CEPF Investment Strategy and Program Focus 

CEPF Strategic Directions	CEPF Investment Priorities
1.  Integrating local groups and individuals into the management of protected areas and reserves	1.1  Financial and technical support to existing parks and reserve management teams
	1.2  Promotion of protected-area partnerships involving local and international NGO participation
	1.3  Specific training programs for local groups
	1.4  Participatory planning processes to develop corridor concept strategies (linking existing protected areas to form corridors)
	1.5  Regional priority-setting and similar participatory processes
	1.6  Basic biological inventories of existing and newly-protected areas, classified forests, and forest reserves
2.  Private sector conservation initiatives	2.1  Targeted initiatives such as: - small-scale nature tourism projects linking benefits to communities - plantation forestry models - models of private sector engagement in biodiversity conservation
	2.2  Research and development of appropriate carbon sequestration methods, such as: - feasibility studies - demonstration projects
3.  Biodiversity conservation and management training programs	3.1  Training programs such as: - guide training - training in species knowledge - national university programs - support for the collaborative creation of overseas training programs and scholarships
4.  Public awareness and advocacy	4.1  Awareness and information campaigns: - promotions highlighting importance of biological diversity - promoting biodiversity as a national asset
5.  Biodiversity Action Fund. Small grants not to exceed $10,000	5.1  Individual and start-up initiatives such as: - small workshops - critical travel needs - field equipment and biodiversity publications - individual and small scale grassroots conservation initiatives
6.  Creation of a participatory monitoring and coordination network	6.1  Creation and implementation of a coordination mechanism consisting of: - a core alliance of organizations with significant technical capacity and strong program history in the region - advisory panel to include a selection of top scientists - participation in identification and review of potential CEPF projects - an active role in monitoring CEPF projects' implementation
	6.2  Establishment of electronic information management and communication mechanism

 

The investment strategy for CEPF funding for Madagascar is based on conservation planning and implementation efforts undertaken in the last decade. The strategic investment opportunities build on initiatives such as those put forth under the auspices of the NEAP, and recommendations that emerged from Madagascar's Conservation Priority-Setting Workshop (CPW). The NEAP focuses on an already widespread system of protected areas with a view toward the coordinated management of ecosystems within Madagascar's distinct ecoregions. Recommendations from the CPW go beyond the current protected-area network to include the development of corridors between existing parks and reserves and the creation of new ones.

To date, there has been limited focus by the international donor community on broadly defined natural resource management programs and community development. Current efforts focus on the "nuts and bolts" of safeguarding current levels of biological diversity within the framework of existing and proposed protected areas. As a result, many parks and reserves remain severely underfunded, lacking designated management authorities or management plans. Current initiatives also lack coordination among Malagasy scientists, national and international NGOs, and expatriate conservation experts. CEPF support should create and strengthen such partnerships.

Throughout the hotspot, the scientific and NGO communities remain relatively weak, and there is still a lack of skilled leadership at the national and regional levels. These island nations do not have effective national scientific institutions. CEPF support will help bolster institutional commitments to the study of biodiversity throughout the region.

Despite much discussion, sound models of private sector engagement in biodiversity conservation have yet to be demonstrated in Madagascar. Nature tourism, for example, has strong potential, yet projects that link the benefits of such tourism to communities in ways that encourage conservation at the grassroots level have not yet been developed. Another example, plantation forestry, has the potential to relieve pressure on natural forests, but has largely remained a government initiative that has generated little local employment or support. Carbon sequestration also has generated much interest as a concept, but no serious feasibility studies or demonstration efforts currently exist.

The emphasis of CEPF funding in the region will focus on these strategic themes:

1. Integrating local groups and individuals in the management of protected areas and reserves
Throughout the hotspot, and especially in Madagascar, increased financial and technical support for NGOs is needed to enhance the management of existing parks and reserves. Approximately one-third (15) of these protected areas currently have no management authority assigned to them, which limits their contribution to biodiversity conservation. In addition, another 20 parks and reserves now assigned to ANGAP are not linked to any international partners from which technical and financial support would be more readily available. CEPF support for protected-area management in Madagascar will focus on increasing the number of partnerships between ANGAP and those international NGOs that have demonstrated their ability to manage protected areas. Notable among these organizations are the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Conservation International. The creation of new protected areas and corridors will be a likely result of expanding biological inventory programs in Madagascar, and the planning processes necessary for this should also be supported by CEPF. This includes biological inventories and better management of the country's extensive systems of classified forests and forest reserves. Within the world's 25 hotspots, approximately 40% of the remaining natural habitat is in officially protected areas; in Madagascar, however, only 17,187 of the remaining 107,353 square kilometers of natural habitat only- 16% -are protected. At least 90,000 square kilometers of natural habitat remain unprotected throughout the country.

