Media Tana – Antananarivo

Madagascar National Parks: a mission, a vision. A private law association incorporated in 1990 and recognized as a public utility in 1991, Madagascar National Parks ensures conservation and sustainable and rational management of the 52 national parks, reserves and other officially protected areas of Madagascar. The Association therefore has a duty to ensure that these spaces, through the effort of a whole network, continue and will continue to provide a lever for economic incentives for conservation among local populations, to attract investment and to ensure financial sustainability through the strengthening of entrepreneurial culture at all levels of management.

Madagascar's vision of National Parks is to evolve into a permanent, recognized and professional institution in the sustainable management of protected areas, priceless jewels representing nature and biodiversity in Madagascar, the Association has made its priorities the conservation of biodiversity, co-management with the local population, the management of its resources, and the deployment of its priority markets.

Madagascar National Parks, reasons for being. Particularly desirable by nature, Madagascar is illustrated for the richness of its biodiversity, for its very high rate of endemicity (ranging from 80% for its animal species to 90% for its vegetation), and by conservation issues in terms of rare habitats and flagship species.

This flagship position makes the island an excellent scientific research ground, but also a seam of ecotourism. But this mega diversity is at risk and environmental degradation tends to grow on the island.

While natural constraints do not save the Malagasy ecosystem, the pressure exerted by man is also increasingly significant: wild farms, bush fires, braconnages, so many constraints that damage this natural heritage.

In addition to this, there are the realities of rising demographics and poverty that take on the ground, and not negligible social and economic pressures directly on the balance of natural resources.

It is in this emergency context that Madagascar National Parks is called upon to act and its mission is almost multidisciplinary. Indeed, the conservation and management of natural resources is now largely dependent on political will, the emergence of strong and sustainable ecotourism, and the involvement of people. In carrying out its mandate, the Association is recognized as an "auxiliary of the public authorities to promote the management of biodiversity and to implement the conservation strategy and development at the level of protected areas".

This conservation mission involves, on a daily basis, the awareness of all stakeholders through environmental education, the promotion of eco-tourism and scientific research and, finally, the equitable sharing with the riparian population of the benefits generated by protected areas. Thanks to the Local Park Committee, which defends conservation of protected areas and the interests of the riparian community and the principle of co-management with a Steering Committee and Support for Protected Areas, the Association accompanies the development of riparian regions and villages in protected areas.