18 June 2012: The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) has announced that the Government of Madagascar has designated two new Wetlands of International Importance, effective as of 5 June 2012, bringing that Party’s total number of Ramsar Sites to nine.

The first site, Lac Kinkony, is a permanent freshwater lake situated in western Madagascar in the Mahavavy basin. According to Ramsar, the lake supports the livelihoods of several local communities that depend on fishery and rice agriculture carried out along the banks. It hosts several water fauna species, including 45 species of waterbirds, some of which are threatened, 18 species of fishes, as well as freshwater tortoise. The site is threatened by overfishing and the use of unregulated fishing techniques, the conversion of marshes into rice farms, and the destruction of the drainage basins for agriculture.

The second site, Zone humide de Mandrozo, is the fourth largest lake in Madagascar. It supports diverse species, including endangered turtles, and a diversity of threatened reptile species. It also provides the habitat for fish, and supports the livelihoods of dependent families. It also has a cultural value as it is inhabited by typical communities that promote the sustainable management of resources by traditional agricultural and fishery practices. There is an ongoing project for the classification of the site as a protected area, which would also increase its eco-tourism potential.

Both sites can be found on the Critical Site Network Tool developed by Wetlands International, BirdLife International, and UNEP-WCMC as part of the Wings Over Wetlands (WOW) project. [Ramsar Press Release]