In Madagascar 70% of the population depends on the traditional exploitation of natural resources, and land degradation affects more than 46% of the country's surface area, with costs to 21% of the Gross Domestic Product.
Under the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100), which is a country-led effort to bring 100 million hectares of forests and degraded land in Africa under restoration by 2030, Madagascar has committed to restore 4 million hectares of its forests and degrade lands (Länderlink Madagaskar einfügen, evtl. Homepage MEDD).
On behalf of BMZ, the International Forest Policy sector project, in close collaboration with the ‘Programme d’Appui à la Gestion de l’Environnement’ (PAGE/GIZ) in Madagascar, supports the efforts of the Malagasy Government on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) to achieve its commitment. Support includes strategies to involve the private sector in the sustainable management of natural forests and in restoration activities.
In order to develop a pilot site for Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), a study in the forest of Antanambao in the municipality of Mariarana, Boeny Region was implemented with the focus to define the scope of the FLR pilot landscape around Antanambao forest and develop partnership for value chains.
Documentation related to FLR revealed that the scope of the proposed Antanambao forest covers four (4) micro-catchments, about 358 km2 with a total of 3400 inhabitants within 4 villages. The Antanambao Forest and its landscape provide several products such as wood, food, essential oil, honey, raffia fiber, and environmental services such as water source and reservoir for humans, livestock and agriculture. Based on the spatialization of existing data, five restoration options were identified: restoration of the raffia forest, natural dry forest, mangrove, degraded lands, and agroforestry land. Analyses value chain potential within and around the forest area identified honey, Saro essential oil, raffia fibers, and seeds of the Bismarckia nobilis palm. Especially, essential oil of the Saro plant exclusively found in the municipality of Mariarana as well as the raffia fiber have a great potential f for FLR restauration activities and can contribute to increase local incomes in the region.
General recommendations for the identified pilot landscape include capacity building of local authorities and local communities, as well as local ownership of the landscape approach.