beach cleaning contest, prize giving, and some singing and dancing. The fact that the village leaders were present at the opening and closing ceremonies was, we hoped, an indication of the importance of the message we were trying to convey.

Back in Tana, the capital, at the end of my stay, I felt I had seen too little of the country and so rewarded myself with a short 2-day trip. I hired a driver and headed for the Andasibe National Park, which was about 3 hours away and is renowned for its various species of lemurs, the most important being the “Indri”. These are the largest of all the lemurs, they are extremely rare and cannot be kept in captivity anywhere in the world because they feed on about 60 different species of plants in their tropical rainforest. They have one of the loudest ‘songs’ in the animal kingdon – it carries up to 3kms away. It’s actually more like a languorous howl and is quite something to hear, especially when emitted only a few meters away from you. It was a terrific moment.

I don’t feel that I have yet taken in all of the benefits that this month of voluntary work gave me but those that I am aware of so far are:

That it was a great experience in terms of identity, of being face to face with myself in a country where I knew nobody and where I was no one’s daughter, wife or mother – I was just me!
It was a real eye opener in terms of the different life style and values of our developed world compared to those of the developing world,
It gave me a great sense of accomplishment. This first festival is set to become a model on which other environmental awareness festivals are to be created for local populations living in environmentally sensitive zones along the western coast of Madagascar, and I am delighted and proud to have taken part in the initiation process with my colleagues.
Had I written a cheque to WWF for the same amount as I spent covering all my own expenses, I would never have had as much satisfaction nor learned as much about myself and Madagascar.
I discovered that one of the poorest countries in the world is inhabited by some of the most gentle, good-natured and happy people I have ever come across.

Whilst in Andasibe, I met a rather eccentric and amusing German expert on tropical frogs. At one stage in our conversation, I mentioned that I had hoped my stay in Madagascar had been of some help to the cause of conservation. His answer is worth repeating for all volunteers to take note: “It doesn’t matter how successful the job was”, he said “the important thing is that people saw that you came as a volunteer to work for something that you believed in so much that you were willing to pay for it and to put up with pretty rudimentary conditions for it – that, in itself, will have made people around you think!”

I hope that is not the only effect I’ve had through my month of volunteering. I’d like to believe that maybe some day, thanks in part to this experience, we may all see a Global Senior Volunteer Programme at WWF!

Elizabeth Kiendl de Haes

March 2007

Commerce, pauvreté rurale et environnement:

2006-08-16

Une étude sur la libéralisation du commerce, la pauvreté rurale et l'environnement et portant sur le cas de Madagascar a été publié par le Programme du WWF pour Madagascar et l'Océan Indien Occidental fin juillet 2006. Outre l'analyse globale des liens entre ces trois domaines au niveau national, deux études de cas ont été effectuées pour identifier et analyser les impacts du commerce sur la pauvreté et l'environnement.

La culture extensive de maïs a détruit 500 km² de forêt d'épineux

La première étude a porté sur les impacts de la culture extensive du maïs destiné à l'exportation sur les forêts d'épineux du Sud-Ouest de Madagascar. La production de cette céréale, essentiellement exportée vers l'île de La Réunion pour l'élevage porcin et la volaille, a connu une très forte augmentation à la fin des années 1980. Les zones de culture extensive sur brûlis étaient alors situées autour de la forêt de Mikea, au Nord et au Sud de la ville de Toliara.

En l'espace de dix ans, entre 1990 et 2000, la culture du maïs a détruit directement 500 km²de forêts d'épineux, par rapport à une déforestation totale qui a porté sur 2.552 km² pour la même période. L'attrait des opportunités de revenus a aussi provoqué un flux migratoire vers les zones de culture et, dans certaines régions du Sud-Ouest, la venue des migrants a bouleversé les structures sociales existantes qui étaient encore capables de gérer les ressources forestières de manière durable. Le boom de l'exportation de maïs vers La Réunion n'a été toutefois que temporaire et s'est arrêté au début des années 2000.

Parmi les recommandations de l'étude, le développement et la mise en oeuvre d'éco-certificats est une option politique préconisée, destinés à prouver que les produits agricoles sont obtenus de manière durable pour limiter les dégâts sur l'environnement. Par ailleurs, les importateurs de l'île de La Réunion ont fait part de leur intérêt pour l'achat de maïs non-génétiquement modifié, ce qui n'est pas le cas pour le maïs qu'ils important d'Argentine actuellement.

