We welcome in the new year with a report from JRS grantee Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT).  The WWT project Madagascar Wetlands Knowledge Database aims to establish a national data and biodiversity information infrastructure for managers and stakeholders of the country’s 21 Ramsar sites. Project priorities focus on making wetlands data freely accessible, monitoring change and management across sites, addressing data gaps and ensuring wetland values are considered across multiple development sectors.

On December 12, 2024, the first Groupe de Travail Technique (GTT) meeting was held in Antananarivo, with participation from representatives of Malagasy ministries, Ramsar site managers and stakeholders, as well as members from universities and environmental research centres. Ms Andoniaina Narisoa, the Ramsar Focal Point for Madagascar, opened the meeting by encouraging active participation.

The meeting was attended by 26 participants, mainly technical staff. The objectives of the meeting were to ensure that: (i) all stakeholders had access to the same information about the project; (ii) the coordination strategy and working methodology were clearly defined and aligned with the project’s requirements, and that the technical working group was established and operational; (iii) the technical specifications and functionalities of the portal were clearly defined in advance; and (iv) the partner agencies for hosting the database were identified ahead of time.

The group carried out an exercise to prioritise the data identified at the launch workshop in June 2024. They also identified the Direction de la Communication et du Système d’Information (DCSI) of the Ministère de l’Environnement et du Développement  Durable (MEDD) and the Office National pour l’Environnement (ONE) as potential partners for hosting the WKB online database.

Read more about the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Madagascar Wetlands Knowledge Database project here.