Coastal Communities in Madagascar

URI-CRC is a member of the Pact Consortium on the USAID Hay Tao Madagascar, bringing our expertise on integrated coastal management for improved governance of coastal areas, better fisheries management, resilient marine protected areas and sustainable livelihoods of coastal communities.

The overall goal of USAID Hay Tao is to enhance the enabling environment for effective community-based management and protection of biodiversity resources in Madagascar through a number of targeted interventions. To reach this goal, the Consortium will use a variety of tools and methods to conserve biodiversity and promote climate-resilient livelihoods in Madagascar by improving and harmonizing policies and legal frameworks related to land tenure, wildlife and natural resources, and by empowering stakeholders (Government of Madagascar, Civil Society Organizations, NGOs, communities, private sector…) to participate in developing and implementing sound policies at all levels of governance.

Through an integrated landscape/seascape approach, USAID Hay Tao will link biodiversity conservation with a variety of development sectors at the national level, such as the Ministry of Environment, Ecology, and Forests, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and other Ministries and partners focused on social sectors like health, land tenure, water and sanitation, and others involved in social and economic support programs. In addition, USAID Hay Tao will explicitly support the efforts of USAID Mikajy in its implementation sites, the Makira and Masoala Parks and Antongil Bay (MaMaBay) area and the Menabe landscapes and seascapes.

For more information on this project, contact Sarah Gaines at sgaines@uri.edu or Karen Kent at karenkent@uri.edu