WWT has been instrumental in preparing Madagascar’s first National Wetland Strategy, to address gaps in the national data and information infrastructure. Priorities include strategic objectives on improving knowledge on wetland status, monitoring change and management effectiveness across sites, better understanding of threats, ensuring wetland values are considered across multiple development sectors, and dissemination of information and knowledge products. 

By combining existing datasets with interpreted, free satellite imagery to measure key variables such as wetland extent and sedimentation rates, the national Wetland Knowledge Base (WKB) will allow integrated monitoring of land use pressures and key variables across Madagascar’s priority wetlands.

Compiled data will in turn support the work of the National Wetland Committee’s 12 members to deliver the National Wetland Strategy, allowing regional authorities to monitor and manage local wetlands and wetland biodiversity, and giving site managers access data and analysis tools that would otherwise be far beyond their reach.

This project will meet data needs through a participatory, action-learning process with key national stakeholders. The creation of a foundational national Wetland Knowledge Base will be a groundbreaking geospatial database with storage, analysis, presentation and reporting tools that will be publicly available and accessible.

Objective 1 – Establish the WKB development project with key national stakeholders 

Stakeholder ownership of the WKB will be established through a Project Steering Group which will provide overall direction in terms of defining end uses, ensuring wide accessibility, coordinating the provision of data (eg, from government sources) and integrating it with the wetland management and reporting requirements of the Malagasy government. Stakeholder workshops will be used to agree scope, priorities and workplan for the final development of the WKB. The Project Steering Group will meet regularly throughout the project.

Objective 2 – Build an initial structure and contents of the WKB using existing data-sets 

This element will be led by the project team in Madagascar, following priorities identified by the Project Steering Group. The team, with technical support from WWT UK, will establish a digital infrastructure for the acquisition, storage, processing and dissemination of wetland monitoring and status data, which will be the backbone of the WKB. This will first be populated with data from existing datasets that will be collated from multiple published and unpublished sources by the project team, as directed by the Project Steering Group.

Objective 3 – Develop and test methods for Madagascar-led monitoring of Malagasy wetlands using Earth Observation (EO) 

Project technical partner DHI will develop and test methods for EO mapping and monitoring of wetlands to enhance the knowledge base on freshwater biodiversity and freshwater ecosystem services. This will provide mapping capability to the WKB for the visualization of indicators on state of and pressures on wetlands, to support and improve their management. Algorithms developed through this method will be ground-truthed through existing data and field surveys by the Madagascar project team. 

Objective 4 – Build sustainable capacity for ongoing management and delivery of the WKB 

Stakeholder capacity and training needs for ongoing management of the WKB will be met through the following: 

• Fifteen free places on WWT’s new Wetland Learning Hub training course for in-service wetland managers
• Two exchange visits of Malagasy technical staff and MEDD with international partners
• Knowledge sharing with international partners at the annual Ramsar site managers meeting, convened by WWT
• Field testing of appropriate ‘low cost high-tech’ options for site monitoring 
• Work with ten university partners to involve local students in ground-truthing fieldwork and analysis and joint research projects to facilitate the use of low-cost monitoring equipment in the field.

Harison Andriambelo
Following two Master’s II degrees, Harison spent 2011 to 2017 in a range of conservation roles, conducting species and habitat assessments and developing field research skills. Since May 2017 Harison has worked to build the WWT program in Madagascar, initially focused on the Madagascar Pochard, then broadening activities to include site-based interventions in neglected wetlands in the central highlands, and a program of support to the government and Malagasy students. Harison now leads a team of Malagasy conservationists, providing both management and technical support across WWT’s strategic program of work. He is interested in tackling continental wetland conservation and wise-use.

Mark Grindley
Mark’s early love of the outdoors has led to a more than 20-year career in conservation. As Senior Project Manager, Mark develops and supports delivery of WWT’s strategic plan in Madagascar and other countries, while also providing technical support and input in areas such as climate vulnerability assessment, ecosystems services assessments, site management planning, communications and sustainable financing. Mark is based near WWT’s headquarters in UK, but travels regularly to Madagascar. His main interest is the political and human aspects of biodiversity conservation, particularly through applied research, policy development, monitoring, sustainable livelihoods and community empowerment.