An evaluation has been made of Manondroala, one of our joint projects with the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation. The report is now available for those interested and we are glad to have the opportunity to share it here.
The Manondroala project lasted six years from 2012 to the beginning of this year. The project focused on creating conditions for an effective monitoring system for preserving forests in Madagascar. This included strengthening of the national-level coordination network for nature protection and creation of a map of natural state of forests in Madagascar using satellite imagery and data collected from the field. The map will serve as a tool for monitoring the state of forests and as a basis for decision-making. Local level reforestation was also an essential part of the project. Restoration was carried out by Mitsinjo in Andasibe which is located in an important forest corridor area in eastern Madagascar.
The evaluation team found out that for the most part, the project has been successful in achieving its objectives. The monitoring network has been strengthened through trainings and a web portal has been opened. It will share the methodology developed during the project and the maps which have been produced. In reforestation, Mitsinjo has done excellent work and it has gained reputation as the most experienced professional in the field of forest restoration in Madagascar. Areas most crucial for the preservation of the Indri indri and some other sensitive species have been restored. The project has also succeeded in changing attitudes towards nature conservation among the population. People living in Andasibe are now more favourable to forest protection, partly due to creation of working opportunities by the project.
Considering the sustainability of the project, the evaluation team has come to the conclusion that most benefits can be maintained. Some tree planters and nurserymen may lose their jobs, because there is not enough work for them after the project has ended. A new project was a general wish expressed by beneficiaries. On the whole, the evaluators think that the project has been justified and needed. The monitoring tool is a great contribution to forest conservation in Madagascar and Mitsinjo’s activities have shown that reforestation can be successfully done with methods of ecological restoration.
Access the report here
Association Mitsinjo 