Forest conservation projects in the global South often fail to protect forests and improve local livelihoods because of local people’s heavy dependence on land for agriculture. In this way, primary forests in Madagascar and elsewhere remain under threat. However, there is evidence that collaborative processes, such as a community-led management of forests, are effective at safeguarding valuable ecosystems.
Small grant schemes to kick-start locally created ideas
The project Landscape Stewardship for Nature and People (LSNP) combines a collaborative approach with a small-grant scheme for entrepreneurship on behalf of non-depleting resource use. The project offers small grants to kick-start locally created ideas that have trouble finding venture capital. For example, in Fizono village, bordering the Masoala National Park in north-eastern Madagascar, the project is supporting co-design and implementation of small development projects that observe one clear boundary condition: natural capital must not be reduced.
Implementation via a multi-stakeholder platform and partnership
LSNP works with an existing multi-stakeholder platform to ensure that all supported activities:
- make use of new technical possibilities;
- are co-designed with land users;
- increase social coherence;
- consider the local context.
In addition, LSNP provides capacity training for grantees tailored to implementation of the funded projects, while continuously monitoring the collaborative process and activities supported by the small grants.
Following successful implementation of the pilot project in Fizono village, the evaluated and adapted project structure will be ready for scale-up. In a next phase, two to five additional villages will be selected to relaunch the co-design process together with experienced partners from the first phase.
