Local funding mechanism to support co-management activities at Ankivonjy MPA while improving living conditions for local communities
The Ankivonjy Marine Protected Area (MPA) (IUCN category V) covers 7 fokontany (municipalities) with almost 3,700 inhabitants dependent on fishing, agriculture and tourism for their livelihood and development. It was handicapped by the absence of a local funding mechanism to support co-management activities. In addition, access to financial services (banking, microfinance) was limited, as the nearest branches are in Nosy Be and Ambanja, at least 2 hours away by pirogue. In addition, the poor use of financial resources by households living along the MPA and the absence of a savings culture increased fishing effort.
The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Ankivonjy Association set up the caisse bleue - a sustainable community financing mechanism comprising, among other things, a system of savings and credit by groups of up to 30 individuals with 3 funds: savings, social and a fund for the management of the MPA.
Photo and video gallery
Context
Challenges addressed
Location
Impacts
Thanks to the "caisse bleue" local financing mechanism, improvements in community well-being are tangible: households have been able to meet their children's schooling needs, start up or strengthen small-scale livestock farming.
Currently, 7 Caisse Bleue groups spread over five fokontany areas -Ambaliabe, Ampasimena, Iranja, Mangirankirana and Marotogny- are operational in AMP Ankivonjy in 2022, the year of implementation of the mechanism, with the involvement of 151 individuals, 53% of whom are men and 47% women. The level of savings during this first savings cycle in 2022 is significant, reaching the sum of 2,700 USD (11.6 million Ar). The caisses bleues groups have allocated part of the savings to support community MPA management activities, such as the replacement of batteries for fishing catch monitoring equipment and the acquisition of solar mini-kits to charge electronic devices for community monitoring committees. In 2023, the Ambaliabe fokontany saw a second caisse bleue group, bringing the total number of caisse bleu groups in the AMP to eight.
Due to the voluntary nature of the creation of the blue box, and the endogenous factor - villagers' cohesion - for its operationalization, the blue box constitutes a financing option for the effective co-management of MPAs.
