USAID SANREM CRSP

Planning Grant Workshop

16 June - 20 June 2005

Centre ValBio, Ranomafana - Madagascar

Restoration of biodiversity and economic values to degraded rainforest and agricultural landscapes in southeastern Madagascar .

Meeting Notes and Summary, Days 1 and 2

Thursday - 16 June 2005 (PM)

•  Arrival of program participants

•  Reception/Dinner at the Centre ValBio

•  Projection of Centre ValBio Film

Friday - 17 June 2005 (AM)

•  Dr. Anna Feistner gives a general welcome and introduces:

•  Mr Hery Rasolofo – Deputy Mayor of Ranomafana

•  Dr Jim Fraser – Virginia Tech

•  Mr KOTO Bernard – CdR Vatovavy/Fitovinany

•  Mr KOTO officially opens the meeting

•  Dr. Sarah Karpanty – Objectives of Workshop, See attached Presentation 1

•  Wants to learn about needs of region and find out how international experts can assist the region in restoration of the forest (a national/international collaborative endeavor)

•  Goals:

•  Increase the capacity of USAID and its partners to:

•  Advance land management practices that provide long-term social, economic, and environmental benefits

•  Provide scientific and technical expertise in applied conservation scenarios and scale-up local successes of regional applications

•  Intermediate results:

•  provide science and technologies to advance sound land resource management (this meeting is to learn of the local priorities)

•  improve the adaptation and application of technologies and practices (share knowledge obtained with other regions)

•  restore biodiversity and economic benefit to region, develop sustainable resource-based local enterprises that can be integrated on local, regional and national levels

•  Form “Communities of Practice”, augment knowledge sharing and expand to international level using website based learning

•  SANREM CRSP Background:

•  This is the second finding cycle of the program

•  Projects focusing with biodiversity conservation as a key component will receive high priority

•  Madagascar is unique and competitive in these aspects

•  18 planning awards will lead to 6 long-term research awards (long term = 4 years)

•  core of each research activity is partnerships with local NGOs and government (research should be of long-term focus and multidisciplinary)

•  6 planning awards given in African region ( Tanzania , Madagascar , Mali , Uganda/Tanzania/Gambia, Zambia , West Africa )

•  Most of these awards focus on restoring agricultural land, making the Madagascar application unique in that it focuses on biodiversity and restoring the value of the forest

•  Goals and the workshop:

•  Collaborative efforts (learn from partners on the ground what is needed and suggested to go on)

•  Comparative research (focus most of the effort on the corridor, but find a comparative site(s) to help learn about what issues are universal vs. those that are habitat specific)

•  Prepare the long-term grant (application due September 2005)

•  Therefore, need to:

•  Learn about strategic objectives of regional and national planners for forest restoration/reforestation (many of the attendees have a wealth of knowledge to share)

•  Learn about the forest and agricultural restoration efforts already on the ground in Madagascar (form and solidify partnerships)

•  Identify local and regional priorities for forest restoration/reforestation and restoration of degraded agricultural lands (what areas/locations need the most attention, which areas have the best hope for success)

•  Identify the value of the forest ecosystems in the region (from the perspectives of the different share-holders)

•  Prioritize these resource values for target restoration/reforestation efforts

•  Discuss knowledge gaps and research topics regarding reforestation for specific resource values

•  Select comparative research sites (both areas within the corridor and areas in other parts of Madagascar )

•  Develop concrete research objectives based on knowledge gaps:

•  Reforestation methodologies

•  Economic, sustainable harvest methodologies

•  Biodiversity methods (to restore biodiversity to these regions)

•  Form partnerships between Virginia Tech and organizations with long tenures in Madagascar

•  Immediate Outcomes/Benefits of Workshop:

•  Current work in region augmented by knowledge shared by international experts

•  Not just about research! International experts will be able to share knowledge on resource management

•  Dr Jim Fraser – Background of Virginia Tech and why have an interest in Madagascar

•  University in USA with a long history (+150 years) of involvement in sustainable development, agriculture, and agroforesty within the USA

•  Now have an international focus with existing programs in Africa, South America, Asia , etc.

