WWF today welcomed the establishment of the Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, in Madagascar.
Inaugurated today by the Malagasy government, the new park is located in the South-western semi-arid region of Madagascar.
The Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park covers 36,000 hectares of what are the largest remnants of the island's deciduous dry forests, and is home to 86 species of birds.
It is also one of the few Malagasy regions in which the Ring-tailed Lemur and Brown Lemur live together. Towards the end of 1998, the area came under threat when deposits of sapphire were discovered nearby, attracting tens of thousands of migrants within a few weeks. However, an action plan was put in place with WWF's help, to ensure proper management of the sapphire mining.
Thanks to a plan that involved the local communities, miners, administrative authorities, traditional leaders, and the park authorities, the threat from sapphire mining has been averted, as miners have promised to obey the laws associated with protecting the environment, explained Koto Bernard, National Director of the Zombitse-Vohibasia Project.
Ecotourism has also made considerable strides in the Zombitse-Vohibasia region, and such programmes are being widely developed in the South-western part of Madagascar.
Since 1994, WWF - and various partners - have been promoting a community-based conservation approach in the vicinity of the park, to both maintain the biological richness of the site, and take into account local social, cultural, and economic interests.
Patriarch and villager associations also play a crucial role for the project, in that they have helped to form a favourable partnership to advance with conservation and development activities.
For example, the Bara community is a natural ally for WWF because of its traditions, and social and economic way of life. Bara patriarchs are the guardians of the Zombitse-Vohibasia sacred forest, said Lantosoa Ramarojaona, Coordinator of Integrated Conservation and Development Projects at the WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Programme Office. ombitse-Vohibasia National Park may be considered as a real reflection of the harmony. |
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