Empowering Community EbA in Madagascar’s Globally Important Wetlands
Project Information
WWT aims to enhance biodiversity, boost livelihoods and fight climate change through the improved management of inland wetlands in Madagascar.
This project will help Madagascar improve resilience to climate change in its globally important wetlands through the development of a number of capacities for local managers, the tools to identify climate change vulnerabilities, the means to develop and share Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) responses, and a sustainable financing mechanism to deliver EbA plans, within the Madagascar Community Wetland Fund.
The project will be implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (WWT’s host ministry and the Ramsar Focal Point) and the Madagascar Protected Areas and Biodiversity Fund (FAPBM), Africa’s largest sustainable financing mechanism for biodiversity conservation, which manages a capital endowment of USD 140m (2024 figures).
These measures will also help Madagascar to meet its obligations to expand the Ramsar network, which at the moment depends largely on the long-term support of NGOs and global conservation funders.
Project Status:
During the first half of 2026, the Community Wetland Fund achieved significant milestones in catalysing community-led EbA. Following the successful launch of the Call for Proposals in Boriziny in January 2026, new collaborative frameworks were established with WWT partners Wildlife Network Madagascar (WNM) and the Peregrine Fund (TPF) and their respective community based organizations (VOIs) in Bealanana and Ambilobe.
The initiative has directly empowered nine fishermen’s associations and seven VOIs to implement integrated EbA activities alongside sustainable livelihood activities. These beneficiaries have notably enhanced their technical knowledge through various trainings and strengthened their climate resilience through the activities implemented. They increase their ability to manage wetland ecosystems in the face of climate shocks.
In early June 2026, to ensure high-quality delivery, a mid-term capacity assessment was conducted for all active grantees in Boriziny. The process led to a findings restitution and capitalization workshop with regional stakeholders in late June 2026. The results successfully helped us consolidated lessons learned and set the strategy for our third round of small grants, later in 2026.
