Publications

Peer reviewed articles

Rakotoarisoa, M & Jones, J.P.G., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Rajaonarivelo, H.M., Schüßler, D. (2024). Invisible people: Exploring how well remote-sensed datasets reveal the distribution of forest-proximate populations. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.23.614649

Rakoto Harison H, Herrera JP, Rakotonarivo O.S. (2024) Compounding impacts of COVID-19, cyclone and price crash on vanilla farmers’ food security and natural resource use. PLOS ONE 19(10): e0311249. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0311249

Devenish, K., Willcock, S., Goodenough, K.M. Heriniaina, R., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Jones, J.P.G. No evidence of increased forest loss from a mining rush in Madagascar’s eastern rainforests. Commun Earth Environ 5, 489 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01655-6

Rakotonarivo, O.S., Andriamihaja, O.R. (2023). Global North–Global South research partnerships are still inequitable. Nature Human Behaviour

Rakotonarivo, O.S., Rakotoarisoa, M., Rajaonarivelo, H.M., Jones, J.P.G. and Hockley, N. (2023). Resolving land tenure security is essential to deliver forest restoration. Communications Earth & Environment 

Bell, A. R., O. S. Rakotonarivo, A. Bhargava, A. B. Duthie, W. Zhang, R. Sargent, A. R. Lewis and A. Kipchumba (2023). Financial incentives often fail to reconcile agricultural productivity and pro-conservation behavior. Communications Earth & Environment 4(1): 27.

Marshall, A. R., C. E. Waite, M. Pfeifer, L. F. Banin, S. Rakotonarivo, S. Chomba, J. Herbohn, D. A. Gilmour, M. Brown and R. L. Chazdon (2023). Fifteen essential science advances needed for effective restoration of the world’s forest landscapes. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 378(1867): 20210065.

Sargent, R., O. S. Rakotonarivo, S. P. Rushton, B. Cascio, A. Grau, A. R. Bell, N. Bunnefeld, A. Dickman and M. Pfeifer (2022). An experimental game to examine pastoralists’ preferences for human–lion coexistence strategies. People and Nature 4(5): 1263-1278.

Martin, D. A., J. C. Llopis, E. Raveloaritiana, O. T. Coomes, O. R. Andriamihaja, T. B. Bruun, A. Heinimann, O. Mertz, O. S. Rakotonarivo and J. G. Zaehringer (2023). Drivers and consequences of archetypical shifting cultivation transitions. People and Nature 00, 1– 13)

Eklund, J., J. P. G. Jones, M. Räsänen, J. Geldmann, A.-P. Jokinen, A. Pellegrini, D. Rakotobe, O. S. Rakotonarivo, T. Toivonen and A. Balmford (2022). Elevated fires during COVID-19 lockdown and the vulnerability of protected areas. Nature Sustainability 5(7): 603-609.

Löfqvist, S., F. Kleinschroth, A. Bey, A. de Bremond, R. DeFries, J. Dong, F. Fleischman, S. Lele, D. A. Martin, P. Messerli, P. Meyfroidt, M. Pfeifer, S. O. Rakotonarivo, N. Ramankutty, V. Ramprasad, P. Rana, J. M. Rhemtulla, C. M. Ryan, I. C. G. Vieira, G. J. Wells and R. D. Garrett (2022). How Social Considerations Improve the Equity and Effectiveness of Ecosystem Restoration. BioScience.

Haenssgen MJ, Lechner AM, Rakotonarivo O.S., Leepreecha P, Sakboon M, Chu T-W, Auclair E, Vlaev I. (2022). Implementation of the COP26 declaration to halt forest loss must safeguard and include Indigenous people. Nature Ecology & Evolution 6(3)235-236. 

Rajaonarivelo, H.M., Rakotonarivo, O.S., M., R., Raharijaona, S., Raparison, E., H, and Hockley, N. (2021). Revue des textes légaux face à la mise en œuvre de la restauration des paysages forestiers à Madagascar. Madagascar Conservation and Development.

