A survey team recently recorded the Critically Endangered Sakalava rail (Amaurornis olivieri), one of Madagascar’s rarely seen birds, during a capacity-building project that included targeted surveys at high priority Important Bird Areas (IBAs).
The sighting of the bird at Lake Kinkony was an added bonus to a BirdLife International initiative to establish a Malagasy organization as an official partner, a long-term project which will help meet a critical need for conservation capacity building in Madagascar. Ultimately, the project will also help build a national constituency for bird and biodiversity conservation in this hotspot.
The project teamed up a working party of conservationists under the name BirdLife International Madagascar Project (BIMP) and members of Asity, a Malagasy bird conservation nongovernmental organization (NGO).
“Progress has been slow but steady,” Asity President Julien Ramanampamonjy says. “Now, however, the partnership between BIMP and Asity means the two organizations can better complement each other and jointly access various sources of funds, such as those from CEPF, to greater effect. I hope we can have a much greater impact on decisionmakers to conserve the biodiversity of our country, in particular the birds of Madagascar.”
Over the course of a year, the Malagasy team received training in institutional development, project management, finance, communications, database management and technical skills through on-site surveys such as the one that discovered the Sakalava rail, amongst other species.
“It shows that what can seem to be largely office-based capacity building actually allows teams to get out in the field and achieve important results for conservation,” says Roger Safford of BirdLife International.
With few established bird conservation NGOs in Madagascar, there has been little influence at policy level. Now, however, in the collaboration of Asity and BIMP there is the nucleus of a bird conservation organization that in two years time may be eligible to join the BirdLife Network and benefit from the authority, support and expertise that this could bring.
The new BirdLife partner would ultimately be equipped to implement communication, advocacy and awareness-raising programs; collaborate effectively with other national and international organizations and the Malagasy government; increase private sector support for conservation in Madagascar; and conserve important sites, species and habitats.
CEPF supported the capacity-building phase of this ongoing project as part of our strategic approach to integrate local groups and individuals in the management of protected areas in the hotspot.
Related story: BirdLife to Build Constituency for Conservation in Madagascar