Madagascar

Why restore in Madagascar?

Madagascar is one of the world’s top biodiversity conservation priorities because of its endemic species and severe habitat loss rates. Restoration in Madagascar is important because the destruction of the mangrove estuaries along the coastline has caused mudflats to wash into the ocean, destroying once-productive fisheries and increasing the vulnerability of coastal communities to hurricanes, tsunamis, and floods. In the inland region of Madagascar, deforestation threatens one of the world’s rarest and most diverse forest systems.

How we started

In response to the large-scale loss of mangroves in Madagascar, we began restoring mangrove estuaries in Mahajanga in 2007. We worked with the local community to clear the estuary of dead trees, collect a variety of native propagule species, and plant trees during the low tide. Less than a decade later, our work in Mahajanga, Madagascar developed into a thriving mangrove forest, resulting in the return of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. What began as mangrove reforestation in 2007 grew to include a variety of upland dry deciduous forests in 2012. Then, in 2020, we expanded into highland forests.

Where we’re working

Our progress to date

With 46 project sites, Madagascar is our most prolific restoration and community development nation. We have extensive infrastructure such as guardhouses, fire towers, and seed banks. We also developed a training center for local nursery managers to gain hands-on experience in seedling management and effective reforestation techniques.