Madagascar is one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet, the result of 160 million years of isolation from the African mainland. More than 80% of its species are not found anywhere else on Earth. However, this highly diverse flora and fauna is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and the island has been classified as one of the world's highest conservation priorities.

Drawing on insights from geography, anthropology, sustainable development, political science and ecology, this book provides a comprehensive assessment of the status of conservation and environmental management in Madagascar. It describes how conservation organisations have been experimenting with new forms of protected areas, community-based resource management, ecotourism, and payments for ecosystem services. But the country must also deal with pressing human needs. The problems of poverty, development, environmental justice, natural resource use and biodiversity conservation are shown to be interlinked in complex ways. Authors address key questions, such as who are the winners and losers in attempts to conserve biodiversity? And what are the implications of new forms of conservation for rural livelihoods and environmental justice?

About the Author

Ivan R. Scales is McGrath Lecturer in Human Geography, St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge, UK.

Reviews

"The relations between society and nature in Madagascar are complex and often misunderstood. This book offers new light on this subject by exploring the social, political and economic dimensions of conservation and development challenges." - W.M. Adams, Moran Professor of Conservation and Development, University of Cambridge, UK

"The challenges laid down by Scales are a must read for those seeking to understand the current plight of the island and anyone with an interest in the environmental future of Madagascar... It is a timely text that should be required reading for anyone seeking to acquaint themselves with the environmental problems of Madagascar. The work offers very good socio-economic and political background on the island's conservation history, and, with an eye to the future, the concluding chapter offers suggested research and policy priorities that need to be addressed." - Clive Nuttman in Conservation Biology (2015)

"It tries to look at both the misinformation that has underlain much of the received wisdom on conservation in Madagascar, while also examining in considerable detail the politics of conservation and environmental management... In summary, a useful book." - Bulletin of the British Ecological Society

"The volume is highly interdisciplinary and international, and its overarching concern is the sometimes cooperative, sometimes antagonistic relationship between environmental conservation and human development. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and researchers/faculty." - CHOICE, W. Arens, Stony Brook University

Book Information
ISBN 9780415528764
Author Ivan R. Scales
Format Paperback
Page Count 398
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 740g