FORET PROGRAM

Projet TAPIA | Preservation of the tapia forest, wild silk and beekeeping in Madagascar.

Background

À Madagascar, la région Itasy dispose d’une superficie de 7 000 km² dont seulement moins de 3% serait aujourd’hui couverte par des boisements.

La forêt de Tapia, qui fait partie des écosystèmes endémiques et remarquables de la Grande Île, y joue un rôle écologique clé : préservation des sources d’eau, stabilisation des bassins versants, protection des sols contre l’érosion et maintien de leur fertilité, régulation du microclimat local. Elle y abrite également une biodiversité abondante et fournit des ressources dont dépendent fortement les communautés locales. Le Tapia est notamment l’habitat principal d’une espèce de ver à soie sauvage endémique – le landibe – qui se nourrit essentiellement de ses feuilles. Le landibe forme des cocons de soie sauvage qui sont traditionnellement utilisés pour la confection d’articles d’artisanat textile (vêtements, foulards, linceuls, habits de fête, etc.).

Les forêts de Tapia sont aujourd’hui menacées par les feux de brousse, mais aussi par les besoins en bois énergie des communes urbaines aux alentours. À cela s’ajoutent la pression démographique et la pauvreté rurale qui amène les communautés locales à se rabattre sur les forêts restantes pour améliorer leurs moyens de subsistance quotidiens. Il y aussi l’appropriation foncière illicite, l’extension de l’agriculture, sans compter l’envahissement par des espèces exotiques qui colonisent les espaces naturels des Tapia.

L’État malagasy a établi, depuis 2001, des contrats de transfert de gestion durable des forêts de Tapia avec les communautés locales de base (Vondron’Olona Ifotony ou VOI). Toutefois, malgré ces mesures, cet écosystème reste fortement dégradé . Cela s’explique notamment par l’absence de moyens humains et matériels pour accompagner les VOI.

Objective

Reinforce the capacities of basic community organisation (VOIs) responsible for the tapia forests in multiple municipalities in the Itasy region in order to protect the ecosystem, improve their means to exist and increase their resilience.

Activities

Three principal axes: restoration of the tapia ecosystem, support local development via the economic sector (wild silkworm, beekeeping, gardening) and finally the environmental awareness to preserve these ecosystems and to climate change.

Ecosystem restoration: planting tapia plants, wood-energy (and honey) as well as fruit trees.

Local economic development: support for the growth of the wild silkworm population and promote beekeeping.

Awareness: in the region’s schools, some exchange workshops are organized, just like their gardening equipment and radio spots.

Support for sustainable territorial management: consultation of the members of VOIs and implementation of development plans to sustainably manage these natural resources. (4 identifies pilot sites)

Expected impact

Tapia is thus massively cut for firewood and charcoal production, which has been more than 25 years the main fuel for households in the capital, one of whose supply basins in the Itasy region, bordering Arivonimamo. To this situation adds up the clearing for food crops and the gradual elimination of tapia in order to facilitate the land registration of plots.

The degradation of this ecosystem also increases the risk of erosion, which leads to a decrease in the productivity of the shallows of this highly rice-producing area, Malagasy’s main food, thus increasing food insecurity. The loss of non-timber forest products that source food in income during the lean season (rainy season before the harvest) is an additional factor in the vulnerability of local communities and the risk of associated social problems. In particular, the production per hectare of silk cocoons would have been divided by 10 in 10 years (between 2008 and 2017). Currently, the availability of cocoons for wild silk production is so low that it is estimated that in the area only 3 weavers continue to work silk with other craftsmen using other materials (such as nylon).

Without tapia plantations, and even if the pressure (invasive species, human samples, bush fires) decreased or disappeared, the possibility of natural tapia coverage still exists but over the long term (tens of years). However, the current pressure could cause more than half of the remaining forest cover (and therefore the fauna and flora specific to the tapia forest) in about fifteen years. Similarly, without reforestation of wood-energy species, the pressure on tapia forests is likely to increase.

In this context, the TAPIA project consists firstly to restore, protect and reduce sustainably the human pressure on the tapia forest by increasing natural forest cover through reforestation. Il also aims to ensure additional incomes for communities through reforestation of wood-energy and honey. The support for income-generating activities through the local and sustainable production and enhancement of non-timber forest products, natural resources from restored and preserved ecosystems

Photos

Institutional, technical and financial partners

Partenaires de mise en œuvre :

- ONG SAHA (ONG locale spécialisée dans la gestion des ressources naturelles à Madagascar et l’accompagnement des VOI)
- VOI et Unions des VOI (Organisations communautaires de base)

Partenaires financiers : Financement de l’AFD (Agence Française de Développement) et de Davidson.