In Depth Coverage

Holistic Conservation Programme for forests in Madagascar

Closely linked to the REDD mechanism (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) the Holistic Conservation Programme for Forests (HCPF) in Madagascar aims at reducing GHG emissions resulting from forest damage. By February 2012, the activities conducted on the 5 different intervention sites will result in a reduction of the overall rate of deforestation and restoration of some degraded forests. Furthermore, the purpose of the project is to preserve the exceptional biodiversity of Malagasy forests and to improve the living conditions of local communities. The HCPF boundary encircles an area of around 515,000 hectares: 390,000 hectares of humid forests and 125,000 hectares of spiny forests. The HCPF is implemented on the field by WWF Madagascar and is fully financed by Air France through the GoodPlanet Foundation (Action Carbone Programme), especially in charge of developing the respective carbon assessment while combining remote sensing, ground surveys and specific studies.

• Link With Climate Change

  Open

  In 2004, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), emissions from deforestation were estimated to account for about 17% of the global greenhouse gas emissions, and nearly 28% of CO2 emissions. This crucial topic was at the heart of the discussion during the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which took place in Bali in December 2007. The participating countries sent a strong message by adopting an action plan that aims at promoting and fully including a REDD mechanism in a post Kyoto regime, which still needs to be defined.

• Objectives

  Open

  By promoting activities against deforestation and degradation (i.e. the reduction in forest biomass from non-sustainable harvest), the project's main objective is to maintain the carbon stock in standing forests.
  
  According to estimates made by IPCC's LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry) guide and different studies published in Madagascar, the carbon sequestration potential of the forests affected by the perimeter of the project seems to be between 61 to 68 millions metric tons of carbon.
  
  In order to measure with more accuracy the number of CO2 emission reductions generated by the project, the specific carbon assessment methodology will be based on clear scientific data and will contribute to improve knowledge and expertise for REDD projects quality assessment.

• Work plan

  Open

  In order to achieve the REDD goal and in parallel with the related carbon assessment, 4 main activities are conducted on the field:

  - Creation of 350 000 ha of new protected forest area, in line with Madagascar’s commitment to have 6 million ha of protected areas by 2012

  - Transfer of management of 140 000 ha of natural resources: from the state to local communities. The process involves thousands of households

  - Restoration of 20 000 ha of degraded land: vast community plantations and assisted natural regeneration. Use of exclusively native varieties in order to restore the ecological integrity of fragmented ecosystems

  - Reforestation of 5 000 ha for energy: to satisfy the communities’ high demand for wood fuel and to take pressure off primary forests.

   

• Schedule

  Open

  The project started in October 2008 and will end in February 2012.

• Technical and Scientific Approach & Methods Proposed

  Open

  While following as closely as possible methodologies that are currently being developed, most notably the one developed by the BioCarbon Fund in Madagascar (Methodology for estimating reductions of GHG emissions from mosaic deforestation), the aim of the HCPF is to advance existing scientific knowledge on specific topics:
  - Qualifying LiDAR technology and CLASlite software in the context of mosaic deforestation mostly located on steep slopes
  - Developing allometric models adapted to the Malagasy humid and spiny forests
  - Measuring precisely the carbon stocks for both litter and soil
  - Developing an alternative method to evaluate Above-Ground Biomass, via radar/optical images and ground measurements (e.g. Leaf Area Index)
   

• Results

  Open

  There will be several kinds of reports:
  - Monthly report for the local agents to track progress;
  - Trimestrial internal reports for management;
  - Semestrial reports for funders and for the WWF network;
  - Annual report for the funders, for the WWF network and for the Ministry.
  
  These reports will be reinforced by/in conferences and/or workshops at various levels.

• Deliverables

  Open

  Beyond the forest conservation/restoration issues, the main deliverable will refer to the definition of both baseline and project scenarios in order to evaluate as precisely as possible the total amount of reducing emissions that will be generated by the project.
  By the end of 2010, at least 3 research works will be published regarding the LiDAR research, the definition of 5 allometric models and the assessment of carbon stocks in both litter and soil.

   

• Use of Satellite Imagery and GIS Solutions

  Open

  1. Land-use stratification
  2. Production of 3D computer-generated images via LiDAR technology
  3. Historical deforestation rates assessment
  4. Development of an alternative method to evaluate Above-Ground-Biomass
  5. Spatial location of carbon stocks in both litter and soil

• Local Actions

  Open

  According to the previously described Work Plan, the project will be promoting and developing sustainable agricultural and forestry practices, as well as generating additional revenue for the people.

• Partners involved in project

  Open
  For the carbon assessment activities:
  - Carnegie Institution for Science (Stanford University)
  - CIRAD
  - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)/Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (MNHN)
  - ESSA: University of Agricultural Science of Madagascar
  - IOGA: Institute and Observatory of Geophysics of Antananarivo (Madagascar)
  - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
  - ONF International
  - University of Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée
  
  For the forest conservation activities:
  - Ministry of Environment, Forest and Tourism
  - Region leaders
  - Regional Directors of Rural Development
  - Local authorities
  - WWF partners involved in conservation programmes