•  Since both Dr Karpanty and Dr Fraser have experience working in Madagascar and a commitment to resource management here, were keep to submit a proposal to bring USAID resources to the region

•  Virginia Tech has +2000 employees who will be accessible to the program, including the following who are here:

•  Dr Tom Hammond – expert in non-timber forest products

•  Dr Eileen Crist – social scientist with interest in resource use and development

•  Dr Patricia Wright – Stony Brook University

•  Mr Charlie Welch – Duke University Primate Center

•  Dr Catherine Craig – Harvard University

•  Dr Amy Dunham – College of William and Mary

•  Dr Susan Cordell – US Forestry Service

•  Mr Adolphe Pilaza- Regional Planning Committee (CMP: le comite multi local de planification ), See Presentation 2

•  Background:

•  Corridor has a primary role in the economy and ecology of the region

•  In 1995, they decided that it was important to coordinate the activities of all of the groups working on development and conservation within the corridor (need to link biodiversity protection and rural development, because of all of the people living within the corridor)

•  AGERAS: organization formed by national government to bring together all of the actors in the region

•  1997: following test phase AGERAS formed CMP

•  Members of CMP:

•  Local authorities (Head of Province, 5 CdRs, and all of the mayors: 33%)

•  Management and technical services (12%)

•  Local civil groups (27%)

•  NGOs and other associations (19%)

•  Programs and projects (8%)

•  Recently, the corridor region has grown from the original region between RNP and ANP, to the entire region from Fandriana to Pic D'Ivohibe.

•  CMP: is a platform to bring together:

•  Local NGOs

•  Technical services (DIREF, Departments of Mines, Communication, and Decentralization)

•  International aid organizations (i.e. USAID)

•  CMP's role:

•  CMP works to lobby for the region. It brings together actors interested in environmental preservation and economic development, and centralizes scientific information to expand our understanding of the region (socioeconomic, demographic, and natural resources)

•  Develop a management plan for the region (already written but in the process of being validated): look at functions, identify management problems, develop tools, identify main strategies, and reinforcing local responsibility in the region.

•  Reinforce the capacity of local groups within the ecoregion: organization of workshops/field trips, support the development of local legislation, support good governance and advance economics of region

•  Reduce the risk of forest fragmentation: expel illegal miners, conduct environmental education on deforestation in the region, help local governments develop local legislation against mining an logging

•  Facilitate inter-communal cooperation on the level of the ecoregion (5 OPCIs have been formed in areas around the corridor): provide advice for development of OPCI, facilitate discussions between local communities, support small investment projects, etc.

•  OPCIs focus on local management: establish local laws and sanctions, create tree nurseries and oversee protection of area, undertake small development projects

•  Future Goals:

•  Raise funds for local development to create nutritional self sufficiency, reinforce local identity

•  Increase research for development and the applications of lessons learned

•  Develop projects to decrease risk of further fragmentation

•  Question from Mr Koto: The presentation makes it seem like CMP is doing the role of the authorities and wants clarification

•  Response: CMP structure includes the government authorities throughout the Province (including the Head of the Province) and in each region will collaborate with the CdR and local authorities of the specific region.

•  Question from UFianar: What is the difference between Biodiversity Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation? Considers “restoration” to be un-natural and wants to know to what lengths will go. What is the definition of Biodiversity?

•  Response (Sarah): This is something that will be discussed throughout the workshop. Many people in the region have been reforesting with native species (both forest and agricultural areas) and we need to discuss how best to do this in various regions of the corridor, with different levels of degradation.

•  Anna: This is exactly the point of this meeting. What are we going to do? We don't have all of the answers yet. We need to decide what to do (use only natural species, decide to use species of economic value, etc.). We might not be able to recreate primary forest in some regions and might decide that plantations might be of greater economic value in some areas, but that is what we will decide through this workshop.

