Amoron'i Onilahy, for sustainable tourism and biodiversity

Posted on May, 22 2017

Amoron'i Onilahy is a Protected Area managed by local communities who work for the valorization of their natural wealth through ecotourism, the promotion of biodiversity and social contact with the villagers.

Like the rest of the world, Madagascar celebrates World Biodiversity Day May 22. The theme of this year was "Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism". This was an opportunity for WWF to present the community tourism promoted by the Amoron'i Onilahy Protected Area's villagers in the Mahafaly Landscape, south of Toliara.

Amoron'i Onilahy is a Protected Area managed by local communities who work for the valorization of their natural wealth through ecotourism, the promotion of biodiversity and social contact with the villagers.

Everything is created and organized by the villagers under WWF’s aegis: eco-lodges, information and reception desk in Ambohimahavelona, motorcycle and quad tours along the Onilahy river, lemurs and endemic birds watching, and exploring the river in motor canoes. They also train local guides as well as rangers who monitor the forests, and locally produced vegetables will serve their community restaurants or tourist camps in their Protected Area.

While these activities are still developing, they show the villagers' willingness to seek sustainable incomes while taking advantage of their forests and not necessarily destroying them. A breeze of fresh air for the unique gallery forest of Amoron'i Onilahy which has been under pressure from charcoal and firewood for many years.