Amoron’i Onilahy - Fondation pour les Aires Protégées et la Biodiversité de Madagascar

Manager

WWF

Area

100 482 ha

Geographic Location

Toliara Province; Atsimo Andrefana Region; Toliara II and Betioky Sud Districts

International label

Key Biodiversity Area, RAMSAR Site, Biosphere Reserve with Tsimanampetsotse, Important Plant Area

Flagship Species

Amoron’i Onilahy is dominated by dry thorny thickets from Andranomay to Saint-Augustin, and features various wetland systems (lakes, marshes, etc.). Its flora includes elements typical of the dry thorny thicket of the south-west, riparian species along the banks of the Onilahy river as well as species endemic to the region (Amoron’i Onilahy and Tsinjoriake) such as Crotalaria poissonii, which is on the IUCN red list of endangered species. Two plant families endemic to Madagascar are found in the NPA, namely Physenaceae and Sphaerosepalaceae. In terms of fauna, the site is home to a wide variety of bats and several reptile species.

Primates

8 species

2 critically endangered (e.g., Verreaux’s sifaka), 3 endangered (e.g., ring-tailed lemur), and 1 vulnerable

Birds

89 species

3 endangered (e.g., Madagascar grebe) and 1 locally endemic species classified as vulnerable

Reptiles

54 species

1 critically endangered (radiated tortoise) and 4 vulnerable

Amphibians

6 species

Bats

15 species

2 vulnerable (e.g., Madagascar flying fox)

Carnivores

2 species

1 vulnerable (fossa)

Plants

107 species

88 endemic to Madagascar, with at least 3 classified as endangered and 1 as vulnerable, 3 locally endemic, including 1 critically endangered and 1 vulnerable.

Landscapes and habitats

Dry dense forest, dry thorny scrub, grassland and secondary pasture, wetlands.

Pressures and threats

Mining, deforestation, selective logging, hunting, various collecting, charcoal production, uncontrolled fires, overfishing.

The financial support from the FAPBM to the new protected area of Amoron’i Onilahy began in 2024. The funding provided ensures the implementation of conservation activities (patrols and monitoring, ecological monitoring, ecological restoration, awareness-raising), support to communities, and covers part of the salary and operational costs of the management unit.

Economic value

The main component of the rural economy in the Amoron’i Onilahy area is agriculture. The Onilahy River is a central element in this practice, as the “baiboho” along its banks constitute one of the main agricultural production areas. The protected area plays an important role in managing the river basin and its tributaries, as it helps stabilize the riverbed by limiting the silting of alluvial soil.The protected area also contains several ecotourism potentials due to its biodiversity and the richness of its aesthetically pleasing natural sites. For example, some of the attractions that could be promoted for ecotourism include: rafting on the Onilahy River, caves, natural pools, hot springs, and many other attractions around wetland areas.

Initiatives of the populations

WWF and the local community collaborate to implement participatory management of the protected area. Four units make up this management structure, namely: - WWF, - The Technical Cells of the OPCI OHEMIHA (Public Inter-communal Cooperation Body - Onilahy HEnane MItambatse Handroso), - The Dina Monitoring and Enforcement Cell (CSAD), - The Local Management Unit (ULG), through which local communities are involved. The responsibility of these communities is to ensure the implementation of the Action Plan (PAG), coordination of activities, enforcement of Dina regulations, and monitoring and surveillance of the protected area zones and transferred sites.Additionally, traditional authorities, called “Nahoda be” (considered patriarchs in the community), work with local authorities to maintain order and support the conservation and promotion of the area.

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