Complex Deforestation Patterns in and Around the Protected Areas of Madagascar from 2015 to 2023

F. Ollier D. Andrianambinina (), Jörg Ulrich Ganzhorn (), Patrick O. Waeber and Lucienne Wilmé
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F. Ollier D. Andrianambinina: Madagascar National Parks, Ambatobe, BP 1424, Antananarivo 103, Madagascar
Jörg Ulrich Ganzhorn: Department of Biology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
Patrick O. Waeber: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Länggasse 85, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
Lucienne Wilmé: Madagascar Program, World Resources Institute Africa, 29 Lalana Printsy Ratsimamanga, BP 3884, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Madagascar’s protected areas (PAs) play a critical role in biodiversity conservation, yet deforestation continues to threaten both their integrity and surrounding landscapes. This study assesses deforestation patterns inside and within a 5 km buffer zone around terrestrial PAs from 2015 to 2023, using improved remote sensing data based on Landsat 8. We examine the influence of governance, PA category, proximity to infrastructure, and human population dynamics on deforestation rates. Our results illustrate that PAs categorized under IUCN I to IV generally experience lower deforestation rates inside their boundaries than PAs in categories V and VI. The latter often mirror the deforestation patterns observed in their surrounding buffer zones. Additionally, larger PAs, PAs with greater road accessibility, and areas experiencing migration-driven land-use changes exhibit higher amounts of deforestation. We highlight the role of buffer zones as deforestation absorbers and discuss the need for adaptive governance strategies that integrate local socio-economic realities to enhance conservation effectiveness. These findings offer critical insights for improving Madagascar’s PA management and broader land-use planning.

Keywords: buffer zone; governance; land-use change; remote sensing; IUCN categories; biodiversity conservation; forest cover loss; Madagascar; deforestation; protected areas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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