PREVIEW

Incredible footage taken from drones is helping conservationists document and fight deforestation in Madagascar - one of the world’s most precious habitats.
A groundbreaking study published Thursday in the journal Plants, People, Planet reveals how drones could play a crucial role in preventing the loss of the African island nation’s biodiverse forests due to illegal deforestation.
Scientist Jenny Williams from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, led the research, which focuses on the Ambohimahamasina humid forest in the southeast of the island.
Williams, a senior spatial analyst at RBG Kew, has spent the past nine years flying drones over Madagascar to better understand the extent of the deforestation. Collaborating with colleagues from the Kew Madagascar Conservation Centre (KMCC), she has studied how the needs of local communities drive illegal logging and slash-and-burn agriculture.
She explains: "The majority of the rural population in Madagascar are subsistence living, and they rely on charcoal as their only fuel source. As a result, the local forests are under tremendous pressure to supply all the resources for communities to survive.
“At the moment, this is not sustainable and so alternative livelihoods need to be developed if we want to protect these beautiful and unique ecosystems. There is a fine balance to strike between protecting Madagascar's forests and protecting the wellbeing and livelihoods of its people and this is central to the work Kew has been doing here since the 1980s."
The study, based on 19 ultra-high-definition drone surveys conducted by Williams, has produced detailed data and 3D base maps. These have led to the creation of an effective alert system to help scientists, government agencies, and local communities develop forest management policies. These policies aim not only to protect Madagascar’s natural resources but also help facilitate immediate responses to deforestation on the ground.
Madagascar is renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity, which has evolved over 80 million years in near-total isolation. Over 80% of its plants and 90% of its animals are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else on Earth.
Sadly, it is also one of the world’s poorest countries, and the pressures of poverty and the need to support livelihoods are threatening its unique biodiversity.
The Ambohimahamasina forest is part of the Ambositra-Vondrozo Forest Corridor Natural Resource Reserve (COFAV), one of Madagascar’s last remaining intact forests. However, illegal logging for firewood and charcoal, combined with poor governance, corruption, and weak law enforcement, has led to the destruction of forests across protected areas, including Ambohimahamasina.
Williams’ work means there is hope for the forest - which is revered by locals - yet. As education and projects designed to help new generations live sustainably and alleviate the worst poverty mean that they will be able to protect their forest. All with a little help from modern drone technology!