L'étude souligne par ailleurs que les aires protégées constituent une manière effective pour réduire la déforestation dans les zones écologiquement sensibles, mais qu'il faudra veiller à ce que la conservation ne déplace la déforestation vers d'autres zones, d'où la nécessité d'assurer une bonne planification des besoins en agriculture, pour l'alimentation, et en forêt, pour l'énergie. En effet, selon des études menées par le WWF en l'an 2000, la demande en bois de chauffe et en charbon de bois de la ville de Toliara était estimée à 800 tonnes de bois vert par jour...

Légumes malgaches sur le marché européen

La seconde étude a porté sur les impacts de l'agriculture contractuelle sur les petites exploitations agricoles des hautes-terres, dans la province d'Antananarivo.

Les haricots verts de Madagascar "cueillis et rangés-mains" constituent les principaux légumes exportés. Destinés à des chaînes de supermarchés en France, en Belgique et aux Pays-Bas ainsi que pour des distributeurs industriels, ces légumes représentent 10% du marché européen. C'est la société

Lecofruit qui en exporte la grande majorité et, lors de la saison 2004-2005, elle a placé 3.000 tonnes sur le marché européen, dont 70% étaient des haricots verts fins.

Dix mille petits exploitants agricoles produisent des légumes pour la société Lecofruit sur une base contractuelle. Un ménage agricole sous contrat exploite un peu moins de un hectare de terre, soit la taille moyenne d'une exploitation agricole à Madagascar. Le tiers de cette superficie est utilisé pour la riziculture, en raison de sa plus grande valeur, et se compose généralement de trois parcelles dont deux sont sous contrat avec la société.

Grâce au contrat, le paysan a l'avantage, entre autres, d'apprendre à fabriquer du compost, un mélange de fumier et de matières végétales. Le compost maintient la structure de la terre, fournit les minéraux qui favorisent une croissance saine de la culture et, de façon durable, a un impact sur la fertilité du sol. La culture du riz bénéficie ainsi d'une forte productivité et la hausse est de 64% plus élevé que sur les terres sans-contrat. Les rendements passent généralement de 3,6 à 6 tonnes de paddy à l'hectare en moyenne et le revenu tiré des contrats représente la moitié des rentrées d'argent d'un ménage au cours d'une année.

Les paysans déclarent que les contrats leur sont bénéfiques, particulièrement pour l'atténuation des effets de la période de soudure qui est passée de 3,7 à 1,7 mois dans l'année. La période de soudure est en effet l'une des plus difficiles pour les paysans malgaches car elle se traduit notamment par un manque de revenu avec de graves répercussions sur la consommation alimentaire et, partant, sur la santé. Il est indéniable que cette forme de partenariat, à travers l'agriculture contractuelle, a influé sur le bien-être des petits exploitants agricoles, notamment dans les domaines de la consommation et de la santé.

Aires Protégées Marines de l'Océan Indien Occidental : Une coopération multi-bailleurs

2006-04-28

L’éco-région marine des îles de l’Océan Indien occidental présente des écosystèmes d’une grande richesse et une diversité biologique importante, avec des habitats rares, sinon uniques, à des espèces phares malheureusement très menacées. Ces écosystèmes se caractérisent par une productivité biologique très élevée de récifs coralliens, d'herbiers et de mangroves. La région de l'Océan Indien occidental est d'ailleurs l'un des 34 "hot-spots" de la biodiversité mondiale. Les menaces sur l'éco-région marine de l'Océan Indien occidental sont surtout liées aux activités humaines, dont la sédimentation terrigène, la destruction du littoral, les méthodes de pêche destructrices et la surexploitation des ressources marines. A ces menaces s'ajoutent les évolutions naturelles telles que les cyclones et le blanchiment des récifs coralliens.

Début 2006, vingt-six (26) aires protégées marines ont été créées par les pays membres de la COI mais la vision régionale a fait défaut dans ces initiatives certes louables. A ce constat s’ajoute l’insuffisance des capacités et des échanges d’expériences. Pourtant, nul n’ignore l’importance économique de ces aires protégées, sanctuaires d’une biodiversité souvent mal connue, mais aussi, véritable foyer de reproduction de ressources halieutiques qui assurent la survie de millions de personnes dans la région de l’Océan Indien, et à travers le monde.

L'identification d'un réseau d’espaces d’intérêt majeur pour la conservation de la biodiversité et des ressources marines et côtières constitue l'une des actions principales laquelle devrait aboutir à une stratégie régionale de conservation et de gestion de la biodiversité ainsi que des ressources naturelles.

