By Ed Harris
Port Louis - The Indian Ocean island of Madagascar has reduced the destruction of its protected forests eight-fold as it tries to preserve its unique wildlife and earn more from tourists, conservation officials say.
Home to hundreds of species from chameleons and lemurs to magnificent baobab trees, the world's fourth largest island aims to keep 6 million hectares, or about 10 percent of its surface area, as nature reserves.
Satellite images show deforestation has fallen in those areas to 0,1 percent per year of existing forest from 0,8 percent in the 1990s, conservation groups and the government say.
"We need to do a lot. But the important thing is that the trend is in the right direction, which is not the case for every country in the world," James MacKinnon, who works for Conservation International in Madagascar, said.
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Deforestation across Madagascar has come down to 0,5 percent, MacKinnon added. The main causes of forest destruction in Madagascar are clearing trees for farms and burning wood to make charcoal.
Since President Marc Ravalomanana vowed to ramp up environmental protection in 2003, a combination of tree-planting, community involvement and the extension of reserves have all contributed to less deforestation.
More than 90 percent of the mammals which inhabit Madagascar are found nowhere else while all but one of its 217 species of amphibians are endemic.
"We have a unique biodiversity. Eighty percent of our species are endemic. Our neighbouring countries like Mauritius, the Seychelles or even Reunion cannot compete with us in this respect," the environment and tourism minister, Harison Edmond Randriarimanana said.
"We are going to sell this to tourists."
Conservationist MacKinnon said protection of the forests would also help to combat climate change.
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