Environment & Rural Development

	Man building shade structure for tree nursery in Fort Dauphine , Madagascar Photo Credit:Aaron Brownell, USAID/Madagascar

The Challenge

Largely in isolation for 160 million years, Madagascar developed a wide array of unusual and often unique organisms. More than 80 percent of this astounding diversity of flora and fauna appear nowhere else in the world. The island's biodiversity, however, has been severely threatened - a hectare of Madagascar forest lost has a greater negative impact on global biodiversity than a hectare of forest lost virtually anywhere else on earth. Yet, 80 percent of the Malagasy population lives in rural areas and makes its living through subsistence agriculture. A large part of this rural population depends on slash-and-burn cultivation for their livelihood pursuit. This makes the country one of the world's highest biodiversity conservation priorities.

• Poverty, unproductive agricultural practices, high population growth, and weak governance threaten the island's natural resource base.
• Primary natural forest cover has declined from about 25% in 1950 to less than 15% today, eliminating viable habitat critical to innumerable plants and animals.
• Working with people closest to the natural resource base is at the heart of USAID'S new environmental program

USAID Response

For the past 15 years, USAID has helped Madagascar protect its exceptional natural heritage. The main objective of USAID's new program is to help the Malagasy people "conserve biologically diverse forest ecosystems." The program pursues a multi-faceted and integrated approach. It is designed to improve sustainable natural resources management-and environmentally sensitive development- in priority eco-regions. USAID is working with the Government of Madagascar, the private sector, NGOs, local communities, and other donors to help implement Phase III of the National Environmental Action Plan. Specifically, USAID has supported the creation of new protected areas to meet the international standard of 10% surface area under protected status. USAID has also continued to support farmers by introducing improved agricultural techniques, transferring management of natural resources to local communities, and linking producers to markets. The program also integrates its activities with USAID's Health, Democracy, and Economic Growth teams.

Priority Areas:
    Biodiversity Conservation
    Forest Management
    Alternatives to Slash and Burn Practices
    Private Sector Partnerships
    Environmental Governance