Summary
teaming with communities, government and other stakeholder groups, to
integrate the project regionally as a contribution to sustainable
development.
The National and Regional Context
Madagascar, located off southeast Africa in the Indian Ocean, is the
fourth largest island in the world. Madagascar has a total land area of
587,040 km
2
and is rich in natural resources and ecosystems, including
some of the world’s most unique biodiversity. Despite its diverse
resource base however, the country’s 18 million people represent one of
the world’s least economically developed nations, with over 70% of the
population living below the national poverty line.
Rural poverty and the environment are closely linked. Environmental
degradation along with associated soil erosion is reducing agricultural
productivity and increasing rural poverty. Madagascar has lost about
50% of its forest cover since 1960, with about 12 million hectares
cleared. Forest clearance, practiced in the 1970s and early 1980s to
produce more rice to feed the growing urban population, accounted for a
large proportion of the lost forest cover. However, since the launch of
the Government’s National Environmental Action Plan in the late 1980s,
deforestation rates have declined.
Special reserve near Andasibe
Madagascar has 53 protected areas, with a total surface area of just
under 2 million hectares, or 3% of total land area. This network of
protected areas is overseen by the National Association for the
Management of Protected Areas (ANGAP). A commitment known as the
Durban Vision was made by the President of Madagascar to triple the
area under protection (including terrestrial and aquatic/marine protected
areas) to six million hectares by 2009.
Recently, the government has aggressively pursued reforms, particularly
oriented towards gaining the confidence of private investors. Public
sector, tariff and customs reform, concessioning of major public
enterprises and infrastructure and a concerted effort to battle corruption,
create an improved climate for foreign investors. Regulatory reform has
focussed on the mining sector, as the rich natural resource base is
considered a potential source of economic growth and development.
The determination of the government to reform in the interest of national
economic and social development has resulted in support from
international financial institutions and bilateral development assistance
agencies.
The country is politically divided into six faritany or provinces, 22 regions,
110 prefectures, and over 1,500 communes, which are the smallest
formal administrative units. All components of the Ambatovy Project are
located in Toamasina Province. Early efforts in the mid 1990s at
decentralization legislated responsibilities of commune governments,
January 2006
Ambatovy Project — 2
