Madagascar reaffirmed its commitment to the Kunming-Montreal global framework during the COP17 on biological diversity. According to Global Voices en Español, the meeting took place between 19 and 30 October 2026 in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. The country took the opportunity to present what it is doing for land and marine ecosystems.
A network of 155 protected areas
Global Voices interviewed Tojotsara Ratefason, the Malagasy government's representative at the meeting. Within the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, she heads the directorate responsible for protected areas, renewable resources and ecosystems. She said Madagascar is confident it can contribute to the global 30×30 target, both on land and at sea.
Ratefason indicated that, according to the figures her country presents, the national network comprises 155 protected zones, both terrestrial and marine. She described this as an achievement to build on. In her view, however, success is not measured by counting areas or hectares: what matters is keeping safe the ecosystems, species and habitats that set the island apart.
National roadmap and local communities
As a guide for its policy, the official cited the national reference document known by its French acronym, SPANB. As she explained, this text sets the country's course on conservation, sustainable use and the exploitation of its natural wealth, and makes it possible to put into practice domestically the commitments undertaken under the convention on biological diversity, to which Madagascar is a party.
Ratefason maintained that conservation cannot depend on government decisions alone. In her opinion, it requires a joint effort by institutions, those who manage the areas and the people living in those zones. She added that the ministry wants to promote green jobs and economic opportunities linked to biodiversity, so that people see concrete benefits.
Funding and benefit sharing
On the money available, the director noted that Madagascar is among the planet's 17 megadiverse countries, something that, in her view, strengthens its position in international cooperation. She said the country has received support from the Global Environment Facility, known in English as GEF.
Raising funds is not enough, she added: her intention is for that money to reach the local communities living next to the protected areas, for example through sustainable productive projects that give them income without depleting nature.
Sources
- Global Voices en Español (CC BY 3.0)
