Before the implementation of the BIOCOM project (Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resource for Integrated Community Development in Madagascar National Parks), Jaona Solo and other residents around Andohahela National Park faced a major problem: insufficient water for irrigating their land.
The challenge of water insufficiency
“I have 5 hectares of arable land, but due to the water shortage, I could only farm 3 hectares. With a production of less than 500 kg, the yields were insufficient. We were forced to resort to other activities to meet our needs. We relied heavily on the forest’s resources, to the detriment of preserving its resources: slash-and-burn farming, logging,” says Jaona, 56, a farmer living in the fokontany of Erara, Isaka-Ivondro Rural Commune, Fort-Dauphin City, Anôsy Region, Madagascar. “During the dry season, I was unable to provide for my family’s needs. Currently, not only am I able to provide for our needs, but the resale of part of my harvest has allowed me to renovate the roof of my house. And we still have enough to live on until the next harvest.”
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