CASM 2006 November 11 15 2006 Antsirabe MADAGASCAR
CASM 2006 November 11 -15, 2006 Antsirabe MADAGASCAR SESSION THE IMPACTS OF ASM ON BIODIVERSITY IN MADAGASCAR
MALAGASY BIODIVERSITY • • One of the richest biodiversity regions on earth, a unique combination of diversity and endemism Many ancient lineages that no longer exist elsewhere Increasingly important economically – tourism, artisanal products, medicinal products, international support 10% of forests remain, and many species are rare and threatened
DIRECT RISKS FROM ASM • • Most ASM areas overlap with the remaining priority biodiversity regions Forest clearance Physical disturbance to the environment and environmental services – water, soils Hunting and gathering
INDIRECT RISKS FROM ASM • Lack of governance – the industry is essentially lawless in many high biodiversity areas • If governance is not established quickly in new ASM areas, threats accumulate to the point of no return
BUT… SOME THINGS SELDOM CON • • Small-scale mining is here to stay, and is a motor fo • Hard currency revenues enter Madagascar • The industry often favors otherwise poorly-dev • Many people benefit The business favors economically marginalized peo
BIODIVERSITY BECOMES A NATIONAL COMMITMENT… The President launches the Durban Vision process to triple protected area coverage to six million hectares Challenge # 7 in the Madagascar Action Plan
…WITH PROGRESS • • Ministries form a joint committee to adjudicate on mine More than two million ha of new protected areas have a Many protected areas have ASM conflicts, but some pa New policies will be developed to govern ASM under th
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