In Madagascar, a project financed by the ADF to the tune of $9.42 billion will provide support for land security in the protected areas concerned, with economic benefits expected locally through income-generating activities in the three intervention zones.
The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund, the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, approved on December 18, 2024 in Abidjan, a donation of 9.42 million US dollars to Madagascar to implement the Project of climate resilience through the preservation of the biodiversity of National Parks.
The donation comes from the Climate Action Window, a new mechanism of the Fund created during the 16th replenishment cycle of its resources to help fill the significant climate financing gap in Africa, explains a press release sent to APA. Subdivided into three sub-windows: adaptation, mitigation and technical assistance, it is intended for the least developed countries on the continent.
The project aims to strengthen the resilience of agricultural value chains of agricultural protection systems, conservation and sustainable use of natural capital and ecosystems in order to increase Madagascar's resilience to climate change. It provides for the development of the adaptation capacities of communities bordering the parks to climate change, the development and rehabilitation of access roads to ensure access to the parks in all seasons and sustainable conservation infrastructure, water supply drinking water through boreholes and micro-dams and the construction of public primary schools as well as five basic health centers for the benefit of local communities.
In addition, the project will provide support for land security in the protected areas concerned and local economic benefits through income-generating activities. The various support and accompaniment actions, in particular training and awareness campaigns, will help to empower direct beneficiaries in the conduct of their development activities.
« The project aims for direct investment in climate-smart agriculture to improve agricultural production, the conservation of natural habitats and ecosystems, the creation of socio-economic infrastructure, the participation of local populations creating employment opportunities to improve people's livelihoods “, said Adam Amoumoun, head of the African Development Bank country office in Madagascar.
« The conservation and protection activities of protected areas will have a positive impact in terms of reducing carbon emissions in the three intervention zones and this will be integrated into a study on the implementation of contractual mechanisms for payment of ecosystem services and the development of a carbon market “, he added.
The project's direct intervention area covers the three national parks, namely Lokobe, Nosy Hara and Andringitra and its outskirts. Three other national parks, namely Montagne d'Ambre, Ankarafantsika and Analamazaotra Mantadia, will only benefit from the training and capacity building component for young people and women.
TE/Sf/APA
