Protecting Threatened Lemur Habitat in Madagascar

SEED’s project to conserve lemur habitats in the Sainte Luce littoral forest (SLLF) will soon enter its sixth year. The project aims to improve the environment for endangered lemur species by protecting the existing forest areas and increasing the number of connections – or ‘corridors’ – between them by reforestation and thus expanding the available habitat. Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet and littoral forests are among its most threatened ecosystems – a fact which has led to lemurs being one of the world’s most endangered species.

Much progress has been made in the five years so far, and many things have been learned in partnership with local communities. Five forest corridors have been established to date. Improved techniques to nurture tree seedlings have been found. In coordination with villages in and around SLLF better fire prevention and management strategies have been devised. Further, improved sustainable forest management techniques have been implemented to increase the economic security of those whose livelihoods depend on the forest’s resources. Five years of data have been gathered on the species and populations of fauna residing within the area, contributing to international knowledge on biodiversity and reforestation techniques. SEED has identified areas of the forest that are critical to the preservation of specific species of lemur which improves SEED’s ability to campaign for the continued protected status of SLLF.

Significant challenges remain: threats of deforestation from economic pressures and climate change leading to hotter and drier seasons which increases the risk of forest fires. As the project to conserve SLLF as a vital habitat for lemurs continues into its sixth year, we remain enormously grateful to all donors and supporters who make the project possible.