Harison Andriambelo

Country Coordinator (Madagascar)

About me

I am an ecologist working on the conservation of Madagascar’s natural habitats and species. I have Masters Degrees in Plant Ecology and in Environment and Public Economy from the University of Antananarivo, which helped provide me with a broad understanding of community-based conservation in the region. I also have a foundation in Environmental Law which made me aware of the legislation and administrative / governmental procedures in the fields of conservation and rural development.

My vision is to set up mechanisms that support the conservation of Madagascar’s biodiversity whilst providing development opportunities for surrounding local people. Over the last five years I have been working closely with local / regional governments to develop, and achieve endorsement for, environmental and development plans related to protected areas. Working with WWF Madagascar, I have supported the designation of 10 Ramsar sites and contributed to the long-term management of their wetlands habitats. I am currently completing a PhD at the University of Antananarivo in Conservation Biodiversity Assessment.

My role

As WWT’s Wetland Technical Advisor in Madagascar, my role is to help design and implement WWT’s conservation and development work, including; ecological restoration, sustainable livelihoods, natural resource management, species recovery and national guidance and capacity building.

I am involved in work alongside the government to create a national approach for wetland conservation. Building upon WWT’s guidance for sustainable wetland management, I facilitate conferences for networks of wetland stakeholders and capacity building events and conservation status assessments. These include site-based workshops to collect baseline data on the conservation management effectiveness of Ramsar sites throughout the country using the Ramsar Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (R-METT). My work also includes habitat restoration at Lake Sofia, the release site of the Critically Endangered Madagascar Pochard.

Experience and interests

• Field surveys and ecological characterization of natural habitats
• Environmental and socio-economic impact analysis of projects, including conservation and mining sectors
• Restoration of natural habitats at landscape scale, including watershed and wetland habitats restoration
• Elaboration of management plans related to conservation and local development.
• Workshop facilitation
• GIS analysis and mapping technique based on remote sensing

Publications

Andriambelo H, Long PR, V. Rakotoarimanana (in prep). Land cover change processes in Mahamavo tropical dry forest, Western Madagascar. To be submitted to Remote sensing of environment.

Andriambelo H, Long PR, V. Rakotoarimanana (in prep). New tools for vegetation monitoring. To be submitted to Biotropica.

Andriambelo H, Long PR, V. Rakotoarimanana (in prep). Landscape scale consequences of dispersal traits of trees in a fragmented forest ecosystem: a case study of a tropical forest of Madagascar. To be submitted to Journal of Vegetation Science.

Rasoavahiny LH, Raharimaniraka L, Hutton J, Breha O, Andriambelo H, 2011. Inventaire des plantes médicinales se Vohimana Madagascar et propriétés ethno-médicales associées selon les savoirs-faire locaux rapportés. L’homme et l’environnement. 222p.

Andriambelo H, 2011. Evaluation integrée de l’impact du changement climatique sur Madagascar. Mémoire de fin d’études en Economie publique et environnement. Département d’Economie – Université d’Antananarivo.

Andriambelo H, 2010. Restauration écologique dans le Corridor forestier Fandriama-Marolambo. Mémoire de fin d’études en Biologie et Ecologie Végétales, Université d’Antananarivo.