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Short Abstract

Madagascar, a biodiversity hotspot, faces major conservation challenges. My retrospective evaluation shows that community-based conservation improves education and somewhat reduces fire and forest loss, but does not alleviate poverty. Climate-driven migration further pressures protected areas

Abstract

Madagascar is a global biodiversity hotspot with exceptionally high levels of species richness, threat, and endemism: 90% of its plant species and 85% of its animal species are found nowhere else. My talk will highlight key conservation efforts and share insights from a recent retrospective evaluation of the effectiveness of community-based conservation, a widely adopted approach, on both biodiversity and human well-being. By comparing outcomes between 109 intervention villages and 109 control villages, I showed that the conservation programme run by Durrell Wildlife Madagascar between 2000 and 2014 was effective in improving education, somewhat effective in reducing forest loss and fires, and not effective in enhancing human well-being outcomes. My latest research has examined internal migration in Madagascar driven by poverty and climate change and its environmental consequences on protected areas. Together, these findings underscore the importance of more strongly integrating local community members and environmental associations into data collection and analysis to achieve more sustainable and positive conservation outcomes.