Rakotonarivo, O.S., Bell, A., Dillon, B., Duthie, B., Kipchumba, A., Rasolofoson, R., Razafimanahaka, J., and Bunnefeld, N. (2021). Experimental evidence on the impact of payments and property rights on forest user decisions. Frontiers in Conservation Science. 10.3389/fcosc.2021.661987   

Razanatsoa, E., Andriatsaralaza, S., Holmes, S., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Ratsifandrihamanana, A.N., Randriamiharisoa, L.D., Ravaloharimanitra, M., Ramahefamanana, N., Tahirinirainy, D., and Raharimampionona, J. (2021). Fostering local involvement for biodiversity conservation in tropical regions in the face of COVID-19 crisis: lessons from Madagascar. Biotropica. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12967

Rakotonarivo, O.S., Bell, A., Abernethy, K., Minderman, J., Duthie, A.B., Redpath, S., Keane, K., Travers, H., Bourgeois, S., Moukagni, L., Cusack, C., Jones, I., Pozo, R., and Bunnefeld, N. (2021). The role of incentive-based instruments and social equity in conservation conflict interventions. Ecology and Society 26(2):8.

Booth, H., Clark, M., Milner-Gulland, E.J., Amponsah-Mensah, K., Antunes, A.P., Brittain, S., Castilho, L.C., Campos-Silva, J.V., Constantino, P.D.a.L., Li, Y., Mandoloma, L., Nneji, L.M., Iponga, D.M., Moyo, B., Mcnamara, J., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Shi, J., Tagne, C.T.K., Van Velden, J., and Williams, D.R. (2021). Investigating the risks of removing wild meat from global food systems. Current Biology 31, 1788-1797.e1783

Pozo, R.A., Leflore, E.G., Duthie, A.B., Bunnefeld, N., Jones, I.L., Minderman, J., Rakotonarivo, O.S., and Cusack, J.J. (2021). A multispecies assessment of wildlife impacts on local community livelihoods. Conservation Biology 35, 297-306.

Rakotonarivo, O.S., Jones, I.L., Bell, A., Duthie, A.B., Cusack, J., Minderman, J., Hogan, J., Hodgson, I., and Bunnefeld, N. (2021). Experimental evidence for conservation conflict interventions: The importance of financial payments, community trust and equity attitudes. People and Nature 3, 162-175.

Brittain, S., Ibbett, H., De Lange, E., Dorward, L., Hoyte, S., Marino, A., Milner-Gulland, E.J., Newth, J., Rakotonarivo, S., Veríssimo, D., and Lewis, J. (2020). Ethical considerations when conservation research involves people. Conservation Biology 34, 925-933.

Cusack, J.J., Duthie, A.B., Minderman, J., Jones, I.L., Pozo, R.A., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Redpath, S., and Bunnefeld, N. (2020). Integrating conflict, lobbying, and compliance to predict the sustainability of natural resource use. Ecology and Society 25.

Duthie, A.B., Minderman, J., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Ochoa, G., and Bunnefeld, N. (2020). Online multiplayer games as virtual laboratories for collecting data on social-ecological decision making. Conservation Biology 35: 1051-1053

Jones, J.P.G., Ratsimbazafy, J., Ratsifandrihamanana, A.N., Watson, J.E.M., Andrianandrasana, H.T., Cabeza, M., Cinner, J.E., Goodman, S.M., Hawkins, F., Mittermeier, R.A., Rabearisoa, A.L., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Razafimanahaka, J.H., Razafimpahanana, A.R., Wilmé, L., and Wright, P.C. (2019a). Last chance for Madagascar’s biodiversity. Nature Sustainability 2, 350-352.

Jones, J.P.G., Ratsimbazafy, J., Ratsifandrihamanana, A.N., Watson, J.E.M., Andrianandrasana, H.T., Cabeza, M., Cinner, J.E., Goodman, S.M., Hawkins, F., Mittermeier, R.A., Rabearisoa, A.L., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Razafimanahaka, J.H., Razafimpahanana, A.R., Wilmé, L., and Wright, P.C. (2019b). Madagascar: Crime threatens biodiversity. Science 363, 825-825.

Rakotonarivo, O.S. (2019). Five actions Madagascar’s president must take to save country’s biodiversity.  12 May 2019.

