Local perceptions of the livelihood and conservation benefits of small-scale livelihood projects in rural Madagascar.

Small-scale livelihood projects are widely used in forest conservation and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)+ initiatives; however, there is limited information on how effective these projects are at delivering livelihood and conservation benefits. We explored local perceptions of the effectiveness of small-scale livelihood projects in delivering livelihood and conservation benefits in eastern Madagascar. Our results suggest that small-scale livelihood projects vary greatly in their ability to deliver livelihood benefits, and that the type of livelihood project (e.g., agriculture, beekeeping, fish farming, or livestock production) has a significant impact on which livelihood benefits are delivered. Many small-scale livelihood projects, regardless of project type, are perceived to contribute to forest conservation efforts. Our study highlights that small-scale livelihood projects have the potential to contribute to both improved livelihoods and enhanced forest conservation, but also illustrates the need for more information on the factors that lead to project success.</p

Evaluating the effectiveness of conservation and development investments in reducing deforestation and fires in Ankeniheny-Zahemena Corridor, Madagascar.

Forest conservation and REDD+ projects invest millions of dollars each year to reduce local communities' dependence on forests and prevent forest loss and degradation. However, to date, there is limited evidence on whether these investments are effective at delivering conservation outcomes. We explored the relationships between 600+ small-scale conservation and development investments that occurred from 2007 to 2014 and conservation outcomes (deforestation rates and fire detections) within Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor in Madagascar using linear fixed effects panel regressions. We derived annual changes in forest cover and fires from satellite remote sensing. We found a statistically significant correlation between presence of any investment and reduced deforestation rates in 2010 and 2011 -years with accelerated deforestation elsewhere in the study area. This result indicated investments abated deforestation rates during times of political instability and lack of governance following a 2009 coup in Madagascar. We also found a statistically significant relationship between presence of any investment and reduced fire detections in the study area, suggesting investments had an impact on reducing burning of forest for agriculture. For both outcomes (i.e., deforestation rates and fire detections), we found that more dollars invested led to greater conservation outcomes (i.e. fewer fires or less deforestation), particularly when funding was sustained for one to two years. Our findings suggest that conservation and development investments can reduce deforestation and fire incidence, but also highlight the many challenges and complexities in assessing relationships between investments and conservation outcomes in a dynamic landscape and a volatile political context

Characteristics of the conservation and development investments made in Ankeniheny Zahamena Corridor, Madagascar, from 2007 to 2014.

<p>Characteristics of the conservation and development investments made in Ankeniheny Zahamena Corridor, Madagascar, from 2007 to 2014.</p

Deforestation and fires in CAZ by fokontany, 2007–2014.

<p>Spatial trends in (a) total deforestation (ha); (b) fire detections; (c) deforestation per 100 hectares of forest cover (c.2007); and (d) fire detections per 1000 hectares of forest (c.2007) in fokontany in CAZ.</p

The effect of investments on percent deforestation at the fokontany-level.

<p>The effect of investments on percent deforestation at the fokontany-level.</p

The effect of investments on fire detections at the fokontany-level.

<p>The effect of investments on fire detections at the fokontany-level.</p

Temporal trends in deforestation and fires in CAZ 2007–2014.

<p>Annual deforestation rates (ha/year) are represented by blue bars and the number of fire detections are represented by the red line.</p

The CAZ study area.

<p>The study area, outlined in black, was based on the REDD+ project area and was defined as only primary forest in circa 2007.</p

Total and cumulative Investments in CAZ 2007–2014.

<p>The number of investments between 2007–2014 in CAZ starting in each year are shown with the blue bars along with the total USD invested each year shown with orange triangle markers (USD values on the secondary y-axis). The total number of cumulative investments in any given year is shown in light blue.</p