ANTANANARIVO — The U.S. Government, through the United State Agency for International Development (USAID), has officially launched two new projects benefiting Madagascar’s environmental sector. The projects – USAID Hay Tao and USAID Mikajy – will focus on strengthening community-based management of natural resources. USAID Hay Tao will bolster national-level information, policies and systems, and USAID Mikajy will support local communities in western and northeastern Madagascar to sustainably manage and benefit from their natural resources. Both projects are will operate for five years and are worth a combined $45 million USD.

In his remarks, U.S. Chargé d’Affairs, Stuart Wilson, emphasized that the U.S. Government was: “thrilled to be relaunching a sizeable program in the environmental sector,” and underlined the financial and cultural benefits that strong environmental management can bring by drawing parallels between Madagascar’s unique environment and the United States’ system of national parks.

USAID Madagascar’s Acting Mission Director, Linda Gregory, made the case that Madagascar’s rich biodiversity can be used for the country’s economic and social growth. “We believe in the concept that “Biodiversity is development,” she said.

Gregory asserted that local communities must be engaged and must benefit from the proceeds of their natural resources in order for conservation to be successful. “Simply put, without the support, participation, and leadership of local communities, we cannot protect these environments,” said Gregory.

Madagascar’s Minister of Environment, Ecology, and Forests, Guillaume Venance Randriatefiarison and the Representative of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources were also on hand to help launch the projects.

The two projects are the largest parts of USAID’s Conservation and Communities Program, which is designed to provide environmental protection while simultaneously lifting the fortunes of local communities by giving them a bigger say in the management of their local resources, promoting sustainable community development, and creating related jobs.

USAID Hay Tao is the knowledge management portion of CCP and will develop tools and approaches for community-led development. It will be implemented by Pact, an international development organization which will lead a consortium of partners, including the World Resources Institute and the U.S.-based University of Rhode Island - Coastal Resources Center.

USAID Mikajy focuses on two regions rich in biodiversity and economic potential – Menabe in the west and an area in the northeast consisting of protected rainforest landscapes and seascapes, anchored by Makira and Masoala Parks and Antongil Bay. Known collectively as MaMaBay. USAID Mikajy is being implemented by Tetra Tech, with sub-partners including theWildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the National Cooperative Business Association Cooperative League of the USA (NCBA-CLUSA), the Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO), Viamo and the Multi-Sector Information Service (MSIS).

About USAID Madagascar

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the U.S. Government’s preeminent foreign assistance agency. USAID Madagascar officially opened its field office in September of 1984. In 2017, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided approximately $83 million in development assistance plus $19 million in emergency assistance to the Malagasy people, with programs that include investments in health, food security, environment, and governance programs.  For more information on USAID Madagascar and our projects, visit www.usaid.gov/madagascar.