Indigenous Peoples march with an anti-REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestion and Forest Degradation) banner in Durban, South Africa to protest the UN Climate Conference. Indigenous Peoples are especially at risk in carbon off-set schemes like REDD. Photo: Langelle for GJEP (2011)

REDD-Monitor 27 February 2020

The Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor is an extremely biodiverse area of forest in the eastern part of Madagascar. It is one of the largest remaining areas of rainforest in the country. The Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor was designated as a national park in 2015.

In 2007, Conservation International started a REDD project in the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor, with support from the World Bank. Conservation International paints the project as a success on its website:

Together with the government, nonprofits and local communities, our work is helping to keep the forest healthy for the nearly 325,000 people who call the area home and the millions more who depend on it.

But academic research carried out in the project area found that the project is not compensating the poorest of the poor – those who are most affected by the restrictions on forest use.

In 2016, sapphires were discovered inside the project area. The result was a sapphire rush, with tens of thousands of people moving into the National Park and clearing the forest.

To read more visit REDD-Monitor.