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Key achievements of the biodiversity programme

Achievements have included:

An ecological research centre
We opened the centre in 1998 in Mandena, the first proposed mining area. The Mandena centre includes a plant nursery, seed treatment station, restoration trials, and an education centre. We also set up smaller centres in Petriky and Ste-Luce, the two other mining areas.

Extensive baseline research and data collection on the social environment and its interconnection with the natural environment.

Extensive baseline research and monitoring on the biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Conservation zones
We co-manage the zones with local communities, the Malagasy forest department and related DINAs. The zones protect 977 hectares of key ecosystems within the mining area. They also sustainably manage over 21,000 hectares of land around the conservation zones.

Income generating activities linked to natural resources
Local people benefit from activities as part of our co-management agreement DINA. Beekeeping is a successful example. We also set up an ecotourism circuit in the Mandena conservation zone. All revenue is spent on community projects.

Community reforestation programme
Established in 2002, the programme supplies communities with wood for fuel and charcoal. We reforest hundreds of hectares a year.

Full scale trials of rehabilitation methods and ecological ecosystem restoration for wetlands and littoral forest. We have also tested top soil conservation methods.

Independent biodiversity committee

From 2001, an independent biodiversity committee have advised us – founded to review our biodiversity strategy and on-the-ground conservation action.