L'initiative vise à créer une dynamique régionale de tous les acteurs autour de ce réseau, à appuyer et à renforcer la création de quelques Aires Protégées Marines, aux Comores, à Madagascar, à Maurice, aux Seychelles et la Réunion. En particulier à Madagascar, ce programme contribue directement à la mise en oeuvre de la "Vision Durban", c’est-à-dire le triplement de la superficie du réseau des Aires Protégées, à l'horizon 2008, pour porter la surface totale à six millions d’hectares, dont un million d’hectares d’Aires Protégées Marines.

Le financement cumulé de cette initiative s’élève à 1,944 million d’euros avec les contributions financières du FFEM (Fonds Français pour l'Environnement Mondial) pour 700 000 euros, signée en février 2006, du WWF pour 500 000 euros, de Conservation International 444 000 euros et du Ministère français des Affaires étrangères 300 000 euros. Le Bureau Régional du WWF à Madagascar et pour l'Océan Indien Occidental en est le maître d’œuvre et bénéficie de l'appui du WWF-France ainsi que du Réseau mondial du WWF.

Madagascar : Un accord de don avec le WWF pour la Fondation pour les Aires Protégées et la Biodiversité

2006-04-28

Le Président du Conseil d'administration de la Fondation a été représenté par M. Léon Rajaobelina et le WWF par Mme Melissa Moye, du WWF-Etats Unis d'Amérique, et M. Jean-Paul-Paddack, Représentant Régional du WWF à Madagascar et pour l’Océan Indien Occidental. A relever qu'une partie de cette dotation en capital provient du WWF-Allemagne, WWF-Hollande et du WWF-Suisse.

Au cours de la même cérémonie, la Fondation a aussi remis le premier certificat à Mme Melissa Moye pour sa contribution personnelle d’un montant de 1000 USD au capital de la Fondation. Il s’agit du premier don effectué par un individu pour la nouvelle Fondation, un tel geste sera certainement suivi par le secteur privé Malagasy et tout citoyen conscient de l’importance de la conservation de notre biodiversité.

Rappelons que la FAPB a été créée en 2005 par L’Etat Malagasy, le WWF et Conservation International. Sa principale mission est de contribuer à la pérennisation financière du système des aires protégées à Madagascar. L’Etat malagasy participe à hauteur de 1,725 Millions d'Euros au capital de la Fondation grâce à une convention de conversion de la dette allemande conclue en 2003. Conservation International pour sa part a déjà accordé un don de 1 million de Usd au mois de juillet 2005, au titre de sa contribution au capital en tant que fondateur.

Outre l’apport initial des fondateurs, d’autres bailleurs ont manifesté leur soutien à cette initiative. Le gouvernement allemand a approuvé un don de 4,5 Millions d'Euros en décembre 2005, alors que le Gouvernement français, par le biais de l’AfD (Agence française pour le Développement) et le FFEM (Fond Français pour l'Environnement Mondial), vient d’accorder un don de 3 millions d’Euros pour une participation au capital.

Dans le cadre du don accordé par l’IDA au gouvernement Malagasy pour sa contribution à la Phase 3 du Plan National d'Actions Environnementales, il est prévu une participation de la Banque Mondiale pour un montant total de 7,5 Millions de USD, dont une tranche de 4 millions USD devrait être débloquée dans le courant de cette année.

Ces fonds de dotation seront investis sur les marchés financiers internationaux, seuls les revenus nets de placement seront utilisés pour le financement des aires protégées. L’effort de levée de fonds entrepris par le Conseil d'administration et l’équipe exécutive de la Fondation depuis un an a permis de porter le capital de la fondation à environ 17 Millions de USD pour cette année 2006. L’objectif sur les 5 ans à venir est d’atteindre 50 Millions de USD.

Au-delà de la participation de la Fondation au financement des aires protégées existantes, gérés par Parcs Nationaux de Madagascar- ANGAP, elle devrait également jouer un rôle dans la mise en œuvre de la "Vision Durban", la décision de Madagascar annoncée par le Président Marc Ravalomananana lors du Congrès Mondial sur les Parcs, de tripler la superficie des aires protégées de Madagascar pour un objectif de 6 millions d'ha en 2008, contre un peu moins de 2 millions d'ha actuellement.

Madagascar : Vers la gestion communautaire des ressources naturelles dans le corridor forestier Ranomafana – Andringitra

2006-04-26

Andringitra et Ranomafana: Deux sanctuaires de la biodiversité

Le Parc National d’Andringitra, d’une superficie de 31.160 ha, où culmine le Pic Imarivolanitra à 2658 m, est l’un des trois massifs de haute montagne de Madagascar. La grande variété de types de végétation au sein du massif de l’Andringitra a généré une multitude d’habitats et de micro-habitats qui abritent une faune d’une grande richesse, dont 13 espèces de lémuriens, 106 espèces d’oiseaux, ou encore 57 espèces d’amphibiens. Le Parc National d’Andringitra renferme environ 50 pour cent des mammifères non-volants connus à Madagascar.

