F I N a L CS1 31012007.Indd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 DECEMBER 2006 MADAGASCAR CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT INVESTING FOR A SUSTAINABLE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF HUMANS, ANIMALS AND PLANTS OF MADAGASCAR IN THIS ISSUE Lemurs – Ambassadors for Madagascar SODIS – Solar Water Disinfection Wild Silk Production Vertebrate Fossils Conservation 15 Years NEAP MADAGASCAR WILDLIFE CONSERVATION MADAGASCAR CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1 — DECEMBER 2006 PAGE 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIAL BY THE FOUNDER EDITORS 2 Editorial by the Founder Editors Waeber, P. O. and Haenni, D. C. Combining Conservation 3 Foreword by Ratsirarson, J. 3 Foreword by Goodall, J. & Development 62 Impressum Madagascar is a land of contrasts, from the every day humid CONSERVATION ARTICLES rainforest on the Masoala Peninsula, to the rough and sharp 4 Lemurs: Ambassadors for Madagascar. Thalmann, U. peaks of the Tsingy de Bemaraha, to the marshes of Lake 9 Short Communication on the Alaotra gentle lemur: Tsimanampetsotsa. And its people are equally divers, from Zebu Population estimation and subsequent implications. keeper of Morondave, to the fisherman of the Lake Alaotra, to Ralainasolo, F. B.; Waeber, P. O.; Ratsimbazafy, J.; the rice cultivators of the Fianarantsoa. An even more impres- Durbin, J.; Lewis, R. sive diversity can be found in the rich wildlife with its unique 11 Comic Strips as Environmental Educative Tools for the endemic features. Nevertheless, all these peculiarities are under Alaotra Region. Maminirina, C. P.; Girod, P.; Waeber, P. O. enormous pressure. Human needs for natural resources such as 15 Aspects de la Conservation des Reptiles et wood for charcoal, bushmeat for protein supply or land for crop des Amphibiens dans la Région de Daraina. cultivations and cattle farming are putting deep, unsustainable Rakotondravony, H. A. impacts on the Malagasy environment. 19 Communautés locales et gibiers dans la région Conservation and development issues are becoming more de Daraina, extrême Nord-Est de Madagascar. and more important. Consequently the idea of a forum for the Rakotondravony, H. A. exchange of experiences and knowledge in the respective fields has arisen. Thanks to the positive feedback and the many DEVELOPMENT ARTICLES contributions from researchers and organisations working in 22 Solar Cooking in Madagascar. Vetter, H. Madagascar, Madagascar Wildlife Conservation (MWC) and the 25 Establishing Solar Water Disinfection as a Water Jane Goodall Institute Switzerland (JGI Switzerland) are able and Treatment Method at Household Level. Meierhofer, R. happy to present the first issue of the new journal MADAGAS- 31 Scientific Bases for a Participatory Forest Landscape CAR CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT – the MCD journal. Management: A new Research Project in Central Menabe. The journal’s editorial board is constituted of experts from Dirac, C.; Andriambelo, L. H.; Sorg, J.-P. different disciplines, organizations and universities, which are all 34 Indigenous silk moth farming as a means to support involved in conservation or development work in Madagascar. Ranomafana National Park: report on a feasibility study. Thanks to the board members voluntary work and extra Razafimanantosoa, T.; Ravoahangimalala, O. R.; Craig, C. L. hours, the professionalism of the numerous reviewers and the many contributions of the authors, this issue has become reality. INTERVIEW The editors are proud to present already a broad variety of contri- 40 Three women engaged in the CPALI Wild Silk Project butions ranging from scientific articles about reptile conserva- tion, to the presentation of solar ovens as an alternative to char- ESSAYS coal use, to an essay about the fifteen years of NEAP (National 43 Preserving Madagascar’s Natural Heritage: The Environmental Action Plan). MCD also presents an interview with Importance of Keeping the Island’s Vertebrate Fossils three Malagasy women involved in different ways in the CPALI in the Public Domain. Krause, D. W.; O’Connor, P. M.; (Conservation trough Poverty Alleviation) Wild Silk Project. Rasoamiaramanana, A. H.; Buckley, G. A.; Burney, D.; To keep this journal on a high standard for the future issues Carrano, M. T.; Chatrath, P. S.; Flynn, J. J.; Forster,C. A.; MCD encourages all young researchers and development workers, Godfrey, L. R.; Jungers, W. L.; Rogers, R. R.; Samonds, K. E.; especially Malagasy scientists and conservationists, to contribute to Simons, E. L.; Wyss, A. R. this journal. Further, it is crucial that the readers provide feedback and 48 Roots & Shoots – a Model for Active Environmental tell their colleagues in conservation and development fields about Protection. Waeber, P. O. this journal. This will give the journal a chance to become a viable 50 Madagascar moving towards sustainable development: forum of exchange of knowledge and technologies for Madagascar. was the preparation of the National Environmental Action The journal MCD is launched as an open source journal. Plan (NEAP) a false start? Mercier, J.