Effective Biodiversity Conservation

Summary

The project is about maintaining and reinforcing the momentum gained in the creation of new protected areas in the Androy sub-region, further programme development and initiation of analyses of the Ala Maiky programme sustainability.

Background

WWF started the Ala Maiky Programme in 1998 with a reconnaissance phase and later developed the spiny forest ecoregion biodiversity vision and conservation plan, respectively in 2000 and 2002, with a 3-years action plan covering the period 2003-2006. The Ala Maiky conservation plan is a 15-year strategy document that sets out the longer term goals and objectives for the ecoregion.

For the first period of implementation (2003-2006), emphasis was put on leveraging support to implement this bold conservation plan with local and regional stakeholders and technical and financial partners, refining conservation planning at the level of each priority conservation areas, complementing important biological and socio-economic data gaps, integrating the biodiversity vision and refined conservation plans into local and regional development planning efforts, building a strong constituency for conservation within the ecoregion and strengthening conservation capacity of key partners.

Objectives

• Category V protected area status for Nothern Ifotaky and Ankodida are achieved.

• New protected areas for Southwestern Ifotaky and Behara-Tranomaro are established.

• Capacity building of the intercommunal associations as to their role towards protected area management and rule enforced outside protected areas.

• Sound monitoring systems are in place for the Ala Maiky programme and its projects portfolio in order to allow for measuring impacts and sharing lessons learned.

• Further analysis of deforestation and results are widely shared to mobilize further political and technical support for conservation.

• Reflection on the institutional setup of the Ala Maiky programme is initiated with support from the 4 heads of region.