•  CMP shows short film produced on the forest corridor

•  Summaries and outcomes of ERI workshops that have been held in 2005

• Ms. Vola Hortense Raherisoa– ERI, Biodiversity Meeting Summary, See Presentation 3

•  17-20 January: Biodiversity valorization of the corridor

•  Goal: interested in both an assessment of the biodiversity (identification, viability, threats, etc.) in the corridor and the ways (programs and strategies) that development can lead to management/protection success (i.e. ecological monitoring, education, development, etc.)

•  Identify the ecological systems and species in the corridor

•  Evaluate the viability of these systems/species

•  Evaluate the critical threats and pressures

•  Determine conservation strategies to address these threats (and understand the psychology of the local community behind the threats)

•  Develop measures and the effect of these measures on the future status of the ecosystems/species

•  Determinations for Ranomafana-Vandrozo region:

•  Maintain a genetic reservoir for the ecology (22 endemic families)

•  Center of regional endemism (100% of habitat for H. aureus , Mantella bernhardi , Matoatoa spanringi , etc.

•  National and World heritage area: 50% of H. simus and E. albocollaris

•  Water for the entire region originates from within the corridor

•  3 scenarios/strategies for setting up a conservation site in the corridor

•  Corridor between RNP and ANP as a conservation site

•  important b/c of endemic species, water source, electricity source

•  low and mid-altitude rainforest

•  Add area between ANP and Pic d'Ivohibe region into corridor b/c includes more endemic species ( H. simus and E. albocollaris )

•  Ranomafana, Andringitra, Vondrozo areas all included b/c includes complete ranges of some of the species with conservation priorities

•  What types of restoration to use?

•  Need to respond to the needs of the population (Betsileo and Tanala forms of deforestation differ quantitatively and we will need different solutions to address restoration in the two regions.)

•  Mr Haja Randrianarisoa– ERI, Socioeconomic Meeting Summary, See Presentation 4

•  26-28 April: Socioeconomic valorization of the corridor

•  Any management plan for the corridor needs to include both the visions of the biologists and scientist (species conservation, genetic conservation, water shed preservation, etc.) and those of the government officials and local people of the region (alleviation of poverty, development, increased agricultural production, etc.)

•  Corridor Management:

•  Natural science side: reason for management, identification of management strategies, finding economic justification for preservation and restoration, design management plan that gives benefits and education to the local community, link conservation to the national “Durbin vision” initiative.

•  Socioeconomic side: aid in understanding of the benefits of natural resources, make these benefits tangible to local people (currently can't see benefits – short life-spans, poverty, hunger, etc.), remove the feeling of being victimized by legislation (feel that laws are prohibitive and suppress improvement of quality of life), get grant money to the ground and benefit local community (now feel that very little reaches, nor benefits them)

•  Socioeconomic benefits of protecting the corridor to local people:

•  Water: safe drinking water, water to irrigate crops, fish farming, hydroelectric power (both small and large scale)

•  Vegetation: forest product use, ecotourism, shade for coffee plantations, grazing with in the forest, medicinal plants, carbon sequestering

•  Fauna: crayfish, frogs

•  Conclusions:

•  Corridor is “nature's capital”

•  Corridor is of great value to many people (scientists, world population, local communities, people of the region, Malagasy heritage)

•  Benefits and costs of corridor management are not yet equally distributed across all of the partners, with the local populations taking on most of the costs

•  The corridor is well known but there have yet to be any concrete benefits to compensate people for the restrictions that have been put in place

•  Need to make a transition from a dream to the reality of corridor valorization

•  Need to figure out how to get the local community to understand and appreciate the benefits of the local biodiversity

•  Recommendations:

•  Analyze the costs and benefits of the different corridor management options to people at different levels

•  Find the best way to valorize the corridor considering the differences in culture, economic status, etc. and at different levels (families, communes, etc.)

•  Inclusive participation in decision making

•  Use the multiple interests for the usage for the corridor

•  Water, mines, forest

•  Extension of zone from Fandriana-Vondrozo to Midongy

•  Decide how to best handle exploitation, consequences for violating local statutes, etc.

