Madagascar: A Major Economic Asset

The contribution of Protected Areas to the national economy should not be underestimated. The potential is simply enormous and contributes to the development of several priority sectors.

An often overlooked economic significance. According to studies conducted by a group of researchers for the Foundation of Protected Areas and Biodiversity in Madagascar (FAPBM), the economic weight of biodiversity amounts to around five hundred million dollars per year, which is 67 to 87 dollars per hectare annually. This refers to the contribution of terrestrial Protected Areas.

These figures are compiled in a hundred-page study conducted by environmental experts, entitled “The Economic Contribution of Madagascar’s Protected Areas: A Review of Existing Data”, outlining the impacts of Protected Areas at national and local levels. Indeed, since 2016, the Great Island has complied with international standards by increasing the area of its terrestrial and aquatic Protected Areas by five times. As a result, these areas have increased from 221,045 hectares in 2016 to 1.38 million hectares in 2020, accounting for 12% of its total area. With this new policy for managing its Protected Areas, the country aligns with a global trend, allowing for the assessment and understanding of the economic significance of owning such spaces.

Contribution

Taken as a whole, these figures are already significant. But by taking the time to delve into the impact of such policies at the local level, the benefits of protecting terrestrial and marine spaces are simply substantial. This contribution is also evident in key development sectors. For the tourism sector, for example, the contribution of Protected Areas is clear. According to a study on this branch of development, 68% of tourists surveyed about their reason for visiting the Great Island expressed a desire to visit one or more national parks during their stay. The contribution of Protected Areas to the tourism sector can be estimated between 42 and 173 million dollars, assuming that 68% of the three hundred thousand or so tourists who come annually. Not to mention the direct jobs. A study from 2021 shows, for example, that Madagascar National Parks employed seven hundred twenty-three people in 2020. In addition to the hundred fifty direct jobs generated by the presence of national parks, with dozens, or even hundreds of other direct or indirect jobs. Furthermore, other sectors such as energy, ecotourism, and scientific research benefit from the effects generated by documentaries made on this biodiversity.

According to experts in national park management, “the establishment of protected areas indeed capitalizes on the natural resources of the country. It also rationalizes the way they are managed.”

Itamara Randriamamonjy