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Towards sustainable mangrove management in Madagascar
The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem is celebrated on 26 July every year. It is an opportunity to highlight the importance of this "unique, special and vulnerable" but "renewable" ecosystem and to promote solutions for its sustainable management and conservation.
Coverage in constant loss
Mangroves shelter an ecological wealth of both flora and fauna, and constitute a natural barrier for the protection of the coastline. They also constitute a considerable socio-economic crossroads for the riparian populations because they are the nursery for many species of fish and shellfish. Without them, crabs and shrimps would not exist in the wild.
Madagascar has a vast expanse of mangroves, representing 2% of the world's reserve[1] and 20% of African reserves. Nearly 236,400 ha of mangroves are listed in Madagascar (in 2018), mainly in the regions of Menabe, Melaky, Diana, Boeny, Atsimo Andrefana and Sofia. Unfortunately, an impressive loss of mangroves is recorded, mainly due to land conversion and the illegal collection of mangrove wood for various uses, despite the prohibitions and laws in force.
Mangrove conservation efforts are not in vain: civil society organizations, youth, local communities, conservation organizations, do not hesitate to mobilize and get involved in restoration activities, including reforestation, community patrols, awareness raising. A study on the state of mangroves in 2019 shows that the total area of mangroves in Madagascar has increased by 80,000 ha, from 310,452 ha in 2000 to just over 390,853 ha in 2018.
A strong political commitment
In 2019, therefore, Madagascar committed to the Bonn Commitment to restore 4 million hectares of degraded forests and lands by 2030. Mangrove restoration is one of the five priority landscape and forest restoration options for the Big Island. Among the governance tools proposed are: the promotion of alternatives to the use of mangrove wood, through the extension of land reforestation, which is in line with the State's objective of establishing at least 40,000 ha/year. In this context, the will was materialized by the signing of the joint commitment for the sustainable management of mangroves and their resources, signed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MESD) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MALF), with the support of the USAID Hay Tao Program. The operational aspect of this commitment focuses on the improvement of governance monitoring tools and system as well as the coordination of the interventions of the different actors.
A declaration, a source of hope for mangrove-dependent communities
In the small village of Antsotsomo, in the Bay of Ambaro, Diana region, communities manage the mangroves themselves. "In recent years, our forest cover has been degraded due to illegal and uncontrolled logging. We are happy because we are now starting to manage the mangroves ourselves, and we are ready to protect them and use them more sustainably. "says Nourchiad, president of the local grassroots community, with pride.
Like Nourchiad, thousands of people in Madagascar who depend on mangroves are aware that it is essential to develop these resources by maintaining existing natural ecosystems, conserving them, using them sustainably and restoring them.
This joint declaration signed by the two line ministries is a source of hope for the coastal communities dependent on mangroves, who are working hard to ensure that these mangrove forests fulfil their ecological functions, which are vital for humanity. For Julien Noel Rakotoarisoa, national focal point for mangrove management within the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development: "this declaration marks the beginning of the recovery of mangrove governance at the institutional level, which will continue with the implementation of management framework documents supported by well-defined specifications for the categories of actors involved in the management of this ecosystem. As a result, local communities, including fishers, will have clearer and more coordinated management guidelines, guaranteeing the sustainability of their activities."
In conclusion, the challenges for the sustainable management of natural mangrove ecosystems require the strong involvement and collaboration of all stakeholders.
Mangroves shelter an ecological wealth of both flora and fauna, and constitute a natural barrier for the protection of the coastline. They also constitute a considerable socio-economic crossroads for the riparian populations because they are the nursery for many species of fish and shellfish. Without them, crabs and shrimps would not exist in the wild.
Madagascar has a vast expanse of mangroves, representing 2% of the world's reserve[1] and 20% of African reserves. Nearly 236,400 ha of mangroves are listed in Madagascar (in 2018), mainly in the regions of Menabe, Melaky, Diana, Boeny, Atsimo Andrefana and Sofia. Unfortunately, an impressive loss of mangroves is recorded, mainly due to land conversion and the illegal collection of mangrove wood for various uses, despite the prohibitions and laws in force.
Mangrove conservation efforts are not in vain: civil society organizations, youth, local communities, conservation organizations, do not hesitate to mobilize and get involved in restoration activities, including reforestation, community patrols, awareness raising. A study on the state of mangroves in 2019 shows that the total area of mangroves in Madagascar has increased by 80,000 ha, from 310,452 ha in 2000 to just over 390,853 ha in 2018.
A strong political commitment
In 2019, therefore, Madagascar committed to the Bonn Commitment to restore 4 million hectares of degraded forests and lands by 2030. Mangrove restoration is one of the five priority landscape and forest restoration options for the Big Island. Among the governance tools proposed are: the promotion of alternatives to the use of mangrove wood, through the extension of land reforestation, which is in line with the State's objective of establishing at least 40,000 ha/year. In this context, the will was materialized by the signing of the joint commitment for the sustainable management of mangroves and their resources, signed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MESD) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MALF), with the support of the USAID Hay Tao Program. The operational aspect of this commitment focuses on the improvement of governance monitoring tools and system as well as the coordination of the interventions of the different actors.
A declaration, a source of hope for mangrove-dependent communities
In the small village of Antsotsomo, in the Bay of Ambaro, Diana region, communities manage the mangroves themselves. "In recent years, our forest cover has been degraded due to illegal and uncontrolled logging. We are happy because we are now starting to manage the mangroves ourselves, and we are ready to protect them and use them more sustainably. "says Nourchiad, president of the local grassroots community, with pride.
Like Nourchiad, thousands of people in Madagascar who depend on mangroves are aware that it is essential to develop these resources by maintaining existing natural ecosystems, conserving them, using them sustainably and restoring them.
This joint declaration signed by the two line ministries is a source of hope for the coastal communities dependent on mangroves, who are working hard to ensure that these mangrove forests fulfil their ecological functions, which are vital for humanity. For Julien Noel Rakotoarisoa, national focal point for mangrove management within the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development: "this declaration marks the beginning of the recovery of mangrove governance at the institutional level, which will continue with the implementation of management framework documents supported by well-defined specifications for the categories of actors involved in the management of this ecosystem. As a result, local communities, including fishers, will have clearer and more coordinated management guidelines, guaranteeing the sustainability of their activities."
In conclusion, the challenges for the sustainable management of natural mangrove ecosystems require the strong involvement and collaboration of all stakeholders.
[1] Jones et al., 2016 - Madagascar’s Mangroves: Quantifying Nation-Wide and Ecosystem
Specific Dynamics, and Detailed Contemporary Mapping of Distinct Ecosystems, 30p
Specific Dynamics, and Detailed Contemporary Mapping of Distinct Ecosystems, 30p
