Madagascar Establishes Spectacular National Park
10/11/99
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Title: Madagascar establishes spectacular national park
Source: WWF Press Release
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: October 11, 1999
Rafiadana-Ntsoa National Park, in south-east Madagascar, was launched
today by the Malagasy government. This new protected area has the
best ecotourism possibilities the island has to offer, the
conservation organization WWF said.
The activities undertaken in Andringitra by WWF and different
partners since 1993 have aimed at encouraging local communities to
participate in the decision-making process required for conserving
and developing this area sustainably (1). The area's great tourism
potential resides specifically in the possibilities it offers for
research, environmental education and sport like rock climbing and
hiking.
"With the sole exception of the spiny dry forests of the south and
south-west of the island, Andringitra is like a concentrated sample
of all the natural wealth Madagascar has to offer," explains Lantosoa
Ramarojaona, Coordinator of Integrated Conservation Development
Projects at the WWF Madagascar Programme Office.
WWF's implemented management decisions aim at developing a type of
tourism that will protect the natural wealth of the area and help the
social and economic interests of local communities, while promoting
their traditional values. It is with this in mind that some 40
kilometres of hiking paths and four different camping sites have been
prepared within the park (2).
The 31,160-hectare national park lies between two older protected
areas, Ranomafana and Isalo National Parks. As a natural area it is
in a class of its own, characterized by a very high diversity in
plant and animal life and a large variety of endemic species.
Andringitra exhibits tropical moist forests, dense montane forests
and high mountain prairies crowned by massive granite boulders (3).
The highly accessible Boby Peak (2,658 metres above sea level) is
Madagascar's second highest mountain, and one of the area's
additional attractions (4).
"Perhaps the greatest strength of the project is the support it has
received from the local Betsileo, Bara and Tanala communities," says
Joseph Ralaiarivony, National Director of the project. "They have
been a receptive audience and have allowed us to work within their
rich social and cultural traditions to address conservation issues
such as the need to prevent forest fires. Because of their great
sense of community, their commitment is very strong".
Some 196 villages, home to about 15,000 people, exist around the new
national park. Their full inclusion in the project is one of the main
reasons for their current enthusiasm for the new National Park.
For more information, please contact: Samuel Andriankotonirina, WWF
Madagascar Programme Office, Antananarivo, tel. +261 20 22 34 885/34
638/30 420 ; Sylvain Rafiadana-Ntsoa, WWF Madagascar Programme
Office, tel. as above, e-mail: srafiadana@wwfnet.org ; Javier
Arreaza, Africa & Madagascar Programme, WWF International, Gland,
Switzerland, tel. +41 22 364 9267, e-mail: jarreaza@wwfnet.org