Le Parc National de Ranomafana, d’une superficie de 43.000 ha, est devenu célèbre depuis 1986 par la découverte d’une nouvelle espèce de lémurien Hapalemur aureus qui, en grande partie, est à l’origine de la création du parc.

Les hommes et leur quotidien

Les populations dans la zone du corridor sont majoritairement sont des agriculteurs sédentarisés ou itinérants ainsi que des éleveurs de bovins. La diversité des acteurs dans les secteurs de l'agriculture et de l'élevage a induit une multitude de pressions anthropiques qui varie en grandeur et en intensité d’une région à une autre.

Dans les zones d’intervention du Projet mené par le WWF en coopération avec les collectivités locales, en particulier sur le front Est, les effets liés à la pauvreté a amené les communautés vers une dépendance accrue sur les ressources naturelles. Une telle situation a, d’une façon générale, engendré des comportements qui sont devenus des pressions permanentes sur les ressources naturelles. La forêt a été détruite en grande partie par des activités illégales d’exploitation et des feux incontrôlés.

La riziculture est l’activité agricole de base à laquelle s’ajoute la culture du café qui est toutefois en net recul en raison notamment de la vieillesse des plants et de la baisse continue des cours mondiaux. A l’heure actuelle, de nombreuses familles de la région transforment tout ou une partie de leurs champs de café en rizières, avec ce que cela suppose d’action en terme de maîtrise de l’eau. Une vaste action de renouvellement des plants de caféiers est aussi en court. L'élevage bovin, d’une importance sociale et productive, est aussi assez développé.

Pour le secteur Est du Corridor Ranomafana-Andringitra, le WWF est opérationnel dans quatre communes rurales, dans la mise en oeuvre d'un processus qui devrait aboutir, à terme, à un transfert de gestion des ressources forestières. Toutes les activités sont menées dans un esprit de dialogue et de concertation avec les communautés de base ainsi qu'avec l'appui des autorités traditionnelles, administratives et et les élus.

Lutter contre la culture sur brûlis

Des actions spécifiques, dont l'information et la sensibilisation, sont menées contre la culture sur brûlis – tavy - véritable fléau dans la région. Les bases de développement des alternatives de production sont en place, parallèlement à l’appui aux initiatives des communes en matière de gestion des ressources naturelles : préservation de la forêt naturelle, protection et maîtrise des ressources en eau, zones de reboisement d’utilité.

Ankarimbelo est une commune rurale située dans la partie Sud de la sous-préfecture d’Ikongo. Célèbre pour sa production de café, Ankarimbelo est située à 85 kilomètres à l’ouest de Vohipeno, une des villes de la côte Est de Madagascar où ont débarqué, au XVIIIème siècle, des migrants d'origine musulmane venus de l'Arabie. Ankarimbelo subit aujourd’hui les aléas liés à la culture du café: vieillissement des plants et baisse des prix de ce produit sur le marché mondial. La production locale de riz, base de l'alimentation, est insuffisante et, de ce fait, les périodes de soudure sont très difficiles dans une région où le taux de natalité dépasse les 3 pour cent.

Les lémuriens : L’autre richesse du Nord-Est de Madagascar.

2006-04-26

Le massif de Marojejy abrite 11 espèces de lémuriens, 11 aussi à Anjanaharibe-Sud et 9 espèces dans le corridor forestier de Betaolana. Mais, en raison des actions de l’homme, en particulier le défrichement et la chasse, ces lémuriens sont aujourd’hui menacés par la perte de leurs habitats et la diminution de leur nombre.

Dans le corridor forestier de Betaolana, deux des neuf espèces existantes sont menacées, il s’agit du "simpona", le propithèque soyeux, Propithecus diadema candidus et du "tongona", le lémur à ventre rouge, Eulemur rubriventer. Le "simpona", nom donné au projet, est classé parmi les 7 espèces de primates malgaches les plus rares.

Le Projet Simpona est mis en œuvre pour conserver les populations de lémuriens de la région, endémiques ou menacées d’extinction, par la conservation de leurs habitats, en partenariat avec les communautés locales à travers un processus de transfert de gestion des ressources forestières. Par ailleurs, la protection des lémuriens sera renforcée par l’extension et la création de nouvelles aires protégées.