•  Bring real development at all levels in communes, focus first on:

•  Development to maintain a high quality of life around the corridor

•  Transportation

•  Intensification of agriculture

•  The insure compensation for protection

•  How to generate maximum benefits:

•  What kind of restoration would give maximum benefit? Where?

•  What is the objective of forest restoration? Who get the benefits? (select target populations: men, women, who are the winners and losers?)

•  What types of restoration will best benefit different goals? (health, food, etc.)

•  How to integrate the biological and human needs.

Friday - 17 June 2005 (PM)

•  Round Table discussion with experts on development in the region

•  Pascal Rabeson – ICBG (CVB/Ranomafana) regional coordinator

•  Florent Ravoavy – CVB conservation education and reforestation coordinator

•  Fidèle Raharimalala –FOFIFA (Department of research forestry and fish) botanist

•  Daniela Raik – USAID natural resources specialist

•  Gerard Rambeloarison – WWF forest program officer (MIARO)

•  Andry Fabien Ranaivomanantsoa – WWF forest and agriculture restoration program coordinator in Fandriana/Maralambo region

•  Mark Freudenberger – ERI (Eco-Regional Initiative) program coordinator

•  What do we envision when someone says “forest restoration” or “agricultural restoration”?

•  Pascal: There are 2 main ways that ICBG is working on restoration:

1) Traditional healers collect medicines from in the forest, so ICBG is working on a regeneration project to replace the plants taken from the forest and also to establish medicinal plant gardens so medicines don't need to be collected from the forest, in the future.

2) There is a strong value to the traditional methods used by the healers and ICBG is working to preserve the culture of traditional healing by providing scientific documentation of the validity of traditional medicines.

•  Florent: Because many of the trees in the forest have been removed or damaged, replacement is a necessity. In some cases, the habitats themselves have been destroyed and need to be restored. During this process, the people of the area can be educated on the value of and ways to preserve the habitat. Our team is targeting the school children because they at an age where they can easily learn about how important it is to protect biodiversity. Conservation education integrated into schools means that students grow up valuing the biodiversity. To transmit this information, we start by teaching them how important trees are (show them uses of different trees in our modern lives, as a way to make the children more aware of their value). The program also involves the parents, because when the kids go home they see what the parents do. The teachers work with the parents to have them be involved, teaching them the traditional uses of trees, traditional proverbs, etc. Also, students raise trees at school tree plantations and learn how to care for and plant trees to bring back the forest.

•  Fidèle: Restoration is to restore things that were taken from (by humans) or destroyed (by natural disasters) in a place. We make an effort to replace whatever is missing, for example, trees should be replanted that are naturally from the area. There are two meanings of restoration: a place where a forest is primary exploited (humans have taken out things of value) and re-growing areas that have been cleared for agriculture.

•  Daniela: USAID acts through partners so I can't talk about any specific programs. In general, the objective of restoration is to return value to land: whether use (agriculture, timber, etc.) or non-use (cultural or biodiversity) value.

•  Gerard: The WWF campaign is called “ Forest for Life” with the motto: “protect, manage, and restore”. They see the three things as linked. We can't just talk about restoration; education and management are key parts of the puzzle. These issues need to be thought about on a landscape level: figure out what is missing, make sure that you have enough space to make restoration viable, closely observe the interrelationship of the different parts of the landscape and how it has gotten to its present point. After understanding the cause of destruction and the nature of the landscape can begin to plan how to reconstruct the landscape (which parts need restoration and which don't). Restoration: planning process that will rebuild the ecological integrity and improve the condition of people living in the landscape. From this definition, we can take two main points: restore ecological integrity and improve the condition of people living in the area (maintain the wellbeing of the human population). Need to look at the function of the restored land, its value to humans and wildlife, etc. To keep areas pristine/untouched, must figure out a way to recreate the productivity of the forest outside of the forest. Ecological restoration requires an understanding of the relationship between the plants and animals.

