P A G E 2
J U L Y 2 0 1 5
V O L . 4 , N O . 1
Extensive New Boundary Demarcation of Marojejy Nat’l Park
Continued
(Ormsby and Kaplan, 2005), 210,000 ha (Kremen et al., 1999). The difference between the
lowest and highest Masoala estimate is considerable at 20,000 ha or 200 km2 which is
larger than Ankarana or Amber Mountain National Parks or nearly 7 times the size of
Betampona Reserve. In fact, considerable deforestation has been documented inside
Masoala since 2009, when the last political crisis began (Allnutt et al., 2013).
Clear and thorough boundary demarcation has been frequently reported as an
effective management strategy for national parks and reserves around the world. So long
as the boundary regions are not contested by local communities, improved demarcation
can prevent future conflict, while providing jobs and demonstrating that conservation is
active and present in even very remote areas of a reserve. One landmark study in the
journal Science examined park effectiveness in 93 protected areas across 22 tropical
countries. Anthropogenic threats, such as land clearing, selective logging, fire, and
hunting, were significantly minimized by the extent of boundary demarcation as well as
density of park rangers, probability that violators would be apprehended and receive
sanctions, as well as direct compensation to local communities if impacted by a protected
area (Bruner et al., 2001). Similarly, Gibson et al. (2005) evaluated effectiveness of forest
management practices across 12 countries and found that regular forest monitoring and
enforcement of park rules (such as boundary lines) were the most important factors for
successful protected area management. The Marojejy National Park Director and staff
echo these sentiments and have been extremely enthusiastic about SAVA Conservation
continuing this program in Marojejy National Park.
Allnutt, T. F., Asner, G. P., Golden, C. D., & Powell, G. V. (2013). Mapping recent
deforestation and forest disturbance in northeastern
Madagascar.Tropical Conservation
Science,
6(1), 1-15.
Bruner, A. G., Gullison, R. E., Rice, R. E., & Da Fonseca, G. A. (2001). Effectiveness of
parks in protecting tropical biodiversity.
Science
, 291(5501), 125-128.
Gezon, L.L. (1997) Institutional structure and the effectiveness of integrated
conservation and development projects: case study from Madagascar.
Human
Organization
56(4): 462–470.
Gibson, C. C., Williams, J. T., & Ostrom, E. (2005). Local enforcement and better forests.
World Development,
33(2), 273-284.
IUCN and UNEP-WCMC (n.d.),
The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA)
[On-
line]. Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC. Available at:
[Accessed
10/05/2015].
Kremen, C., Razafimahatratra, V., Guillery, R. P., Rakotomalala, J., Weiss, A., &
Ratsisompatrarivo, J. S. (1999). Designing the Masoala National Park in Madagascar based
on biological and socioeconomic data.
Conservation Biology,
13(5), 1055-1068.
Ormsby, A., & Kaplin, B. A. (2005). A framework for understanding community resident
perceptions of Masoala National Park,
Madagascar. Environmental Conservation
, 32(02),
156-164.
Schweter, M. (2008). Clarification de la limite du Parc National de Marojejy. Association
pour la Gestion des Aires Protégées/KfW. Parc National de Marojejy. 43 pp.
