Steering Committee of the Northern Highlands: for the good management of natural resources

Posted on 12 May 2022

The Inter-regional Steering Committee of the Northern Highlands Landscape or COPIL HTN already exists for 5 years!

The Northern Highlands straddle three regions (SOFLA, SAVA, DIANA). Under the coordination and the lead of the 3 regions, several actors intervene for the conservation of highland rainforests in the landscape, including WWF, PADAP, The Peregrine Fund, Madagascar National Parks, Missouri Botanical Garden Madagascar - Analalava, Helvetas Madagascar, Read-Dss, Roseda Ambilobe ... This year marks a turning point for the COPIL HTN as multi-sector and multi-stakeholder dialogue has been strengthened. Civil society organizations and local communities also attended the two days of discussions.

This part of Madagascar has great economic potential such as tourism, cash crops, hydropower and food agriculture. For Bakarizafy Hervé, Director of Development of the Diana Region, "The HTN landscape is a landscape of diversity because it is a rich area in terms of ecosystems and ecology. This wealth deserves to be conserved and managed sustainably. We find producers of pepper, coffee, vanilla, ylang-ylang. This favorable climatic condition contributes to the development of the economy of the three regions."
In addition, the COMATSA protected area is home to endemic species such as the Silky Sifaka, and the Brookesia nana which is the world's smallest chameleon and would probably be the world's smallest reptile.

The effectiveness of biodiversity management also depends on the control and monitoring of landscape pressures. The Prosecutor of the Republic of Antalaha, Tambison Edmé Damase stressed the need to strengthen the penal policy: "zero tolerance for environmental crimes" in the HTN area. Particularly in the court of first instance of Antalaha, the prosecutor says to be severe for any form of crime related to the destruction of the environment. "Any person accused is directly put under a detention warrant (provisional detention) until the day of judgment."

During the meeting, participants discussed, debated, and exchanged their experiences and good practices, realities and problems of their regions, thus finding solutions at the landscape level. The action plan of the past year was also reviewed and updated. At the end of the day, the new president of the COPIL was announced : the SOFIA region takes over.

A lively and productive meeting as each landscape actor was able to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystem services, as well as the socio-economic development of local communities.