-R. The limited accessibility of the World Wide Web in Madagascar forces MCD to be also available as printed edition. To cover MISCELLANEOUS layout, printing and distribution costs MCD hopes to place in 55 Lost World: The Past, Present and Future of Biodiversity in future (more) advertisements and announcements in the jour- Madagascar. Benham, P. B. and Ratsimbazafy, J nal from the private sector. Sponsorships and funds will be 57 EAZA very welcome and necessary. The journal will be distributed 59 Symposium to universities, libraries, publishers and other suitable organi- 61 Pictures by Eric Matson sations, and of course any individuals interested in the field. The Founder Editors Patrick Waeber (MWC), Dani Hänni (JGI Switzerland) MADAGASCAR CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1 — DECEMBER 2006 PAGE 3 FOREWORD BY JOELISOA RATSIRARSON I welcome this new journal MADAGASCAR CONSERVA- TION & DEVELOPMENT as it deals largely and exclusively with Conservation and/or Development in Madagascar. Biodiversity Conservation would not go alone without Development and vice A warm Welcome to the versa. I encourage Malagasy researchers, students, decision makers to contribute to this journal as this new journal aims MCD-Journal to provide a forum for exchange of information and experi- ences, about all aspects of conservation and development work Madagascar is considered as one of world’s highest priority in Madagascar. It will also play an important role as an early in biodiversity conservation. This is linked not only with the warning for interested people to threats to nature and culture as high degree of diversity and endemism but also the ongoing they arise. Therefore, this new journal arrives at the right time, threats of the natural communities. However, efforts have as it will provide a kit for both, conservation and development been underway at different levels in Madagascar with the new practitioners in Madagascar. I wish a long life to the MADAGAS- vision Madagascar Naturally and the proposed five year plan CAR CONSERVATION & DEVELOPMENT new journal, and warm Madagascar Action Plan (MAP), to protect and valorise the unique congratulations to its Editorial Board. Sincerely Yours, and rich biological diversity, in collaboration with all stakehold- Joelisoa Ratsirarson, Ph.D. ers, including the International communities. Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests, The new Protected Areas System of Madagascar represent Madagascar an important benchmark in an overall plan for conservation and sustainable development, first unveiled by Excellency President Marc Ravalomanana at the World Parks Congress in Durban, South Africa in 2003. The President committed to increase the FOREWORD BY JANE GOODALL total size of protected areas to 10 % of the country’s territory, from 1.7 million hectares to 6 million hectares, in a five-year period to ensure the conservation of these unique biodiversity. One of the key aims of the new Protected Areas System of Sharing the information Madagascar is to strengthen the integration of Conservation and Development for sustainable management of resources. In with locals addition, the involvement and empowerment of stakeholders, including local communities, traditional leaders, private sectors, It is rare for a journal to provide information not only about government or non government organizations, play an impor- research and conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitats, but tant role in this new system of protected areas. The Ministry of also about human development. The editors are to be congratu- Environment, Water and Forests, has targeted about one million lated, since my own experience in Africa makes it clear that long- hectares of protected areas to be classified each year, to reach term conservation can never be successful unless local people this objective of six millions hectares over five years. The first are taken into consideration. It is essential to raise the standard one million hectares of this system of protected areas has been of living and education of the very poor, whilst ensuring that any classified in 2005, and the classification of the next one million development that results is environmentally sustainable. This hectares for 2006 is going to the right direction. In addition journal thus provides a unique forum for the exchange of ideas to the declaration of the President of Madagascar in Durban, and sharing of information between research, conservation recently during the General Assembly of the United Nations in and humanitarian