Duthie, A.B., Cusack, J.J., Jones, I.L., Minderman, J., Nilsen, E.B., Pozo, R.A., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Van Moorter, B., and Bunnefeld, N. (2018). GMSE: An r package for generalised management strategy evaluation. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 9, 2396-2401

Hockley, N., Mandimbiniaina, R., and Rakotonarivo, O.S. (2018). Fair and equitable conservation: do we really want it, and if so, do we know how to achieve it? Madagascar Conservation and Development 13, 3-5.

Cusack, J.J., Duthie, A.B., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Pozo, R.A., Mason, T.H.E., Månsson, J., Nilsson, L., Tombre, I.M., Eythórsson, E., Madsen, J., Tulloch, A., Hearn, R.D., Redpath, S., and Bunnefeld, N. (2018). Time series analysis reveals synchrony and asynchrony between conflict management effort and increasing large grazing bird populations in northern Europe. Conservation Letters 0, e12450.

Redpath, S.M., Keane, A., Andrén, H., Baynham-Herd, Z., Bunnefeld, N., Duthie, A.B., Frank, J., Garcia, C.A., Månsson, J., Nilsson, L., Pollard, C.R.J., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Salk, C.F., and Travers, H. (2018). Games as Tools to Address Conservation Conflicts. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 33, 415-426.

Poudyal, M., Jones, J.P.G., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Hockley, N., Gibbons, J.M., Mandimbiniaina, R., Rasoamanana, A., Andrianantenaina, N.S., and Ramamonjisoa, B.S. (2018a). Who bears the cost of forest conservation? PeerJ 6, e5106.

Poudyal, M., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Razafimanahaka, J.H., Hockley, N., and Jones, J.P.G. (2018b). Household economy, forest dependency & opportunity costs of conservation in eastern rainforests of Madagascar. Scientific data 5, 180225-180225.

Rakotonarivo, O.S., Bredahl Jacobsen, J., Poudyal, M., Rasoamanana, A., and Hockley, N. (2018). Estimating welfare impacts where property rights are contested: methodological and policy implications. Land Use Policy 70, 71-83.

Rakotonarivo, O.S., Jacobsen, J.B., Larsen, H.O., Jones, J.P.G., Nielsen, M.R., Ramamonjisoa, B.S., Mandimbiniaina, R.H., and Hockley, N. (2017). Qualitative and Quantitative Evidence on the True Local Welfare Costs of Forest Conservation in Madagascar: Are Discrete Choice Experiments a Valid ex ante Tool? World Development 94, 478-491.

Poudyal, M., Ramamonjisoa, B.S., Hockley, N., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Gibbons, J.M., Mandimbiniaina, R., Rasoamanana, A., and Jones, J.P.G. (2016). Can REDD+ social safeguards reach the ‘right’ people? Lessons from Madagascar. Global Environmental Change 37, 31-42.

Rakotonarivo, O.S., Schaafsma, M., and Hockley, N. (2016). A systematic review of the reliability and validity of discrete choice experiments in valuing non-market environmental goods. Journal of Environmental Management 183, Part 1, 98-109.

Scheba, A., and Rakotonarivo, O.S. (2016). Territorialising REDD+: Conflicts over market-based forest conservation in Lindi, Tanzania. Land Use Policy 57, 625-637.

Mustalahti, I., and Rakotonarivo, O.S. (2014). REDD+ and Empowered Deliberative Democracy: Learning from Tanzania. World Development 59, 199-211.

Vieilledent, G., Vaudry, R., Andriamanohisoa, S.F.D., Rakotonarivo, O.S., Randrianasolo, H.Z., Razafindrabe, H.N., Rakotoarivony, C.B., Ebeling, J., and Rasamoelina, M. (2012). A universal approach to estimate biomass and carbon stock in tropical forests using generic allometric models. Ecological Applications 22, 572-583.

Book chapter

– Jones, J. P. G., O. S. Rakotonarivo and J. H. Razafimanahaka (2021). Forest Conservation in Madagascar: Past, Present, and Future. The New Natural History of Madagascar. S. M. Goodman, Princeton University Press.

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. (2020). Conservation is not working: it is time to radically rethink forest tenure and consent in the tropics. Biodiversity Revisited is an initiative of the Luc Hoffmann Institute, in collaboration with WWF and Future Earth.

