Assessing the effectiveness of the Malagasy protected area network
Research summary
We investigate the effectiveness of the Madagascar Protected Area network in decreasing deforestation rates and forest fires, accounting for confounding factors such as remoteness and accessibility. We will apply matching methods to get an overall assessment of the effectiveness of the PA network and look at the potential links to governance and protected area management.
Description
Networks of protected areas form the backbone for biodiversity conservation in many countries. However, there are constant pressures towards the forests in PAs and illegal deforestation has been reported. The effectiveness of protected areas have been studied and it has been shown that confounding factors that are correlated with both protection and extractive behaviors affect the outcomes. We will explore this in the Madagascar setting. The work has clear practical implications for the conservation of Madagascar’s biodiversity and the results are of potential interest for both NGOs and the Madagascar National Park administration.
More information
Research info
Research title
Assessing the effectiveness of the Malagasy protected area network
Research timeline
1.1.2010 - 1.4.2015
Keywords
biodiversity conservation deforestation effectiveness governance management protected area
Region
Africa
Countries
Finland, Madagascar
Institution
University of Helsinki
Department of Biosciences
Helsinki, Finland
Head of research
Dr. Mar Cabeza
Research team
Dr. Mar Cabeza, MSc. Johanna Eklund, Dr. Tarmo Virtanen, MSc. Ricardo Rocha, Dr. Lauren Coad
Partners
Department of Environmental Sciences; University of Helsinki, University of Oxford, University of Lisbon, Madagascar National Parks
Contact information
Johanna Eklund
+358 (0)9 191 57748
johanna.f.eklund@helsinki.fi
Open link
Record last updated
10.12.2013