•  Fabien: We have undertaken several steps in the Fandriana/Maralambo corridor. Looking at both the wellbeing of humans and the habitat on a landscape scale, it is clear that socioeconomic studies need to be conducted to determine how to bring benefit to the people living in this region. Are also working to create updated maps of the area, to have a better idea of land-use in different areas and where the forest presently exists. The WWF approach to restoration is something that has already been used in other areas: analysis of the socioeconomic conditions in the area, map the landscape on the basis of ecological and usage types, and then determine which areas are needed for humans to satisfy their needs and allows restoration of different types in different areas of the landscape. (It is not a new approach but is important to put humans at the forefront of the process.) Often leads to the restoration of land with a mix of endemic and commercial species to guarantee the perceived value of the land and educate as build. Involves the participation of the people in the restoration (since they are the main target, anyway). In general, restoration is a long-term project and a long-term commitment to the region.

•  Mark: Need to be very careful to make the distinction between regeneration and restoration. Regeneration implies that natural processes are not interfered with and that we let nature take its course. But when we talk about restoration there are two types of landscapes: agricultural and forest (forest can be further divided into: primary and secondary). These two types of landscapes are very different and shouldn't be confused. The key point said by everyone today is that restoration is seeking a specific objective: to restore something to its past state or to change the land into something new. As with the different types of landscapes, we need to be clear about how we will go about the process of restoration.

•  In the context of Mark's definitions, what are some of the programs that your organization is undertaking?

•  Gerard: Following the workshop in 2003, a working group was established of those who are interested in working in the corridor and the workgroup still meets. We held another workshop in 2004 and compiled a document of all of the restoration work that has been completed in Madagascar (which is available to you). One of the reasons behind establishing the working group and compiling the documents is that it is clear that restoration isn't something that can be done by one group and that it needs to involve many different groups and many different regions of Madagascar . In terms of specific sites, there is the Fandriana/Marolambo project, a project about to begin in Vondrozo and another in Anjozorobe. There is still a debate over whether to use only native species or whether to use a combination of native and nonnative species. They decided that it depends on the objective of the project…as long as one considers the possible consequences of the plants (where they will be used and what could happen), WWF doesn't hesitate to use non-native species. The approach relies totally on collaboration between WWF and the local people, meeting their needs and preserving landscapes for their identified uses.

•  Fidèle: FOFIFA's objective is to look at the economic value of trees. They decide what species to use based on their economic and cultural value. Our Foulpointe project was established in 1986 to look at the economic value of tree species. Since 1994, in collaboration with Dan Turk, FOFIFA has planted many different trees of value throughout the Ranomafana region. In 2002, with funding from PSDR, have planted out “varongy” species to study their uses.

•  Questions/Comments:

•  Frank: Would you consider the creation of forest corridors as restoration?

•  Mark: If it was the deliberate planting of trees in a specific area, it would be restoration. If it is the prevention of burning in an area, but then leaving it alone, would be regeneration.

•  Susan: Suggests that the term regeneration should be used following natural disturbances. However if a decision is made to stop a human induced disturbance restoration begins. Restoration can be either passive (when nature is allowed to take its course) or active (when humans attempt to do something directed to change land-use or do something to speed up the process). Active restoration can then be economic in nature (to bring financial benefit) or biodiversity driven.

•  Tom: Are there any examples of restoring the animal component of an ecosystem or monitoring animals following habitat restoration.

•  Charlie: MFG restocked RNI-Betampona from 1997-2001. It was an experiment more than it was a restocking effort, but does provide many useful lessons.

•  Pat: We do have 4 critically endangered lemurs in this region that need to be discussed.

•  Fabien: Animals are important, especially in terms of habitat loss. Since the habitat is normally the forest, we often end up back at a discussion of restoration. We need to think about the habitat requirements of the animals (foods, locomotor substrates, etc.).

•  Pat: thankfully, we already have over 10 years of study on some species, which will help us to make the right decisions. But we also need to think about more than lemurs (insects, frogs, geckos, etc.) and in the proposal, we need to include money for research on some of these species.

