“Managing our protected areas equitably”: a national sharing workshop for Malagasy Protected Areas’ stakeholders

The workshop was held under the patronage of the MEDD, and honored by the Minister of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Dr. Paubert Tsimanaoraty MAHATANTE, and His Excellency the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, Sir David Ashley. It convened more than 70 conservation stakeholders, including government officials, donors, NGOs, protected area managers, civil society, researchers and local community representatives (see list of participants below).

During the sharing workshop, several important points were highlighted. It’s crucial to recognize, manage, and assess both the positive and negative environmental and social impacts of protected areas. This is essential for ensuring that these areas contribute to a more sustainable and fair environment in ecological, socio-cultural, and economic terms, thus supporting sustainable development. National policy reforms focusing on environmental and social framework management can provide valuable guidance for implementing these recommendations.

Co-management of protected areas necessitates involving local communities. This can be achieved through the establishment of Community Management Agreements (Convention de Gestion Communautaire, CGC). These agreements ensure that protected areas are created and managed effectively, fairly, and equitably.

Furthermore, it’s important for managers to utilize methods and tools for monitoring and evaluating social safeguard and development projects. This is crucial for demonstrating that conservation efforts do not harm or impoverish local communities. Additionally, it helps in identifying and implementing appropriate and effective social safeguard measures.