The last chance for Madagascar's biodiversity

Scientists from around the world have come together to identify the most important actions that Madagascar's new government must take to prevent the loss forever of species and their habitats.

In January, Andry Rajoelina, recently elected president of Madagascar, began his five-year term. A group of scientists from Madagascar, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Finland has issued a document recommending the priority actions that the new government must take to halt the precipitous decline of biodiversity and help put Madagascar on the path of sustainable growth.

Professor Jonah Ratsimbazafy, from the University of Antananarivo and one of the co-authors of the article, said: "The United States has the Statue of Liberty, France has the Eifel Tower .... For us in Madagascar, it is our biodiversity (the product of millions of years of evolution), which constitutes the unique heritage for which we are known throughout the world. We can not let go of these natural wonders, which include 100 different types of lemurs that can not be found anywhere else on the planet. We must act now before it is too late.

According to the group, Madagascar's protected areas, among the most important in the world for biodiversity, have suffered in recent years from illegal mining, logging and collecting endangered species for the animal trade. of company. They stress that the insecurity that accompanies this illegal exploitation is harmful for man and for nature.

Dr. Herizo Andrianandrasana, the first Malagasy graduate in Doctor of Philosophy during the 800 year history of Oxford University and an experienced Malagasy ecologist, commented: "The destruction of Malagasy biodiversity benefits few people, who take advantage of rosewood traffic, illegal mining in protected areas or forbidden trade in species such as our critically endangered turtles. However, the costs are widespread and affect all Malagasy. "

The group identified five priority actions for the new government: investing in protected areas, strengthening the right of local people over natural resources, ensuring the development of new infrastructure to limit impacts on biodiversity, combating environmental crime and invest in major restoration efforts that will address the growing problem of fuelwood crisis in the country.

The team is careful to emphasize that conservation must benefit, not harm, local communities.

Professor Julia Jones of Bangor University, who has been working in Madagascar for nearly 20 years and led the study, said, "Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on the planet. More than 40 per cent of children under five suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition and there are more people living in extreme poverty than almost anywhere else on the planet. Conservation must therefore contribute to national efforts aimed at economic development, not harming them. This should not worsen the situation of the rural poor who are so often marginalized in decision-making. "

The team believes that acting in all five areas could make all the difference. According to Professor Ratsimbazafy: "The time has come for action - it is not too late to change the situation in Madagascar, but it will be soon."

Professor Jones added, "Since his election, President Rajoelina has made it clear that he recognizes the importance of biodiversity in Madagascar. We will ensure that it has a copy of this article and that the content is well-shared in Madagascar (and potential donors whose support will be needed). Our co-authors, as well as many other active Malagasy and international scientists interested in Madagascar, are all ready to help the new president to ensure that his mandate can be the necessary turning point for Madagascar and its fauna. "

The article "The last chance for Madagascar's biodiversity" will be published in Nature Sustainability.

It has been written by authors from Bangor University, the University of Antananarivo, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Madagascar, the University of Queensland, the Durrell Wildlife Trust Madagascar, the University of Helsinki, James Cook University, Chicago Natural History Museum, IUCN, Global Wildlife Conservation, Conservation International Madagascar, Stirling University, Madagasikara Voakajy, Wildlife Conservation Society Madagascar, World Resources Institute and Stony Brook University.