Madagascar relies heavily on natural resource conservation through nationally adopted Marine Protected Areas and Locally Managed Marine Areas. However, only 1-2% of Madagascar’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is under the formal protection as MPAs, and most of the coastal areas are informally regulated or managed as legitimate multiple use zones.

University of Rhode Island – Coastal Resources Center, through its Madagascar team, and in partnership with US-based experts, will enhance the impacts of MPAs by positioning them within a broader Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) framework. They will apply tools developed over the past five years of work in Madagascar at an appropriate scaled case at Nosy Be Island, while reinforcing the role and voice of communities in this framework.

This innovation aims to develop an MSP framework that will incorporate participation from Madagascar’s coastal communities including fishers’ associations, tourism operators and other marine users to ensure that ecosystem services are sustained effectively, and equitable benefits are provided.