World Heritage Cluster Nomination
ICTE, MICET, ANGAP
have formed a unique collaboration to nominate a cluster of six
protected areas in southeastern Madagascar as a "World Heritage
Cluster". The protected areas in the proposed World Heritage
Cluster are: Ranomafana National Park, Manombo Special Reserve,
Andringitra National Park, Pic d'Ivohibe Special Reserve, Midongy
du Sud National Park, and Kalambatritra Special Reserve (see map
below).
The overall goal of this project is to protect the highly threatened
biodiversity of Madagascar's southeastern forests by achieving
UN World Heritage status for a cluster of key reserves. Meeting
the conditions necessary for World Heritage status will provide
immediate benefits to the parks and their surrounding communities,
build the capacity of Malagasy institutions, stimulate local and
national pride in Madagascar's biodiversity, and help secure long-term
funding to ensure the sustainability of one of the world's true
biodiversity hot spots.
ICTE, MICET, ANGAP have received funding from the United
Nations Foundation via UNESCO
for a project entitled Promoting World Heritage in Madagascar.
Promoting World Heritage in Madagascar:
Project Summary
The moist forests of Madagascar have been heralded as one of
the top biodiversity hotspots of the world, yet to date none is
included on the World Heritage list. The Madagascar government
has targeted for nomination a cluster of six national parks and
reserves in southeastern Madagascar that contain rare ecosystems
and endangered endemic species. This project will assess biodiversity
within these protected areas and threats to their integrity in
preparation for World Heritage nomination. This cluster offers
the only protected habitats for five charismatic and endangered
lemur species (golden bamboo lemur, greater bamboo lemur, Milne
Edwards sifaka, collared brown lemur, and white-collared brown
lemur) and the southernmost populations of the endangered black
and white ruffed lemur. This project will enhance human resource
and technological capacity of both ANGAP (the National Park Service)
and MICET (a Malagasy environmental NGO), bring several of the
sites up to World Heritage standards for nomination, establish
ecological and sociological monitoring programs to evaluate the
effectiveness of biodiversity protection, establish communication
and public awareness programs among the units of the cluster,
promote interactions between units of the cluster to increase
the sense of unity and purpose within the cluster, provide widespread
benefits for local people, and develop a strategy to ensure long-term
sustainability for the cluster. This project is Phase II in a
three-phase project.
Project Objectives
Overall Objective: To protect the highly threatened biodiversity
of Madagascar's southeastern moist forests by upgrading the infrastructure,
scientific support, skills and competencies of staff, community
relations and sustainable financial base for the protection of
six national parks and reserves to meet UN World Heritage standards.
Specific Objective 1 - Collate and collect
necessary information and data and build necessary conditions
for each protected area unit to become eligible to be part of
the proposed World Heritage Cluster
Specific Objective 2 - Reinforce capacity of the National Park
agency (ANGAP-Government) and MICET (National NGO partner of ANGAP)
to manage individual units as well as the World Heritage Cluster
as a whole
Specific Objective 3 - Analyze and understand the socioeconomics
of rural life in areas between protected units within the World
Heritage Cluster and design culturally appropriate livelihood
support programs.
Specific Objective 4 - Raise environmental awareness and promote
nature-based education activities at national, regional and local
levels.
Specific Objective 5 - Develop a strategy for investing into
the long-term conservation of the proposed World Heritage cluster
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