Posted on 28 September 2017

The initiative of the rural community of Andrafaikona, a village of 1900 inhabitants in the district of Vohémar, tackles a major threat for the rainforest in Madagascar’s Nothern Highlands landscape: uncontrolled logging. The villagers are grouped into AMTI *, their local community organization in order to structure this activity and monitor effectively the logging in their area.

For example, logging permits are issued locally to ensure the use right of the local population (wood for house building but not for sale), subject to compliance with quotas and regulations set up by the community in the context of a natural resources transfer agreement. The latter monitors as closely as possible that the logging respect the standards imposed by the Forests administration. Thus, all cutting must be made in the presence of community rangers or "Polisinala" (forest police in English). And the rural community does not issue a building permit if the wood used is not accompanied by a logging permit issued by the community organization.

For Sasibe says Zafilahy, the president of this organization, the benefits are not only for the forest because "the issue of cutting permits brings money back to the community". Before, it was necessary to go to Vohémar to have logging permits. The trip costs 100,000 Ar by car or 2 days of walking. Since the introduction of this system, people are saving time and money, and permits are issued more quickly. " Moreover, good local management already has positive repercussions in Andrafaikona. With the contribution of the cutting permits the village finances the patrols in the forest and reforestation.

* AMTI: Andrafaikona Miaro ni Tontolo Iainana (in English, Andrafaikona protects the environment)