SCGIS_Scholar_2016 Maholy Ravaloharimanitra
Maholy Ravaloharimanitra, The Aspinall Foundation, Madagascar
2016 Presentation (abstract below) 
Maholy Ravaloharimanitra
[ORGANIZATION DATA]
*-Organization name : The Aspinall Foundation Madagascar
*-Organization full street address (in your local format) : 41, Rue Kasanga Fernand Tsimbazaza
*-Organization full mailing address, if different:
*-Country : Madagascar
*-Work phone with country and area code : +261340751475
*-Work fax with country and area code:
*-Main email:
*-Organization Web site URL if any : http://www.aspinallfoundation.org/conservation
http://www.facebook.com/aspinallmadagascar
http://lemurconservationnetwork.org/organization/aspinall-foundation
describe the history of your personal work in conservation and GIS: I have designed The Aspinall Foundation’s database relating to lemur data collect in field. Primatologists periodically improve these databases, since 2012. I have accompanied, support and contributed to the success of the transfer of management of 4 COBA (organization of local communities having the same interest on natural resources into an association) for them to get their contract and I am now planning to implement at least 3 new process to get transfer of management contract for this year. These transfers of management area were delimited, using GPS and base map. And I have contributed to the elaboration and redaction of the article on transfer of management published by Lemur News n°17 (King et al, 2013)
I am responsible of the Environmental Education of local communities as well as capacity building of these COBA for them to get the necessary skills to manage their own association and their natural resources. The Primate Education for Network (PEN) story telling award on 2015 has just awarded my Education Education’s work.
describe the work that your current organization does:
The Aspinall Foundation is a NGO working with local partners to help protecting species from extinction. Here in Madagascar, our work is focusing on the conservation of critically endangered lemur species and its habitat from extinction. In order to achieve sustainable results on that, we are collaborating with local communities living within and around the forest area. We are helping them to draw their management plan using participatory mapping and support its implementation.
We are also running permanent research in field to monitor change on lemur population over time as well as threats and pressure and try to assess sustainability of the discovered population. Our 4 primatologists are working with 31 local rangers from 12 local communities and one new protected area. My role is coordinating and orienting primatologists and local rangers’ fieldwork and managing data collected. I am also the main responsible of local communities and transfer of management of natural resources to them. I am elaborating all the media support used for sensitization and education (calendar, school notebooks, posters…) And finally, since June 2013, I have been entrusted the responsibilities of leading and coordination as same as the oversight of the foundation’s project in Madagascar.
describe what is the most unique and the most challenging about the conservation/GIS work that you do: Lemur’s data in Madagascar is suffering from deficiency that it would be a shame to have data and not use them efficiently and successfully. Some part of the delimitation process is inaccessible, which caused the lack of tracks data for some part of the delimitation data. Zoning is not tracked on field but synthesized on map according the participatory mapping data elaborated with local communities. We have got helped by partners for the 3 previous transfer of management but we would like to be autonomous for the 3 proposed transfer of management.
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2016 PAPER TITLE: “GIS Analysis of time and weather influence on Prolemur simus’ behavior and home range inside the transfer of management area, case of the COBA Mamelontsoa, Madagascar”
ABSTRACT: " Starting in 2009, our Madagascar project has focused on the greater bamboo lemur (Prolemur simus). This species is locally known as “Godroka” and is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN since 2002. Until 2012, it was considered the 5th most endangered primate in the world. Many of the known sites where the species is occurring don't have a permanent protection status yet. However, local community organizations, known COBA, do exist at several sites. We are currently supervising 12 of these COBA, many of which still lack legal status and sufficient management capacity. In order to increase local capacity, we are closely working with 6 of those communities, emphasizing the reciprocal links between biodiversity and human action and wellbeing. We assist local communities in preserving their forests' biodiversity and vital resources and have started an easy management system, which is being implemented, followed and evaluated by the local community itself. We present VOI Mamelontsoa as a case study for that approach. The rainforest under their management covers about 4,000 ha in the Alaotra-Mangoro Region of eastern Madagascar. A grid reference system for monitoring lemurs and threats was established, covering the four Critically Endangered primate species of this forest (Prolemur simus, Varecia variegata, Propithecus diadema, Indri indri). Local monitoring agents also take notes when observing other animals. Community-based monitoring started in 2010 and was extended to plants last year. Monitoring plots are being used for a comprehensive floral inventory as well as for assessing forest dynamics. All monitoring data collected will help improve management by the local community, permitting to define zones of high conservation importance and others in which natural resources can be sustainably used. The data will result in an updated simplified development and management plan.
