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11/1/1988 - Madagascar: Maintaining Diversity by Paula Williams

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT WRITER S CONSENT INSTITUTE OF CURRENTWORLD AFFAIRS PJW Madagascar Maintaining Diversity Washingto November DC Mr Peter Bird Martin Executive Director Institute Current World Affairs West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 USA Dear Peter Madagascar confronted burning issue Each Malagasy countryside burns people employ traditional practices slash agriculture They clear woody vegetation cultiva People fires promote growth grass livestock In people often obliged plant trees denuded hilltops which claimed national government These plantations belonged state workers received return their efforts Consequently clear pasture escaped burned plantations interest stopping fires It believed fires reasons political protest The deforestation erosion incredible When I Nairobi Antananarivo capital Madagascar I amazed The landscape below looked something another planet maybe similar scene might peering through microscope Initially I could signs trees brown hilltops etched swirls stream river drainages As plane descended preparation landing I scattered trees The deforestation greatest Africa Madagascar original square kilometers forest reduced Each Madagascar loses hectares forest The amount forest The deforestation severe impacts erosion estimated arable hectares fields production Ramanankasina Jolly Cabalzar Much global environmental attention focused Madagascar country contains unique plant animal species The country composed series islands The island Madagascar fourth largest island world I000 miles between miles comprising square miles continent Many species plants animals evolved Madagascar isolation other populations since island separated mainland continent Africa approximately million years For example Madagascar distinct species baobab trees whereas species exists throughout African continent Paula J Williams Forest Society Fellow Institute Current World Affairs studying human forest resources Saharan Africa 480kin X 300miles MAJUNGA RIVO Ant irabe Morondava Fianarantsoa Mananjary Manakara Fort Oeuphin Location Madagasc From The Africa Review Ed Essex Great Britain The World Information Madagascar renowned populations lemurs Lemurs dwelling mammals about small domestic tails Their heads somewhat foxes resemble miniature monkeys their behavior Over species identified Madagascar These animals endangered their forest habitats disappearing Madagascar differs mainland Africa terms ecology terms social cultural history The island inhabited humans until around years The first inhabitants Indonesia other parts Malay Archipelago mainland Africa From Madagascar French colony This historical blending peoples created unique culture Evidences socio cultural differences mainland Africa everywhere For example tradit ional story houses common High Plateau countrySide whereas African countries rural homes single story Women roles Malagasy society contrast those found mainland African societies In International Union Conservation Nature Natural Resources IUCN World Wildlife Fund WWF major conference Madagascar The Duke Edinburgh Prince Philip honorary chairman horrified Madagascar He declared country committing ecological suicide He called action environmental deterioration As follow meeting government outside donors coordinated World Bank developing Environmental Plan Action country In addition donors financing programs dealing conservation development issues Because Madagascar poverty infrastructure natural resource country outside assistance develop better environmental management The U S Congress mandated U S Agency International Development USAID devote development funds maintaining biological diversity tropical forests In Madagascar USAID hopes projects private voluntary organizations PVOs joint conserva development activities The World Wildlife Fund WWF Catholic Relief Services CRS begin project Amber Mountain Antseranana USAID plans continue support lemur research being undertaken Alison Jolly colleagues Beza Mahafaly Tulear These projects maintain biological diversity preserving natural resources several natural reserves In surrounding areas development activities undertaken local residents provide alternative sources resources formerly obtained reserves In June I spent Antananarivo visited project nearby countryside My impressions initial based High Plateau region country While Madagascar I talked people variety organizations working forestry environmental issues When I asked people about women participation forestry activities Madagascar question generally surprise Few people thought explicitly about issue although assume activities intimately involve women One colleague Malagasy society regard women women opinions respected within their As pointed influential monarchs Madagascar century Were three queens In modern Malagasy society finds educated professional women Estelle Ramanakasina ecology professor argued women involved these efforts reverse devastating environmental trends More women needed scientific fields sroots level development activities Within forestry example although there women forestry technicians several university educated foresters exist The World Bank funded industrial forestry project Socit Fanamalanga employs approximately workers plantations resin production One third employees women including profession Two foresters working research women plant nutritionist while other specializes forest genetics Andrianjohary Rabetaliaina forester heads enterprise proudly daughter forester doing graduate agroforestry The FAO project Operation Savoka ended before I arrived Madagascar Raymond Rakotonindrina headed Operation Savoka Chief Protection Nature Direction Waters Forests Rakotonindrina described FAO project tried involve women Women ension agents worked local Women nutritional activities general extension efforts Project staff believed educate families through women The nutritional activities encouraged women alternative foods local fruits reduce their consumption Rice staple Malagasy ideally eaten every Clearing production major cause deforestation Promotion other foods aimed reduce pressure forest lands Some these activities carried World Bank other donors projects starting New activities encourage development private nurseries In Madagascar women includes transplanting other crops women undertake nursery One woman I Madame Yvette Rabetafika Ranjeva An English professor University works women environmental issues She active volunteer Fianakaviana Sambatra FISA Malagasy Family Planning Association This organization existence since To organization efforts minimal impact population growth which percent Less percent population contraceptives Awareness growing however links between rapidly growing population deterioration environment In FISA engaged planting ceremonies As FISA grown interested environmental activities