Deforestation of Madagascar
In January 2008, dozens of experts from the Madagascar government and conservation agencies met to create a plan for protecting the island’s unique wildlife from climate change. These experts recommended reducing deforestation in Madagascar’s remaining forests, and restoring natural forests along river corridors and between forest fragments to create escape routes for wildlife. As an economist, it is my job to determine how much it might cost to implement this plan in a few zones most important for range-shifting species. I visit the managers of natural reforestation projects and ask them how much they’ve spent and what they’ve achieved. I also talk to the managers of wood substitution projects, in which plantation forests are grown to provide a cheaper alternative to natural forests for supplying firewood, charcoal, and construction wood.
