CAZ4Lemur

Strengthening local communities in the Ankeniheny Zahamena Corridor Protected Area (CAZ) for the sustainable conservation of lemurs.

By Harison Randrianasolo, Luciano Andriamaro, Mary Emily Farnsworth and Anthony Caruso

The Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor (CAZ) Protected Area, managed by Conservation International (CI), has an area of 369,266 ha and has been named as a rainforest Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). In the western part of CAZ lies the Municipality of Fierenana, which has been deemed an Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) site, as it is an area containing the presence of one frog species which is not found anywhere else in the world. This forest is part of the last remnants of humid evergreen forest in the East of Madagascar—ranging from low altitude forest, below 400 meters, to high altitude forests, between 1200 and 1600 meters. This forest ecosystem is classified as critically endangered (CR) and is also home to several species of lemurs, a symbolic animal of the island. Of the 13 critically endangered lemur species found within this area, 10 are globally threatened with extinction.

According to 2021 results from a protected area management performance evaluation tool, the threats identified within this area are particularly linked to the impact of human activity. Slash-and-burn agriculture practice is still used by most of the inhabitants of CAZ and patrol officers often cannot fully exercise their role to protect the area, due to a lack of capacity, personnel, and equipment. The persistence of these challenges is due to weaknesses in regulatory and policy frameworks for environmental governance, as well as a lack of law enforcement for viable long-term actions in natural resource management. This project seeks to address many of these challenges, in hopes of increasing protection of both the area and the lemur species which live within it.

THE PROJECT

The CAZ4Lemur Project seeks to address these needs through a robust program focused on different aspects which are necessary to increase protection, specifically for the three target species of lemurs — Indri indri, Propithecus diadema and Varecia variegata.

The project will undertake the following objectives, during its implementation:

• Strengthen the capacity of patrollers to improve the monitoring system for lemurs and their habitats
• Strengthen the capacity of CBOs by transmitting the legal frameworks required to actively fight against poaching and the destruction of lemur habitats
• Strengthen awareness-raising activity on the conservation of lemurs and their habitats for broader targets (capacity building for the teachers from the primary and secondary school of Fierenana)
• Improve the livelihoods of local communities in order to reduce pressures on biodiversity and the ecosystem due to anthropogenic activities and climatic hazards
• Operationalize the monitoring and evaluation system to be able to assess progress in project implementation
• Ensure the implementation of activities related to Environmental and Social Management and the involvement of stakeholders

This project is being implemented in partnership with the Federation Vahitriniala, a group of Community based organisation (CBOs) in the Fierenana. To carry out the objectives of this project, Conservation International is also working in close collaboration with two ministries within the government of Madagascar, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Education.

THE IMPACT

The desired impact of this project will be reached through various interventions, which will each provide an opportunity to help protect both the area and the endangered lemur species within it. This will include the monitoring of lemurs and their habitats using 27 routes/transects (biomonitoring), which will ensure that the site is well-maintained and that lemurs are identified and included in the monitoring counts (including newly born lemurs). The project will also seek to increase the capacity of CBOs to manage the PA and apply the laws for better conservation of lemurs and their habitats. Through various workshops, training, and events, at least 1000 community members, 36 patrollers, 30 teachers and 5 local authorities will be made aware of the importance of the conservation of biodiversity and lemurs, with various awareness tools being designed to showcase this. In addition, the resilience capacity of local communities in the face of climate change will be strengthened through ecosystem-based adaptation activities.

The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the capacity of the nine CBOs, which make up the Vahitriniala Federation, as they work to conserve the region's biodiversity and endangered lemurs within the CAZ protected area. This capacity building will aim to reduce pressure on natural resources in the rural commune of Fierenana through improving the monitoring and surveillance system, using appropriate techniques and equipment, while also raising awareness with the local population.

This project is funded by the European Union (EU) through the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme, and builds upon the remarkable progress made under a previous IUCN grant, which was a part of the SOS Lemurs Program.

Project photos

With the financial support of the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States through the BIOPAMA Programme.