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Imagine having to sleep in one house but cook in another across town. That’s essentially what lemurs and Madagascar’s other rare and threatened species have to do.
A wealth of wildlife survives on the island’s eastern half in three national reserves: Mantadia, Ankeneny, and Zahamena. Unfortunately, these parks aren’t connected.
The Mantadia Corridor project will change that. Working closely with the Madagascar government, local communities, and other partners, Conservation International is helping protect more than 425,000 hectares of healthy rain forest. We’re also planting fruit gardens and native species on another 3,000 hectares of degraded and severely damaged areas. These efforts will link the parks together in a single corridor, giving species the freedom to roam in patterns passed down from generations.
This project includes components eligible for carbon credits, some of which have already been purchased.
Climate Benefits
Over the 30-year life of this project, we expect the forest conservation and reforestation efforts will reduce atmospheric CO2 by at least 10 million tons. Cutting down forests releases carbon that’s stored in trees back into the atmosphere. Protecting forests keeps this carbon in the ground, thereby avoiding emissions.
Community Benefits
This project will create 200 jobs for local people over the next seven years. Communities will also see improvements in agriculture and ecotourism, as well as more sustainable production and sale of fuel wood and non-timber forest products. Income from carbon credits is a further incentive for communities to conserve the region’s forests.
Biological Diversity Benefits
Creating a forest corridor linking three protected areas is crucial for saving species found nowhere else but in Madagascar, like the Diademed sifaka (Propithecus diadema).
Learn about all of our forest projects.