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Nurseries in Preparation: first steps toward agroforestry for the committed “Samaky” community in the Melaky Region

Posted on 16 May 2025

Lake Antsohale, located in the Manambolomaty watershed in the rural commune of Trangahy (Melaky region), is essential for the coastal mangroves of Masoarivo.

Fed by the Miolaky and Andolonaomby rivers, it follows the ancient course of the Manambolo River, flows through community lands and the Andranobe lake complex, before emptying into the mangroves. Today, the forests surrounding these sources are highly degraded. Yet these forests serve as natural reservoirs: they store water in the soil, regulate river flow, feed village wells, and prevent silt from clogging the waterways. If these forests disappear or dry out, even a small upstream water shortage can severely weaken the mangroves, highly sensitive coastal ecosystems. Protecting these dry forests is therefore essential to ensure a constant flow of freshwater to keep the mangroves healthy.

This is why restoring degraded dry forests is at the heart of conservation efforts. Agroforestry (an agricultural practice that involves growing fruit trees alongside vegetable crops) is an approach that combines ecological restoration with the improvement of local community livelihoods. It aims in particular to support 200 beneficiaries along the Manambolomaty riverbed.

Last April, an agroforestry nursery with twelve seedbeds was set up in the commune of Masoarivo. This setup took about twenty days and involved around sixty community members. All of this was made possible thanks to the commitment of local nursery workers, the active participation of the community organization “Samaky” (named after a bird), the support of the youth association AJINM (Association of Young Intellectuals Native to Masoarivo in Madagascar), as well as partner authorities in the region, notably the Regional Directorate of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Regional Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock.

AMBINIGNAHY Martin, leader of the AJINM association and a nursery worker, expressed his unwavering commitment to nature: “WWF issued a call for motivated nursery workers. I responded, not because someone influenced me, but out of personal conviction. Since then, I have remained strongly committed to nature conservation. I used to be a member of the Vintsy club and even today, I continue my commitment. Agroforestry interests me greatly, not only for improving our livelihoods but also for protecting our precious mangroves, of which we have vast hectares here. These mangroves must be protected—for us and for the legacy of our future generations. I am truly motivated by this work and I will never give up.”

WWF, with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD) as part of the project “Inclusive Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystems by and for Local Communities,” provided assistance for this initiative through technical support, particularly training in agroforestry setup, and material support such as providing materials for constructing the seedbeds.

The next steps will consist of filling the pots with soil in preparation for sowing. Seeds of fruit trees such as Citrus sinensis (orange), Citrus aurantifolia (lime), Carica papaya (papaya), Artocarpus heterophyllus (jackfruit), and Spondias dulcis (ambarella) will then be planted. The ambition is to cover 40 hectares of land in Masoarivo and Soatanà.