Reducing vulnerability of coastal communities in northwestern Madagascar through the Creation of Marine Protected Areas

The coastal and marine ecosystems of Nosy Be, situated in north-western Madagascar, boast exceptional biodiversity, making it a priority region for conservation.

An assessment of the impact of climate change conducted by scientists working for the Wildlife Conservation Society showed the high vulnerability of the coastal communities living in this area.

Since 2010, the Wildlife Conservation Society has been working in cooperation with the local communities and the government to create and manage two new Marine Protected Areas in Nosy, which will cover 370,000 hectares of habitat deemed critical.

The project consists of developing two strategies in order to reach this goal:

1) creation of MPAs which will make the marine ecosystems more resistant

2) the diversification and optimisation of sustainable livelihoods

The project will continue these actions by reinforcing the community resource management system in order to make the Marine Protected Areas fully operational and to support economic activities for the benefit of the 4,000 people who live there.