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 Conservation Carbon – Protecting Madagascar’s Northeastern Forests Region Located off the east coast of Africa, Madagascar has been isolated from other landmasses for more than 160 million years. Consequently, most of Madagascar’s plant and animal species have evolved in long isolation, and many are found nowhere else on the planet. Highly threatened, Madagascar has been classified as one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. Covering just 2.3 percent of the planet’s surface, hotspots face extreme threats and have already lost 70 percent of their original vegetation. The Makira Forest Project, managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), is located in the northeastern region of Madagascar known as the Maroantesetra region. Consisting of about 350,000 hectares (approximately 1,350 square miles), this area is one of the largest remaining patches of rain forest on the island. Within the forest, the level of species diversity is among the highest in the country including a number of critically endangered animals such as the Madagascar serpent eagle and at least two species of Malagasy lemurs including the Red Ruffed Lemur and the Silky Sifaka which are found only in Madagascar. Challenge Decades of deforestation have left eastern Madagascar with only 8.5 percent of its forests. The Makira Forest represents the largest remaining contiguous forest in eastern Madagascar and is of ut-most importance for long-term conservation especially in light of global climate changes. Makira is currently occupied by local ethnic and community groups that practice slash- and-burn agriculture on existing forest when they have outgrown the use of the lowlands for rice patties and seek new rice fields up the river. Poaching for valuable hardwood species is also prevalent. Response Makira has been recognized as a primary region for biodiversity conservation and retention of ecosystem services. Conservation International (CI) has partnered with WCS and Madagascar’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests (MEEF) to develop carbon-financing options to finance the protection of this contiguous lowland and mid-altitude rain forest. The Makira Forest Project seeks to become a leading catalyst for sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. The proposed approach developed by WCS, CI and the Malagasy Government includes: 1) The study and creation of a new legally protected Conservation or Protected Area (known as a Site de Conservation) that encompasses habitat and species diversity representative of the Makira Area and guarantees long-term connectivity to other networks of protected forests, and 2) The stabilization of land-use through land-use planning activities development of a multiple use area with biodiversity being only one element of the management strategy. Value for the Environment The Makira Forest Project aims to achieve the related goals of conservation, economic development and carbon sequestration. The project will work to reduce deforestation rates down to 0.07 percent, or the rate found in nearby national parks. An independent assessment by Winrock International indicates that 9.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions will be mitigated over the next 30 years through these forest protection activities. Healthy, intact forests store carbon taken from the atmosphere and thus play a unique role in mitigating the harmful effects of climate change. Global deforestation accounts for approximately 20 percent of the annual emissions of greenhouse gases, so reducing this source of emissions while protecting biodiversity provides a unique opportunity for governments and policy makers. Value for Local Communities The largest benefit for the local community from this project will be empowerment to control and manage their natural resources in a sustainable manner. Specific activities that will directly reduce deforestation include training on permaculture practices that allow farmers to continually produce good harvests from the same land as opposed to cutting new fields every few years. Other projects include building improved irrigation infrastructure for the lowland rice growing areas. Additional income generation will occur through employment from the project and from ecotourism. The project has also been empowering local communities the transfer of natural resource management rights from the government. This in turn allows the communities themselves to mange their forests and makes them responsible for enforcing forest-use rules. An active dialogue will be maintained with local stakeholders to help ensure protected area limits are proposed and accepted by local and regional authorities. Value for Business With growing public concern for global warming, many leadership companies are taking a proactive stance regarding their emissions. This creates an opportunity for investors in the Makira Forest Project to market the positive biodiversity and economic development impacts together with its carbon benefits. While under current Kyoto rules, this type of emissions avoidance is not yet creditable, companies currently participating in these voluntary markets will help shape the future regulation to encompass these multiple benefit approaches. Additionally, companies are able to communicate positive action to address climate change with concerned consumers, shareholders, and employees through clear, tangible commitments that reduce their greenhouse gas impacts in a cost efficient manner. Previous investors in the Makira Forest project include Mitsubishi Group, NAVTEQ and the music group, Pearl Jam. Progress BP Conservation Programme Joins Makira Forest Project. A longtime supporter of young conservationists, the BP Conservation Programme has extended its committment to the environment by investing in the Makira Forest Project. The BP Conservation Programme is a partnership between BP, CI, BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Learn more about this BP Conservation Programme here. Dixie Chicks Support Madagascar Project. To help offset the carbon footprint associated with their 2006 Accidents and Accusations concert tour, that band has invested in the Makira Forest Project. The band’s commitment will offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions released from the trucks, buses, airplane travel, hotel rooms, concerts venues and fans driving to and from their concerts. In addition, the Dixie Chicks are asking their fans to join their efforts by calculating and offsetting their own climate impacts using CI’s Carbon Calculator. Read Further SC Johnson Makes Second Conservation Carbon Investment: In an effort to help protect the rain forests of northeastern Madagascar, SC Johnson has made a $5,000 contribution to CI’s Conservation Carbon program. The investment, which will offset the carbon impacts associated with the printing and distribution of SC Johnson’s 2005 Public Report. Read Further Mitsubishi Invests in Makira to Offset Enivoronmental Education Pavilion: In an effort to offset the carbon footprint of its environmental education exhibit, ‘Mitsubishi Pavilion@Earth,’ debuting at the 2005 Aichi World Exposition, Mitsubishi Group has provided financial support to the Makira Forest Project to help protect rain forests in northeastern Madagascar, the island country located off the coast of Southern Africa. Read Further Pearl Jam and the Warped Tour "de-carbonate" their 2003 tours: Simultaneous investments from Pearl Jam and the Warped Tour provided key initial funding to support efforts by CI and the Wildlife Conservation Society to launch its rain forest protection initiative which will later be known as the Makira Forest Project. 
|  Makira Forest Landscape, Madagascar.  Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands Hotspots PROJECT SUMMARY • Work with our partner, the Wildlife Conservation Society to protect over 300,000 hectares in Madagascar's Northeastern Forest Region • Offset 9.5 million tons of carbon dioxide over 30 years • Preserve habitat for the threatened Serpent Eagle and Red Ruffed Lemur • Provide economic support opportunities for local communities ADDITIONAL RESOURCES • Calculate & Offset Your Carbon Footprint Using CI’s Carbon Calculator PARTNER FAST FACTS • Dixie Chicks • Pearl Jam • SC Johnson • Mitsubishi • Wildlife Conservation Society PUBLICATIONS • Conservation Carbon Projects Overview Fact Sheet (pdf, 383kb) • Madagascar Forest Project Factsheet (pdf, 215kb) WEBSITES • CI Online: Madagascar Forests Help Fight Climate Change • In Depth: Madagascar Hotspot • Virtual tour of Madagascar |
