Source: UNESCO
Context: UNESCO’s BIOCOM programme in Madagascar is empowering local youth with vocational skills, offering sustainable livelihoods and reducing pressure on forest ecosystems such as the Montagne des Français Reserve.
About UNESCO’s BIOCOM Programme:
- What it is: The Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Natural Resource Management for Integrated Community Development (BIOCOM) is a flagship UNESCO initiative promoting conservation-linked livelihood generation in Madagascar.
- Launched by: UNESCO, in collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
- Launched in: 2020, implemented across Madagascar’s Montagne des Français, Marojejy, and Andohahela protected areas.
- Aim: To conserve biodiversity while enhancing socio-economic resilience among local communities vulnerable to climate change and unsustainable forest exploitation.
- Key Features of BIOCOM Programme:
- Sustainable Livelihood Training: Offers training in masonry, metalwork, eco-tourism, cooking, and basketry to create alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture and illegal logging.
- Community Participation: Sets up local forest governance and conflict management systems like “dina” contracts to reduce ecological damage.
- Ecological Protection: Supports carbon sequestration, watershed preservation, and forest connectivity to counter deforestation and biodiversity loss.
- Educational Empowerment: Establishes environmental education and sustainable development awareness, especially among women and school dropouts.
- Resilience Against Climate Change: Targets Forest regeneration and flood prevention in erosion-prone zones by integrating nature-based solutions.
