Mariarano Protected Reforestation, Madagascar
Location
Madagascar
Tree Target
500,000
Solution Type
Protected Reforestation
Programme Type
Dedicated Site
Project Location
Fact File
🐦 The area is a hotspot for birds and provides shelter for several species, including the endemic Madagascar Scops Owl (Otus rutilus) and the Hook-billed Vanga (Vanga curvirostris).
🐒 It is also home to different lemur species: the common brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus) and the critically endangered Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli).
🐝 In 2022, a new species of Afrotropical wasps was discovered in the Mariarano mangrove and dry-deciduous complex.
Partnership &
Certification
About this Project
The Problem
Mariarano is a thriving rural municipality with a population of approximately 2,000 people. Exploitation pressure has increased over time, and easy access across the ocean has enabled wood extraction. Degradation of the mangrove ecosystem along the Mariarano Estuary leaves coastal communities vulnerable to storms and cyclones due to the lack of storm and erosion control that mangroves’ deep root systems normally would provide. Other ecosystem services, such as breeding and nursery habitats for fish and shellfish species, are threatened, resulting in a loss of livelihood for residents of the region.
The Solution
Benefex is partnering with Furthr to restore a severely degraded mangrove area located in the region of Mariarano. With an initial commitment to plant 492,500 trees over the course of 20 months, 24,625 trees will be planted each month from November 2023 onward. The restoration area covers a total of 1,060 hectares of mangrove forest.