In Madagascar, the extent of protected areas varies from one ecoregion to the next: 18% in the Eastern Ecoregion, 22% in the Central Ecoregion, 17% in the Western Ecoregion, 20% in the Northern Mountains Ecoregion, 5% in the Southern Ecoregion, and less than 1% in the Northern Transition Zone. In addition, studies in several ecoregions show that not all of the land area lying within parks and reserves represents intact natural habitat: in the Central Ecoregion, 61% of protected area is natural habitat; in the Southern Ecoregion 57%, and in the Western Ecoregion only 39%. ANGAP has published a plan to augment Madagascar's protected-area network by creating new parks and reserves, including three in the Southern Ecoregion (succulent bush west of the Manambavo River, the Plateau Mahafaly Karimbola, and Forêt Mikea), six in the Eastern Ecoregion (the Forêt Littorale south of the Manombo Special Reserve, Zafimaniry, Marolambo, Torotorofotsy, Anjozorobe and the Plateau Makira); and 10 in the Western Ecoregion/Northern Transition Zone (Betandraka, Analavelona, Forêt Mikea, Menabe, Manambolomaty, Mahavavy Kinkony, Forêt de lÕAndrona, Sahamalaza, and Daraina).

CEPF will also support plans to link existing protected areas in Madagascar through biodiversity corridors. In the Northern Mountains Ecoregion a corridor has been proposed to connect the Tsaratanana Integral Nature Reserve with Marojejy National Park and the Anjanaharibe Special Reserve. In the Eastern Ecoregion, proposals have been made to develop three major corridors:

• one linking Andohalela National Park, the Midongy du Sud Special Reserve, the Pic d'Ivohibe Special Reserve, Andringitra National Park and Ranomafana National Park;
• another linking the Analamazaotra Special Reserve, Mantadia National Park, the Mangerivola Special Reserve, and the Zahamena National Park and Zahamena Integral Nature Reserve; and
• a third linking the Ambatovaky Special Reserve and the Marotandrano Special Reserve.

In order to improve management of protected areas and to support the creation of these corridors, CEPF funds will be targeted to support priority-setting activities and similar participatory processes to ensure that a sufficient range of views and ideas is considered and incorporated.

2. Private sector conservation initiatives
Private-sector conservation initiatives can have a catalytic effect in a number of key areas including nature tourism, plantation farming and carbon sequestration. Small nature tourism programs have been established in a number of local communities adjacent to parks, reserves and proposed protected areas. Generally, these projects focus on Madagascar's unique vertebrate fauna and provide guides and essential services to foreign tourists. CEPF support will focus on guide training and on enhancing the local infrastructure to attract more tourists. Plantation forestry production of wood and paper goods for the local market is a private-sector opportunity with major dividends in the conservation of natural forests. Carbon sequestration has significant potential in Madagascar, and requires private-sector involvement and demonstrated models to succeed.

3. Biodiversity conservation and management training
Training in the techniques of biodiversity conservation is required in order to strengthen the scientific and NGO communities in Madagascar. This should include support for programs based at national universities, such as the cooperative agreements undertaken by Université d'Antananarivo, as well as a collaborative program in western Madagascar recently proposed by Hannover University of Zurich and Madagascar's University of Mahajanga. Support could also be provided to existing programs that offer Malagasy students an opportunity to study abroad. Two successful programs that may be interested in this opportunity are Duke University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Likewise, CEPF resources will be directed toward in-country training and capacity-building for conservation professionals to increase their ability to advocate and manage conservation programs.

4. Awareness and advocacy mechanism
Awareness and advocacy efforts are needed to improve public involvement in conservation, encourage sound legislative frameworks, and to promote reconciliation of Madagascar's international biological importance with its pressing needs for economic growth. NGO leaders can play an important role in this process by involving themselves in promotions that highlight the importance of biodiversity. CEPF will support targeted awareness and advocacy programs promoting biodiversity as a valuable national asset. These awareness campaigns or programs will coordinate with, and build upon, initiatives currently being implemented by government entities. In most instances, projects funded by CEPF will be required to demonstrate linkages with existing programs.

5. Biodiversity Action Fund
In order to respond to unforeseen circumstances that affect biodiversity conservation, and to facilitate inter-institutional coordination and small-scale capacity building, it is recommended that CEPF provide resources to establish a Biodiversity Action Fund. Small grants from the Biodiversity Action Fund will vary in size, but no single grant will exceed US$10,000.

6. Creating a participatory monitoring and coordination network
In order for the strategy, as laid out in this profile, to be implemented successfully, an overall monitoring and coordination mechanism is required. CEPF will provide support for such a mechanism to ensure that projects in the region are fulfilling the objectives established in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile. It is envisioned that the mechanism, or network, will consist of a core alliance of organizations having significant technical capacity and strong program history in the region. It should also include some form of advisory panel of top scientists to ensure that efforts focus on identified priorities for the region. In order to maintain communication within this mechanism, the CEPF will support the creation of an electronic information system or other new communications vehicles.

The monitoring and coordination network will work with the CEPF core management team to identify and review potential CEPF projects. In addition, it will play an active role in monitoring specific projects during implementation in order to maintain high performance levels.

This coordination network is important for the CEPF implementation period; however, the intention is that this network will operate well beyond the CEPF financing period. Therefore, as the network is established, it must also focus on how it will sustain itself in the longer term.

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