The future of conservation and development in Madagascar: Time for a new paradigm?

Abstract

The history of conservation policy and practice in Madagascar over the last 30 years shows that the Malagasy government, donors and non - governmental organisations (NGOs) have not been short of bold solutions, with ambitious attempts to involve local communities in resource management as well as expand protected areas. While there have been notable achievements, continued threats to the island’s flora and fauna, as well as the negative impacts that conservation policy has often had on rural livelihoods, show that there is still much to be done. So what are the lessons from the past and the challenges ahead? In this paper I provide a broad overview of recent research in the social sciences on conservation and development in Madagascar. I argue that conservation science and policy have often been based on overly simplistic understandings of human- environment interactions and sometimes even plain myths. This has contributed to a narrow policy vision, with important issues and ecosystems receiving less attention. Furthermore, conservation policy continues to be based on a highly uneven distribution of costs and benefits. In order to address these limitations, research and policy must do more to deal with differences in perceptions, priorities and power and be will- ing to embrace trade - offs between various conservation and development goals.