Environment synergy

In South-West Madagascar, rapid deterioration of the forests has been observed due to uncontrolled removal of forest resources to meet wood energy needs. This resource, which is not subject to any management, covers nearly all household energy needs for cooking. Wood comes from natural forests made up of dry formations of calcareous plate and xerophytic thickets on sands of the Spiny forest eco-region, universally recognized for its exceptional biodiversity and endemism.

In view of the gravity of the situation, the WWF has undertaken to mobilize regional players for coordinated measures centred on reducing this anthropogene pressure on the forest ecosystems. Project SEESO/WWF has resulted from this, by taking into account the social and economic importance of the Wood energy production chain: the fuel most accessible to most households and the most popular, the livelihood of charcoal-producing families as well as charcoal hauliers and traders.

The project includes four main lines:

• Assisting coordination of the implementation of the strategy for sustainable wood energy supply for Toliara, and in particular encouraging other players to contribute to reaching the objectives;

• Strengthening the capacities of administrative services and local authorities (“decentralized territorial collectivities”) to control the Wood Energy production chain,

• Carrying out planting of energy-useful species with village communities and the private sector;

• Assisting village communities in the sustainable management of forest areas used for charcoal production.

The project is implemented in close cooperation with the General Direction in charge of Forest, the Regional Direction in charge of Forests, the Atsimo Andrefana Region, the urban District of Toliara and the rural Districts of the activity.

* The project Steering committee has been set up and includes: the European Union, the National Centre for Industrial and Technological Research (responsible for the SEESO/CNRIT component), the WWF, the DGF, the DRFT, the Department of Energy, the Inter-regional Department of Energy and Mines, and the Atsimo Andrefana Region. An agreement between the various parties has been signed.

* The strategy document for supplying sustainable Wood Energy for Toliara (ABETOL) is available and is a reference for fuelwood projects in the South West.

* The regional decree related to the set-up of the Regional Forest Energy Committee (RFEC) has been issued by the Atsimo Andrefana Region. In this framework, various consultation works among stakeholders concerned by the Fuel wood value chain have been conducted and allowed to measure how important such a platform is in terms of the coherence, complementarity and coordination of actions undertaken in that field on the one hand, but also as support to the region in its decision making process.

* The regional decree in relation to the regulation of the fuel wood value chain in the region is ready for signature by the Region. In view of the application of this regional regulation on 4 villages (Ankilimalinika, Tsianisiha, Marofoty, Belalanda) on the RN9 axis: 831 coalmen have been listed; areas of production of charcoal have been defined in a participative way and compared to the delimitations of the Protected Areas in 14 Fokontany, in order to control the flow of wood charcoal traceability; 13 selling points have been set in agreement with the sellers and local producers;

the KASTI, local committees for the administration, protection and conservation of forests have been implemented in 19 fokontany; 11 associations of coalmen have been structured. While waiting that the regional decree is signed, an official note governing the rules for production, storage, collection and selling of wood energy in the intervention areas of the project is on implementation. 96 coalmen have been trained for more improved charcoal production practices (in terms of saving wood) and a monitoring of this training and the official note implementation is on way.

* During the afforestation campaign 2008/2009 led in partnership with the Decentralised Territorial Communities, the base communities, the individuals, the schools and the military of the RM5 team, in the villages of Andranohinaly, Andranovory, Ankilimalinika, Tsianisiha, Analamisampy, 135 000 plants have been produced for 37 afforested plots on a surface of 135ha.
The assessment workshop of the 2008-2009 campaign with the beneficiaries and the partners has allowed to analyse the general organisation, to highlight the strengths and the weaknesses, to assess the success rate, and to assess the autonomy of the beneficiaries and the decentralized Territorial Communities in the reforesting works; the 2009/2010 reforesting approach had therefore been defined and is actually on way.

* For the afforestation campaign 2009/2010, 34 beneficiary groups have actively taken part in the afforestation process, around 250 ha have been planted with wood energy species. The approach aims to a progressive autonomy of villagers. Regular monitoring is undertaken from seedlings production to forestry maintenance.