Decrease of deforestation in Protected Areas of Madagascar during the Covid-19 years

Deforestation poses a significant threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem services. This study focuses on estimating the deforestation within Protected Areas (PAs) in Madagascar over a 21-year period from 2001 to 2022. A novel methodology utilizing remote sensing data and specific thresholds of tree canopy density is employed to estimate annual deforestation rates and identify trends and patterns within PAs. The analysis reveals significant deforestation in the PA network over the last decade, particularly in 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Notably, the lowest annual deforestation rates were estimated during the Covid-19 years of 2020 (0.66%), 2021 (0.62%), and the subsequent year in 2022 (0.67%) when considering the entire network of 103 PAs with natural forests from 2013 to 2022.   Résumé La déforestation constitue une menace importante pour la biodiversité mondiale et les services écosystémiques. Cette étude se concentre sur l'évaluation de l'efficacité des aires protégées (AP) pour lutter contre la déforestation à Madagascar sur une période de 21 ans, de 2001 à 2022. Une méthodologie novatrice utilisant des données de télédétection et des seuils spécifiques de densité du couvert arboré est employée pour estimer les taux annuels de déforestation et identifier les tendances et les modèles au sein des AP. Au cours de la dernière décennie, l'analyse révèle une déforestation significative dans le réseau des AP au cours de certaines années, notamment en 2014, 2017, 2018 et 2019. En revanche, il est intéressant de noter qu'entre 2013 et 2022, les taux annuels de déforestation les plus bas ont été estimés pendant les années de Covid-19 en 2020 (0,66 %), 2021 (0,62 %) et l'année suivante en 2022 (0,67 %) sur l’ensemble du réseau des 103 AP avec des forêts naturelles

Projecting forest cover in Madagascar's protected areas to 2050 and its implications for lemur conservation

Predicting future conservation needs can help inform conservation management but is subject to uncertainty. We measured deforestation rates during 2015–2017 for 114 protected areas in Madagascar, linked deforestation to the status of protection according to IUCN categories I–VI, used recent deforestation rates to extrapolate forest cover over 2017–2050 and linked the size of forest blocks to the projected persistence of lemur subpopulations. In the six IUCN categories for protected areas in Madagascar the median size of forest blocks is 9–37 km² and median annual deforestation rates range from 0.02% in the single IUCN category III site to 0.19% in category II and 1.95% in category VI sites. In 2017, 40% of all forest blocks within protected areas were 50% of all lemur species exclusively contains forest blocks of 10 km² is predicted to remain at 120 km² until 2050. Although uncertainty remains, these analyses provide hope that forest blocks within the protected areas of Madagascar will remain large enough to maintain lemur subpopulations for most species until 2050. This should allow sufficient time for the implementation of effective conservation measures.ISSN:0030-605

Boost the resilience of protected areas to shocks by reducing their dependency on tourism

Ecotourism is widely considered a strong mechanism for the sustainable funding of protected areas (PAs). Implemented during the 1990s in Madagascar, nature-based tourism experienced positive growth over the last 30 years with increasing numbers of visits to the parks and reserves. Revenue earned from entrance fees to the network of PAs managed by Madagascar National Parks has never been sufficient to finance their management. Political crises and the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, have highlighted for park managers, the risk of relying on such earnings when they covered just 1% of the required funding in 2021. Alternative mechanisms of funding are analysed for all of Madagascar’s PAs with a view to facilitating sustainable conservation of the localities and protection of the island’s biodiversity

Boost the resilience of protected areas to shocks by reducing their dependency on tourism.

Ecotourism is widely considered a strong mechanism for the sustainable funding of protected areas (PAs). Implemented during the 1990s in Madagascar, nature-based tourism experienced positive growth over the last 30 years with increasing numbers of visits to the parks and reserves. Revenue earned from entrance fees to the network of PAs managed by Madagascar National Parks has never been sufficient to finance their management. Political crises and the COVID-19 pandemic in particular, have highlighted for park managers, the risk of relying on such earnings when they covered just 1% of the required funding in 2021. Alternative mechanisms of funding are analysed for all of Madagascar's PAs with a view to facilitating sustainable conservation of the localities and protection of the island's biodiversity

S1 File -

Information, data and sources considered to document Madagascar’s revenues from nature-based tourism and costs of management for conservation: The 43 Protected Areas considered in this study and their suitability for nature-based tourism (Table A). Tickets sold by MNP to visit PAs (terrestrial and marine) from 2017 to 2021 (Table B). Entrance fees rate for PAs not aligning to the rate of MGA 45, 000 starting in 2016 (Table C). Evolution of the top 10 PAs visited over 30 years and from 2011 to 2019 according to their main appeal (Table D). Top 10 PAs in number of tickets sold VS. Top 10 PAs in revenue generated from 2017 to 2019, according to their main appeal (Table E). Conservation Trust Funds: The Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity of Madagascar (Fondation pour les Aires Protégées et la Biodiversité de Madagascar FAPBM) (Box A). (PDF)</p

Park entries.

Total number of visits in parks and reserves managed by MNP and trend lines calculated for both terrestrial protected areas and marine protected areas. Trend line for terrestrial PAs: number of visits = 5,246 * (year—1991) + 22,354 (r2 = 0.90); for marine PAs: number of visits = 3,952 * (year—2010) + 13,090 (r2 = 0.93); 2002, 2009–2010, and 2020–2021 are not considered in the estimation of the trends as they are years of political instability and in the case of 2020 and 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic; despite the financial crisis end of 2008, the year 2008 is regarded as a “normal” considering that visitors to Madagascar plan their travel well ahead of time, and number of visitors to PAs has not declined by the end of 2008).</p

PA funding Madagascar.

MNP funding for parks and reserves in categories I, II and IV—in million US$dollar equivalents; the losses of entrance permit ticket sales for PAs managed by MNP have been estimated as being between US$ 3.7 and 5.9 million for 2020 and 2021—US$2,268,358—min = US$ 1,746,272; max = 2,855,348—in 2020 and US$2,415,991—min = US$ 1,878,324; max = 3,019,958—in 2021).</p

Madagascar tourists and PA entry tickets.

Total number of tourists entering Madagascar VS. number of visits in parks and reserves under MNP management.</p

Protected areas of Madagascar.

Protected areas in IUCN categories I, II and IV managed by Madagascar National Parks (MNP) and their importance for the implementation of ecotourism.</p

Evolution of number of tickets sold for NPs which were Strict Nature Reserves before 1997, as compared to NP which were established as IUCN cat. II since their creation.

Years 2002, and 2009–2010 have been excluded from the main curve and appear on the dashed lines.</p