Measuring performance under a landscape approach to biodiversity conservation: the case of USAID/Madagascar

Under a ‘landscape approach’ to biodiversity conservation, USAID/Madagascar integrates by design concerns for forest resources and humans in five target ecoregions. This paper examines relationships between its strategic framework and how the mission reports results from development interventions between 1998 and 2002 in protected areas, multipurpose forests and agricultural lands. Development activities focused on expanding parks and reducing negative impacts by local communities. In contrast, a proposal for ecological monitoring provides opportunities for information sharing and consultation among stakeholders about biodiversity conditions under different land uses. The study recommends strengthening incentives for community participation by measuring positive change across human-modified landscapes.