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The community of Ambodivohitra Kobahina in action to save its forests

Posted on 14 June 2021

The Fokontany of Ambodivohitra Kobahina, in the northern rainforests, is located in the center of the SAVA region. Faced with the pressure on their forest, the inhabitants have taken the initiative to manage the natural resources themselves with the support of WWF.

The community, which has structured itself into a formal association "Fikambanana Miaro ny Tontolo Iainana" or FMTIA (association that preserves the environment in French), currently manages 3,201 hectares of forest. With 303 active members, it has a contract with the forestry administration to manage natural resources.

The association participates in sensitizations on the protection of the forests and gives sanctions to those who destroy them. Regular control and surveillance missions are also carried out by community patrols. In total, 11 patrols were carried out in 2020. The community was also able to carry out 4 hectares of reforestation.

As a result of its efforts, the association receives sustainable funding that integrates environmental, social and governance criteria from the public and private sectors. Symrise, a private company, pays an environmental premium of 0.22 Euro per kilo of vanilla collected by the communities. This premium will finance the conservation actions of the FMTIA association. Community Savings Groups (CSGs) within the communities also help finance the protection of natural resources. These community savings groups pay an annual bonus to the community to help with conservation activities. The association also receives a financial contribution of 440 Euros per year from the municipality to help it carry out its activities.

The rainforests play an important role in the daily life of the communities such as water supply. They are also home to a great deal of biodiversity. Together, our efforts will contribute to the improvement of the preservation of these forests, which are the source of our survival.