‘Human dimensions of wildlife management’ is a concept that emerged some 50 years ago and has gained global application. A majority of cases report on human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs), where wildlife is causing problems to an expanding human population or vice versa. In Madagascar, lemurs represent a flagship for conservation. Many lemur taxa are threatened, and conservation is facing increasing challenges due to habitat loss and degradation. The Alaotran gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) is the only marshland living lemur. Its conservation is particularly challenging due to various conflicting interests of different stakeholder groups. The Alaotra region is the bread basket of Madagascar, producing a majority of inland fish and rice. Here we present a new venue taken by conservation, which is based on a transdisciplinary research approach, participatory modeling, and gaming through role-playing games (RPGs). This holds promise to engage stakeholders from the onset of conservation planning and management, and it is hoped that increased participation will spur ownership and thus reduce conflicts among stakeholders to increase conservation effectiveness to safe Hapalemur alaotrensis from extinction.
Part of the book: Primates
Madagascar has an extended network of over 100 protected areas with various IUCN status covering more than 10% of terrestrial landscapes and seascapes. The location of these areas is to a high-degree congruent with remaining forests covering some 15% of the island. The definitions of forests are numerous, at global, national, and regional scales; here we emphasize the widespread system considering the percentage of tree cover canopy, to better define the eastern humid vs. western dry forests in Madagascar and to understand how best to protect the terrestrial biodiversity within parks and reserves. Forests are home to over 80% of Madagascar’s biodiversity. These ecosystems are under high threat due to ongoing and rapid deforestation and degradation. We present the interlinkages and complexity of governing National Parks to safeguard Madagascar’s unique biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Part of the book: Protected Areas, National Parks and Sustainable Future