•  Eileen: Education was mentioned as a key component of the process. I would like to know if we should include education within our grant and how we should go about it.

•  Florent: It is very important to include and environmental awareness and educational component before the restoration begins, so that people will understand the goals of the project and why it is important to them (the benefits).

•  Mitch: We need to be careful not to assume that forest restoration and increasing human benefit are always linked. They don't always go together, but often we can come up with ways to link the two, either directly or indirectly.

•  Rasandry: The benefits to humans aren't always economic. Education will help people to understand the intangible benefits of restoration and the scientific need for restoration is clear. But what are the economic values to the local people?

•  Daniela: Overview of USAID activities in Madagascar , See Presentation 5

•  USAID's objective in Madagascar : sustainable and inclusive economic development

•  USAID Structure

•  4 program offices:

•  Health, population and nutrition

•  Conservation of diverse forest ecosystems (Daniela)

•  Critical private markets expansion

•  Improving governance in targeted areas

•  National Environmental Action Plan:

•  Goal: conserve and value natural resources of Madagascar to preserve heritage and promote welfare of Madagascar 's people

•  1991-1997: creation of protected areas and ANGAP, implementing ICDPs near protected areas, developing regulatory framework

•  1997-2002: ecoregional approach looking at forested areas between protected areas, develop sustainable financing plan, focus on transfer of management

•  2002-2007: mainstreaming activities, financial autonomy of executing agencies, implement Durbin vision

•  Strategic framework already established

•  Multi-donor Approach

•  USAID has responded directly in accordance to Madagascar 's NEP

•  Donors include: USAID, Japanese, CARE, EU, Swiss, World Bank, French, and Germans

•  All are brought together by a oversight agency (Multi-Donor Secretariat) that helps to coordinate programs and avoid overlap

•  USAID/Madagascar's Environment Program: 2003-2008

•  Main objective: conserve Madagascar 's diverse forest landscapes

•  Five Programs:

•  MIARO – protected area management

•  Made up a consortium of WWF, CI, ANGAP, WCS

•  Specific objectives: to develop restoration procedures and expand biodiversity habitat conservation, reinforce ecological linkages between landscapes, and operationalize the biodiversity trust fund

•  Jariala – forest management

•  Work with production forests to strengthen the forest service, revamp the issuance of forest permits for exploitation, manage use on the ground, etc.

•  ERI/LARO/SanteNet – alternatives to tavy

•  Supports farmers in activities that are alternatives to tavy

•  Expand and improve community based forage management

•  Integrate health, agriculture, and environment activities

•  BAMEX – private sector involvement

•  Link to private sector

•  Get agricultural and forest products to market on a national and international level

•  Establish business centers in different areas of the country to assist entrepreneurs in writing grants, obtaining patents, etc.

•  Promote business opportunities for new ventures/products

•  Increase investment in natural products

•  MISONGA – good governance

•  Work in sectors outside of the environment too

•  Want to help grass-roots NGOs to lobby for the environmental issues that they have defined as important

•  Anti-corruption efforts in the forestry and environmental sectors

•  Effective inclusion and application if Environmental Impact Assessments

•  USAID intervention zones

•  Toamasina, Fianarantsoa, Toalagnaro areas are the priorities of the environmental sector

•  USAID Programs and partners and coordinated in each region by a local USAID Ecoregional Alliance

•  Mark Freudenberger – ERI (Eco-Regional Initiative), see Presentation 6

•  Forest corridor consists of very different habitats spread over a varied topography (high and low lands on east and west sides)

•  The east is a steep mountainous area with a very different culture and history from the west

•  There is a tight link between the maintenance of the forest corridor and food security (the system is very complex with several levels of interrelations)

•  Should investigate dynamics of forests during passive restoration and active restoration

•  Experience with agricultural restoration in region:

•  Usually start with highly degraded areas

•  Many organizations have worked on forest restoration in past and are currently working on it (need to learn what has already been done, what worked, what hasn't worked)

•  Dynamics on eastern side of corridor (Tanala – lightly managed):

•  Semi-forested landscape with areas of different usages

•  Invasive bamboo taking over a mango grove (economic resource)

•  Area of ferns and grasses that has been burned many times and is difficult to manage

•  Eucalyptus plantation

•  Later stages of regrowth in an abandoned area (heading towards forest)

•  Managed landscapes of bananas, manioc, race, etc. (food crops)

•  What will SANREM do with regards to this landscape?