Datasets, Newspaper articles and Policy Briefs

1 – Rakotonarivo, O.S. et al. (2020). Experimental games and questionnaire survey for understanding conflicts in Gabon, Scotland, Madagascar and Kenya. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-854068

2 – Rakotonarivo, O. S. (2019). Five actions Madagascar’s president must take to save country’s biodiversity, Theconversation. 12 May 2019

3 – Poudyal, M., Rakotonarivo, O.S. et al. (2016). Household survey and discrete choice experiment for investigating the opportunity cost of conservation restrictions in eastern Madagascar. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-852435.

4 – Rakotonarivo, O.S. Hockley, N. (2017). “Forest conservation approaches must recognise the rights of local people”. TheConversation. 08. August 2017. 

5 – Cannon, J. “Forest communities pay the price for conservation in Madagascar”. 25 July 2018. https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07

6 – Who bears the costs of forest conservation? Policy brief (2018). Socio-economic Work Package P4ges. Retrieved from p4ges project website 

   Do REDD+ social safeguards reach the ‘right’ people? Policy brief (2018). Socio-economic Work Package P4ges. Retrieved from p4ges project website

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. “Improving the functioning of village savings and loans associations in rural areas of Madagascar to reduce poverty and biodiversity loss”. Invited in-person talk at the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC, October 2023

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. Who benefits and who pays for forest conservation and restoration? And how?  Invited in-person talk at the Nicholas Institute-UPEP Environmental Institutions Seminar Series, Duke University, Durham, North carolina, US, October 2023

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. The compounding impacts of COVID19, cyclones and market fluctuations on food security and natural resource use in rural Madagascar. Invited in-person talk at Innovation, Technology, and Research Hub (ITR) of USAID office, Washington DC, US, October 2023

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. Experimental evidence on the impact of payments and property rights on forest user decisions in Madagascar and Kenya. Cornell University, Ithaca, September 2022,

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. The socio-economics of biodiversity conservation. Conference talk given at Science and Technology Forum, Kyoto, Japan 2022,

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. Land tenure considerations in Forest and Landscape Restoration, ICCB21, virtual talk, December 2021

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. What makes good nature-based solutions? COP26, Panel discussion participant, Glasgow, November 2021

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. Voices from the forest: Putting local people at the heart of decisions about tropical forest contribution to tackling climate change, Global virtual launch,  October 2021,

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. How to mainstream concepts such as forest-based solutions in global climate change policies,  COP26, Panel discussion participant, Glasgow, November 2021

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. Where do people fit into woodland restoration, rewilding and forest conservation? Online Talk at a webinar organized by Climate Fridge (for COP 26 in Glasgow) and communities and reforestation. November 2020

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. Understanding local farmers’ decisions in elephant conservation interventions. Conference talk at the 29th International Congress for Conservation Biology. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 2019.

– Rakotonarivo, OS. Jeux comportementaux: Un outil innovant pour l’atténuation des conflits homme-éléphants Talk given at Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (ANPN), Libreville, Gabon, March 2017

– Rakotonarivo, O.S. Restriction du teviala: Quels en sont les coûts pour les populations locales? Talk given at the World Bank group, Antananarivo, Madagascar, December 2015

– Rakotonarivo, OS. Willingness-to-pay versus Willingness-to-accept: Contested property rights in forest conservation in Madagascar: Talk given at the 18th BIOECON (Biodiversity and Economics for Conservation) Annual Conference, Cambridge, United Kingdom, September 2016

– Rakotonarivo, OS. Win-win illusions: the need to rethink coercive models of forest conservation in the tropics. Talk given at the ESPA (Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation) 2016 Annual Science Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, November 2016

– Rakotonarivo, OS. Does more time to deliberate affect respondents’ behaviour in a discrete choice experiment? Talk given at the 22nd Annual Conference of the European Association of Environmental and Resource Economics in Zurich, Switzerland, June 2016

– Rakotonarivo, OS. Using choice experiments to estimate the net welfare costs of forest conservation ex-ante: How does experience affect survey responses? Talk given at Forests and Livelihoods: Assessment, Research, and Engagement (FLARE) Annual Meeting, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, December 2016

– Rakotonarivo O.S. Using in-depth interviews and focus groups to supplement quantitative surveys. Talk given at the ESPA (Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation) Social Science event, London, UK. October 2014