By Sanda Anjara RAKOTOMALALA and Laura Fehizoro RAFANOMEZANTSOA
The Community Governance Convention (CGC) process for the Itremo Massif Protected Area has reached a decisive moment. After two years of preparation—including mass community information sessions, training for local representatives, and support meetings for RBG Kew—MiRARI’s team had the privilege of moderating the first round of negotiations between RBG Kew and the local communities’ representatives on February 6–7, 2025, in Ambatofinandrahana.
At the heart of this negotiation process is a clear objective: for both parties to reach a consensus on their respective rights and responsibilities in each aspect of their co-management of the protected area. Establishing this shared understanding is essential to ensure that conservation efforts and local livelihoods are balanced, equitable, effective, and sustainable in the long term.
Both parties amidst of negotiations with MiRARI’s moderation
This first negotiation session was a crucial milestone in the process. Initially planned to cover three key themes — conservation activities, resources use rights, and land tenure— the discussions ended up focusing fully on just conservation activities. This approach allowed both parties to thoroughly explore the topic, clarify their positions, and work towards concrete agreements. While it also served as a first real experience of the negotiation process, the session was far from just a test — it resulted in five key points of consensus, proving that constructive dialogue is not only possible but already yielding tangible outcomes.
Local communities’ representatives and Kew’s team strategizing during a break in the negotiations
A Constructive and Hopeful First Step
The atmosphere was peaceful yet intense—a striking contrast to the tension some had anticipated. Both RBG Kew and the community representatives came in expecting a much tougher exchange, fearing that the other side would hold rigid positions. Instead, they surprised each other with their willingness to engage.
It was especially rewarding to see the negotiation strategies shared during previous training sessions being actively applied. The participants quickly realised that this process wasn’t just about defending their positions—it was about finding a workable, shared solution.
By the end of the two-day session, six key points of consensus had been reached:
1. Establishing a CGC Committee – Both parties agreed to create a dedicated committee to ensure ongoing communication and coordination throughout the CGC implementation process.
2. Tree Planting and Nursery Preparation – A shared responsibility was defined: RBG Kew will establish native tree nurseries to support native forest restoration and connectivity enhancement within the PA, while local communities will manage additional nurseries to meet their own needs. Community-grown seedlings will be distributed for private or communal woodlots outside the conserved areas, providing timber, firewood, and fruit trees.
3. Yearly collective native tree planting – Every year, the last Saturday of January is dedicated to a large-scale collective native tree planting event. The CGC Committee will mobilize communities in each Fokontany to actively participate in restoring native forests. RBG Kew will support the initiative by covering the transportation of seedlings and volunteers to the planting site, as well as providing community meals. This annual event will also cover information sessions to remind the PA’s rules and boundaries.
4. Patrols and Surveillance – The negotiation resulted in a commitment to enhancing patrol techniques and procedures, ensuring more effective monitoring of conservation activities.
5. Fire Management – Both parties recognized the urgency of wildfire prevention and agreed to jointly develop a Dinan’ny Afo (a byelaw on fire management), with Kew and the local communities sharing responsibility for its enforcement.
6. Research and Knowledge Sharing – RBG Kew is committed to sharing research findings with the local communities, while the CGC Committee will take on the role of disseminating this knowledge at the community level.
While there is still a long way to go, this first round left both parties wanting more —not just out of necessity, but because they now believe in the process. They left feeling that, no matter how intense the next sessions will be, they are worth it.
Seeing negotiation strategies from previous training actively applied was particularly rewarding. One participant from RBG Kew shared: “We hoped to establish a structured dialogue, but the level of engagement and consensus exceeded our expectations.” Similarly, a community representative remarked: “We were initially cautious, but this process has shown us that real cooperation is possible.”
Signing of the negotiations’ minutes
The Importance of Facilitation
As moderators, the role of our team, MiRARI, was to facilitate an open dialogue, ensure fair participation, and maintain focus on the key topics. Our intervention was deemed essential by the parties in keeping the discussion structured. By providing regular summaries, facilitating dialogue, and ensuring that all voices were heard, we helped guide the negotiation toward an agreement in a timely manner. Both Kew and the communities acknowledged the importance of having a neutral mediator, as it enabled them to find consensus more efficiently.
Next Steps
The outcome of this first negotiation session was positive. Kew and the communities successfully reached an agreement on the responsibilities of local communities in conservation efforts, such as tree planting and reforestation. So far, the discussions have centered on the rights that RBG Kew seeks to establish within the CGC framework. However, for co-management to be truly equitable, the voices of local communities must carry equal weight. The next round of negotiations will shift the focus to their priorities, with in-depth discussions on securing natural resource use rights, land tenure, and the sensitive yet unavoidable issue of mining.
Group photo at the end of negotiations
Looking Ahead
With this promising start, the foundation has been laid for deeper and more structured negotiations in the upcoming rounds. The lessons learned from this first session will be invaluable in shaping the next steps, ensuring that the CGC reflects the interests and responsibilities of both parties.
The road to a mutually agreed equitable co-management scheme for the Itremo Massif is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: the journey has truly begun.