KINOMÉ IS PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE IN THE DIANA REGION IN SUPPORT OF THE KOBABY PROJECT TEAM

Article du 14 novembre 2019

Since 2018, the AFD and the Malagasy government have been supporting the forest authorities and the Diana Region to strengthen the management of protected areas (PAs) while contributing to the development of communities living in and around these areas. The Oréade-Brèche / WMPA / Kinomé group will provide technical assistance for 5 years in support of the Regional Directorate for the Environment and Sustainable Development.

Over the last ten days, Yohann Faré has been asked to study the feasibility of a support facility for the development of sustainable sectors linked to protected areas. This financial envelope would make it possible, from 2020 and for several years, to support organized communities that wish to engage with the private sector and NGOs in the production and marketing of environmentally friendly products, provided that they can prove that the improvement of living conditions effectively reduces the pressure on the natural resources of protected areas. This would include not only agricultural production but also community-based ecotourism or sustainable fisheries projects.

There are 19 protected areas in the Diana region, the majority of which are on the mainland, but there are also several marine protected areas. Kobaby follows the convincing experience of the HaFaFi pilot project, also financed by AFD and implemented by GRET, WCS and Fanamby on 3 protected areas in the region. The stakes of HaFaFi and then KOBABY are twofold: to promote shared governance of PAs between conservation NGOs that have received delegated management from the State and local communities that are the primary local actors and whose commitment is essential to guarantee the integrity of the landscapes.