ABSTRACT
In the introduction to this volume, I set out the central challenge of conservation and environmental management in Madagascar: how to protect biodiversity at the same time as delivering economic growth and creating alternative livelihoods that place less pressure on ecosystems. The chapters that make up this book reveal the considerable size of this task. There is no doubt that Madagascar has experienced significant habitat loss and species extinction, with important implications not only for the island's biodiversity but also for the people who rely directly on its ecosystems for their livelihoods.