Dans le corridor forestier de Betaolana, des associations villageoises sont en place et, dans un avenir proche, elles projettent de créer une union régionale. Parallèlement, des actions de sensibilisation sont en cours pour fonder une association des amis des lémuriens. Ces entités pourront continuer certaines activités après la fin du projet qui est financé par Conservation International et mené de concert avec les services des eaux et forêts et l'ANGAP-Parcs Nationaux de Madagascar.

Espèces de lémuriens	AP Marojejy	AP Anjanaharibe-Sud	Corridor Betaolana
Microcebus rufus	x	x	x
Cheirogalus majon	x	x	x
Allocebus trichotis	x	x
Phaner furcifer	x
Avahi laniger	x	x	x
Lepilemur mustelinus	x	x	x
Daubentonia madagascariensis	x	x	x
Hapalemur griseus griseus	x	x	x
Eulemur rubriventer	x	x	x
Eulemur fulvus albifrons	x	x	X
Propithecus diadema candidus	x	x	X
Indri Indri		x

Time to clean up the chemicals in Africa

2006-02-03

By Clifton Curtis

If you are already worried about global warming, melting glaciers and rising sea temperatures as some of our planet’s most serious threats, there’s more. While largely out of sight and mind of most peoples’ daily lives, there is another threat that is silently fouling our air, food, water, soil, and overall health: toxic chemicals.

Just as it is the richest countries in the world which have caused a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions, the same can be said about the manufacturing and dumping of chemicals. Sadly, it is the poorer countries, especially in Africa, that are paying the price.

Modern society has developed an extensive array of synthetic chemicals over the last several decades — chemicals to control disease, improve public health, increase food production, and provide more convenience to our already busy lives. Ironically, many of these well-intentioned chemicals are now wreaking havoc around the world.

Humans, wildlife and entire ecosystems are threatened by chemicals that can alter sexual and neurological development, impair reproduction and undermine immune systems. Today, there is unequivocal evidence that a number of widely distributed synthetic chemicals — including PCBs as well as other industrial chemicals and pesticides — have already caused serious damage to our health and pose an ongoing danger, especially when they are discarded and mismanaged.

In Africa, more than 50,000 tonnes of obsolete pesticides and seriously contaminated soils have accumulated throughout the continent over the last four decades, with less than 5% of the stockpiles being disposed of. These dangerous chemicals are a serious threat to the health of both rural and urban populations — often the poorest and most vulnerable — and significantly contribute to land and water degradation.

Because many African and other developing countries suffer from weak import controls, lack of training on appropriate pesticide use, a lack of safe destruction technologies, and poor storage and stock management, the situation is only getting worse.

Removal of old chemicals is rarely perceived as a priority development issue. In fact, both international donor agencies and recipient countries alike are often reluctant to divert funds already allocated to poverty reduction, food security or other aspects of sustainable development to the issue of waste disposal. That’s a shame as the linkage between waste, health impacts and poverty issues couldn’t be more obvious.

Some are already responding to the need to protect African communities and the environment from the never-ending build-up of hazardous pesticide stockpiles. A unique partnership between governments, the private sector, institutions such as the World Bank, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, African Union, CropLife, and environmental organizations like WWF, are working with national governments and their local communities to clean up obsolete pesticide stocks and help prevent future accumulations.

By reducing and removing long-standing toxic threats, this African stockpiles programme is promoting public health and environmental management and safety, and in effect, contributing to poverty reduction — a goal that is at the top of the international community’s development agenda.

However, even with all the numerous international agreements that are addressing hazardous chemicals — agreements that cover how chemicals are traded and transported, and how they can be reduced and substituted with safe alternatives — what continues to be missing is an overarching strategic approach to international chemicals management.

As delegates gather at an international conference on chemicals management in Dubai this week (4-6 February 2006) to finalize a new strategic approach agreement, they need to commit to strengthening national, regional and international laws and programmes to reduce or eliminate stockpiled chemicals that continue to pose the most serious health threats to humans and wildlife.

Although this agreement is to be voluntary — rather than a legally binding instrument — it is widely seen as a moral and political necessity, in line with the UN’s goal of minimizing chemical-related harm to the environment and human health by 2020. While most governments have endorsed the strategic approach, a few have expressed reservations about committing to chemical management reform, opposing new or innovative initiatives, as well as references to the need for new and additional financial and technical assistance. Regrettably, these countries, for the most part, are the same ones that are equally reluctant to agree on targets and timetables for reducing gas emissions in another international agreement on climate change.

International chemical safety requires cooperation among all stakeholders. By adopting and implementing a strategic approach to international management of chemicals, the international community will be doing an enormous service to developing countries in strengthening their capacity for the sound management of chemicals and hazardous wastes and improving the quality of life of its citizens.

* Clifton Curtis is director of WWF's Global Toxics Programme