hopes expand activities collabora World Wildlife Fund The World Wildlife Fund WWF already actively promoting environmental education Barthelemi Vaohita WWF Representative Mada gascar showed botanical gardens Antananarivo WWF devoted facilties there environmental education special programs schoolchildren Visitors lemurs exotic palms other flora fauna A small museum contains fossils extinct species pygmy hippopotamus WWF works rural villages school programs A Swiss pilot project supporting reforestation efforts Siasony watersheds A major rationale project kilometers capital minimize flooding In January Sisaony river which flows Anatanarivo overflowed banks people evacuated I visited project Philippe Poget project director Malagasy Swiss colleagues The project worked Government Madagascar available local residents Who agree improve value planting trees woodlots Participants parcels They provided small seedlings which nurture small nurseries The project provided variety timber species pines eucalyptus casaurina callitris Cupressus Grevillea Some acacia species being improve Project staff focused their efforts these woodlot plantings They encouraged farmers plant trees along field borders plant erosion trees grasses plant certain species within fields In future project staff devote agroforestry interventions When trees ready transplanting participants plant seedlings according prescribed standards The depth holes procedure planting seedlings specified One hundred trees planted parcel If trees cared participants receive certificate improving value parcel Local community evaluation committees check activities award points performance based standards prescribed nurseries holes planting A participant thirds total possible number points certificate After ouple years certificates transformed provisional title which becomes permanent after years If participant fails conduct properly given second chance following If someone fails second parcel given someone A common reason failure needs yearwhen people cultivation While holes advance trees transplanted during rainy season In first project those registering parcels older Beginning second women younger signed parcels Many parents signed parcels their children their behalf Some registrants months Besides women registering directly their behalf women contributed labor parcels other family members nursery The project tried reach whole community No particular atten focused encouraging women participation Women comprise approximately quarter participants Each project extension agents women received community Last thirteen agents women As extension activities project staff members posters showing different stages development woodlots They discuss labor required parcel taking trees individual nurseries digging holes replanting trees taining firebreaks weeding around trees future thinning harvesting trees They discuss anticipated economic returns The project staff estimated woodlots begin harvested trees twenty years By harvesting I0 percent woodlot owners could susta constant level production The family needs nearby Antananarivo markets The government agreed owners taxes until trees These discussions participants envision costs benefits thirty period rather thinking harvest The extension agents educate people ecological effects slash agriculture deforestation Besides progressively destroying resource agriculture burning woody vegetation ground cover leads massive erosion problems The resulting sediment flows fields making unproductive While people understand floods disastrous their fields people comprehend these floods linked deforestation watersheds As their extension efforts Project staff members developed booklet series posters These relate brothers Rabetsara Rabezizo inherit adjacent hilltops their father The story traces brothers manage their differently Rabetsara stops burning plants trees He establishes woodlots agroforestry plantings Rabezizo other point changing traditional practices though population density increasing availability decreasing By brothers children reached adulthood twenty years after begins confront different fates Rabetsara children educated managed exploit woodlots established their father agricultural yields Rabezizo offspring however uneducated while their become severely eroded degraded towns To extend replicate obtained pilot project Malagasy governmental organization ORIMPAKA established visit The Swiss providing NGO funding undertake similar project nearby Two foresters trained pilot project NGO project Rene Rabekoriana director ORIMPAKA explained organization hopes secure funding undertake other projects Compared other forestry projects I visited Africa project notable several respects First although people talked about overhaul tenure systems project actually negotiated changes tenure policy government Second ownership earned individual participates program Participation restricted family heads Therefore women theoretically obtain access control In Malagasy society however traditionally As women participants gnificantly outnumbe however For example women participation stillAconstrained other factors difficult women needed parcels given women other responsibilities No examined issue Nor clear exactly makes household level decisions division labor If woman decisions husband other relative Often before making major decisions cutting trees household consult family members The oldest respected family members women whose opinion carry considerable weight Third project adopting range extension approach While projects advocate people adopt resource management practices benefit their children project explains exactly costs benefits unfold Farmers asked think terms changes small increments years They expected envision twenty years worth changes To approach looks promising early develop The major question farmers after initial years title Will farmers maintain improve their woodlots agriculture Everyone hopes project similar development efforts succeed Without efforts Madagascar could forests Such would devastating Malagasy people whole world would immeasurably poorer Our world flourishes socio cultural biological diversity found Madagascar Efforts development approaches Madagascar contribute solving country crises prove useful elsewhere Sincerely Paula J Williams Forest Soc Fellow REFERENCES Cabalzar Gion Peter Madagascar paradis sursis IN Entwicklung Dveloppement Entwicklung Dveloppement Special issue Madagascar No December Berne Switzerland Direction cooperation dveloppement humanitaire Jolly Alison Madagascar A World Apart National Geographic Oberl Philippe Ed Madagascar Sanctuaire Nature Antananarivo Libraire Madagascar Ramanankasina Estelle African women brace coming desert IN Munyako Dorothy K Ed Women Environmental Crisis Forum Proceedings Workshops Women Environment Development July Nairobi Kenya Nairobi Environment Liaison Centre La gestion ressources environnement dveloppment durable La Lettre Mensuelle JURECO No Received Hanover