The transfer of management in Madagascar, ten years of effort: Tanteza (tantanana mba hateza: sustainable management)
by Montagne P., Razanamaharo Z. & Cooke A.Madagascar has an important and unique biological wealth which is threatened by human practices, but more than a century old policies that have attempted to ensure the conservation of this biological heritage have always had limited impact. Since the early 1990s, a new policy after the Environmental Charter sets up a favourable environment for the transfer of management of renewable natural resources from the state to the riparian populations under new environmental outcome of the 96 -025 and sectoral whose 97-017 forestry law that created the conditions for application of the New Forest Policy. Therefore, since 1996, the State and its local, regional, national and international partners apply these guidelines in difficult conditions, particularly because of the remote locations and conditions of rural poverty beneficiaries. This book examines, from the results of investigative work and bibliographic research that took place in 2004 as part of the study "Evaluation and Outlook of the transfer of Management of Renewable Natural Resource in Environmental Programme 3 ", the report and recommendations which can be made ten years after the promulgation of these texts. These were marked the "exit" of the Malagasy forest policies of the authoritarian framework, repressive and exclusive forged by the colonial forest administrations. What about today? These new policies oriented to less repression, is more participation of the people lead to better management of natural ecosystems? Are they in line with the policy of decentralization? It should help us to answer this crucial question that is: The transfer of management in Madagascar: a policy to pursue? (Author abstract).
Madagascar - A Guide To Marine Biodiversity
by Andrew Cooke
and photogrphy Jürg Brand
Madagascar is renowned for its unique terrestrial biodiversity which has been an inspiration to naturalists for centuries and so remains today for conservationists. On the other side, Madagascar marine biodiversity has only retained much less scientific attention. Although the endemism levels are low in marine, the size and tropical location of Madagascar in the Western Indian Ocean make it an important regional center for marine biodiversity.
Building on a base of ecological and oceanographic knowledge established by French scientists working in Madagascar in the 1960s and 1970s, the author and contributors extract information from a variety of sources, published and unpublished, including recent research in marine ecology, oceanography and climate change, in order to provide a comprehensive and informative introduction to the marine biodiversity of Madagascar and provide historical depth while maintaining a modern perspective based on ecosystems.
The guide is richly illustrated with underwater photography by Jürg Brand whose images capture the full range of marine biodiversity of Madagascar, from large ocean scenery offshore reefs and marine megafauna to the finest details and colourful worn by marine invertebrates. Of high-quality pictures taken by other photographers fill the few remaining gaps.
Over the past decade, the interest in marine conservation has increased exponentially in Madagascar. Nearly a dozen new marine protected areas have been designated since 2000 and all major international NGOs now conduct substantial programs marine conservation. The fisheries management authorities and private operators in this area also play an important role. This book should be welcomed by professionals in marine conservation, fisheries managers, scientists, students, divers and anyone else who is interested in the marine environment of Madagascar.
