Community management of natural resources: the future of Madagascar

GSTDTAP > 资源环境科学

	Community management of natural resources: the future of Madagascar
	admin
	2018-01-10
发布年	2018
语种	英语
国家	国际
领域	资源环境
正文(英文)	EXPRESS OF MADAGASCAR, Letters to readers by Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana Friday, December 15, 2017 On 16 and 17 November in Antsirabe, about 100 representatives of local grassroots communities (better known in the environmental community by the acronym COBA) met. These community associations are interested in the 96-025 law on secure local management or Gelose to manage the natural resources in their traditional lands through a contract co-signed with the Ministry of the Environment and the Commune. Not only have these COBAs been able to meet and exchange experiences in managing forests and other resources, but they had the opportunity to hear and especially to be heard by representatives of the State - namely the Ministry of the Environment, Ecology and Forestry, as well as technical and financial partners. This is probably the first time such a meeting has taken place in the 20 years covering community management in Madagascar. Indeed, in 1996, as part of the National Environmental Action Plan, Madagascar was one of the first countries in Africa to adopt a legal framework for community management of natural resources. As local communities are closer to natural resources, they would be better managers; especially since the Government could not cover the country’s vast rural areas. Through the natural resource management transfer contract, the Government delegates responsibility for managing the natural commons to the COBAs; they see their traditional rights over forests, lakes, pastures and other environments recognized, their access and use controlled. The exercise of these rights and the possibility of deriving direct economic benefits through a reasoned use of the resources thus transferred were supposed to motivate the COBAs and, why not, help them improve their economic future. In 20 years, the management of no less than 2,447,917 hectares of land has been entrusted to local communities, and 1,248 contracts implemented - nearly 4% of the national territory [i]. The transfer of natural resource management in Madagascar has attracted the attention of many environmental researchers and practitioners who have commented on it, but for the first time in Antsirabe, it is those who live this experience on a daily basis who have spoken. Thirteen regions were represented at this meeting. Their observations and experiences are similar: internal conflicts; impotence in the face of intrusions of many types - gold or sapphire miners, precious timber extraction, turtle collectors, but also land use conflicts with migrants and investors.. We can also note the limits of the “dina”; insecurity; lack of resources to implement management measures; weak support and recognition of the Government. The economic benefits are not tangible compared to the investment in time and efforts of the communities. In addition. The projects remain largely dependent on the technical and financial partners. There is a general feeling that the COBAs are left on their own in fulfilling their mission. And yet this mission is none other than that of preserving the natural ecosystems upon which depend our agriculture, our tourism, our livestock, our fishing, our health and in short our present and future well-being. The COBA’s also contribute to the mission to preserve a unique natural heritage for the rest of the world. Yet, when well-designed, supported community-based management has been put in place, it has proven to be an effective tool for managing natural resources. It is also a lever for social and economic development for the rural communities most dependent on these resources. For example, in the southern Marojejy-Tsaratanana forest corridor, which has recently become a protected area, the management communities regularly implement a system for monitoring biodiversity and threats, which has significantly reduced deforestation in their intervention area. Community management is also about learning about democracy and the transparent and equitable governance that our country lacks. Within the COBAs, members learn (or relearn) to organize themselves around a common project and a common good. They start to work with shared norms and rules and to apply them, to hold inclusive and transparent elections, to alternate responsibilities of the elected members of the executive board, etc. So here we have this mechanism and we have been strengthened through 20 years of experience. It is time to draw lessons, to remobilize communities, technical and political leaders, scientists, technical and financial partners to consolidate the successes achieved, to remedy the weaknesses noted and to capitalize the strength of this network of committed communities. [i] Ministère de l’Environnement, de l’Ecologie et des Forêts
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来源平台	World Wide Fund for Nature
文献类型	新闻
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/126170
专题	资源环境科学
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	admin. Community management of natural resources: the future of Madagascar. 2018.