| Members of the Regional Monitoring Committee during their trip to the Ambohipiraka-Ambakirano reforestation plot. |
Bushfire control measures are now being put in place to ensure successful and efficient reforestation.
The regional monitoring committee, or CoRes, announced good news: the success rate of regional reforestation carried out in Ambohipiraka, in the rural commune of Ambakirano-Ambilobe, reached more than 80%. It was during his visit to the field to see the reality firsthand.
These results therefore require the implementation of severe measures to combat the various pressures exerted on reforested plots. The CoRes is a regional structure responsible for supervising and monitoring the achievements of the Anti-Erosion Program (PLAE). This is done through visits to program intervention sites and workshops aimed at presenting and validating achievements.
Ambakirano is one of two municipalities in the Diana region which benefited from support from the program. This is why it continues post-reforestation monitoring activities in the areas where it operates.
For the Diana zone, where the CoRes was launched, the cultivated area reached 923.5 ha, while the objective for the 2023-2024 agricultural campaign is 1,000 ha. It will be 3,133 ha for that of 2024-2025.
Commitment
These activities consist, among other things, of carrying out silvicultural maintenance and undertaking measures to combat the various pressures on reforested plots…
The security of cultivated land will be reinforced, particularly with regard to fires. The municipal team and the fire committee have received training for this purpose. In addition, the installation of firewalls was initiated in order to limit the spread of fires. In addition, collaboration with the army is planned, with the detachment of elements on site to constantly monitor risks.
In addition, an extensive clean-up program has been undertaken to avoid any perception of irresponsible and uncontrolled reforestation. All this with the aim of encouraging the engagement of local communities.
“Bushfires are gradually depriving the agricultural population of their means of subsistence. The actions to be undertaken aim to ensure sustainable management of reforested land in order to stop the expansion of the desert and contribute to improving food security as well as reducing poverty in rural areas,” declares Thégène Belahy, regional development director Diana, highlighting the importance of the support provided by the sixth phase of the PLAE.
In any case, the Ambilobe district is one of the regions vulnerable to bushfires which have a negative impact on agricultural productivity and threaten the livelihoods of agricultural households.
Raheriniaina
