Conservation Allies and USAID Collaborate to Relocate Families in Madagascar

Madagascar's forests are under threat due to poverty, leading to rapid deforestation and endangering wildlife, particularly in the Menabe Antimena area. To address this issue, USAID, with support from Conservation Allies, is facilitating the voluntary relocation of families from protected areas to farmable land. This initiative aims to reduce deforestation and protect biodiversity by providing relocated families with land ownership and support.

In the Menabe Antimena Protected Area, illegal deforestation for agriculture is rampant. This region is critical for conservation, housing species found nowhere else, including Madame Berthe's mouse lemur. Over 50% of its forests have been lost in the past 15 years.

USAID Mikajy, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, collaborates with local authorities to relocate families to Bezeky. This land is non-forested state property, and each family will receive full ownership of five acres after four years. USAID provides alternative income opportunities, sustainable agriculture training, and necessary support.

Conservation Allies contributed by ensuring law enforcement protection for the 200 families relocating to Bezeky, allowing them to invest in their new land and improve its productivity, rather than continuing deforestation in Menabe Antimena.