•  Dynamics of a western side of corridor (Betsileo – highly managed):

•  Primary forest boundary in distance

•  Grassland/pastureland for Betsileo cattle

•  Restored landscape with eucalyptus and fruit trees that have been planted intentionally

•  Other projects aren't as successful as the Tanala and Betsileo models:

•  Planting around crop areas to build biomass – but having no effect on eucalyptus planted in same area

•  Tanala are great restorers of the landscape (doing it since the 1800's)

•  Farmers plant out 2 rice crops a year in paddies, growing coffee and bananas, and get food and medicines from trees in the region

•  SANREM needs to take stock of the knowledge of the local people

•  Projects seem to make things more difficult than they need to be! ERI is:

•  Trying to work in highly degraded areas to restore land in multiple ways

•  Working with partners (local associations of farmers committed to conservation of natural resources)

•  Defining many different types of use areas surrounding villages with different needs (pastures, wood lots, gardens, rice paddies, etc.)

•  What are your interventions in these different ecological niches?

•  Proposed themes:

•  How to manage fire

•  How to manage natural regeneration that occurs in some areas of the landscape

•  How to work with traditional healers to manage pockets of natural forests

•  How to manage severe erosion events on denuded hills

•  How to manage pasture lands

•  *need to take into account social/cultural needs and uses when deciding how to manage the landscapes

•  Initiative 1: Use of vetiver to prevent erosion in key areas

•  New approach that has been used along the FRC railway with success

•  2000 – cyclones caused great erosion and shut down railroad for 4 months

•  2003 – had same amount of rainfall and only caused the railroad to shut down for two days

•  ERI wants to share this strategy for restoration with SANREM

•  Plant vetiver in lines alternating with food crops, fruit trees, etc.

•  Initiative 2: Jatropha (kinany fotsy)

•  New approach (little tested) that plants jatropha in areas with great erosion threat

•  Nuts can be used for oil for soap, lamp oil, etc. and a local, national, and international market for the oil already exists

•  Nut residues can be used to increase soil quality

•  Already planted out around Ambalavao as a living fence and oils are sold for shampoo and hair oil (1l = 15,000ariary)

•  Can be used to support vanilla vine growth, etc.

•  Options for forest management:

•  Many current and past initiatives

•  i.e. Ialatsara: planting corridors between fragments of forest that are now isolated. The reserve is on private land, so land tenure is relatively assured and long-term work can begin immediately!

•  Process of forest restoration fits into the traditional system of agriculture/fallows, but need to figure out how to manage recent fallows (in framework of history, culture, and land tenure) so that they move into multi-use agroforestry systems and not overused desert areas

•  Need to understand the processes leading to each of the possible outcomes, including guaranteed land tenure, etc.

•  Initiative #3: Degraded lands converted to pine and/or eucalyptus plantations that now earn profit

•  However, land was expropriated from farmers and given to foresters (winners vs. losers)

•  Eucalyptus – grows well in highly degraded landscapes and is flourishing more now than in colonial period because people are poorer now and need more charcoal

•  Job of SANREM to figure out why people are making the decisions that they are, because these plantations are found on the edges of the corridor

•  What exists now:

•  Network of tree farms being built in communities all the way from Ranomafana in the north and down the corridor

•  Mostly cash crops, but can introduce native trees that are of economic importance to the farmers

•  Will SANREM respect differences in opinion between the goals of project and the desires of farmers (which will likely be different)?

•  ERI encourages SANREM to adopt a farmer-to-farmer approach to respect the logic and traditions of the farmers and pleads for a practical approach to environmental restoration