2013 Sustainability Report - Ambatovy
22
Forest and Wetland Conservation
Ambatovy continued to support the protection of over 26,000 ha
1
of forests and wetlands, located both on-site and off-site.
Ambatovy’s conservation efforts span an area that is almost fifteen times the size of the mine footprint. The conservation gains
at these sites are offsetting the residual biodiversity losses caused by the mine footprint so as to achieve Ambatovy’s goal of no
net loss, and preferably a net gain, in biodiversity. Here is a summary of our conservation efforts:
• Within the mine lease area, Ambatovy is working to conserve approximately 3,600 ha of forest, known as the
Mine
Conservation Zone
, which serves as a buffer zone to absorb fauna migrating out of the mine footprint. It also serves as a seed
bank to facilitate future ecological restoration of the mine footprint.
• Northeast of the mine is the 6,800 ha
Ankerana forest
, part of the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Forest Corridor (CAZ), which
Ambatovy is helping to conserve in collaboration with Conservation International.
• Immediately next to the mine, Ambatovy continues to assist in the conservation of the
Torotorofotsy Wetlands
, a 10,000 ha
wetland of international importance that was designated by Madagascar under the Ramsar Convention in 2004. Since
2006, Ambatovy has worked with the Government of Madagascar, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local
communities to provide assistance to manage the area.
• Also near the mine, Ambatovy is supporting the establishment of the
Analamay-Mantadia Forest Corridor
(AMFC), a
proposed new protected area linking the mine forests to the nearby Mantadia National Park and the southern end of the CAZ.
Formal protection of this corridor, spanning approximately 8,000 ha in size, will result in the creation of one of the largest
continuous tracts of protected forest in Madagascar. Ambatovy continues to support the process to get the AMFC protected.
1 These are current best-estimates that are liable to change. Since our 2012 Sustainability Report, this estimate has increasead by 1,000 ha following an extensive
survey of the Torotorofotsy wetlands, an area that is now estimated to be 10,000 ha rather than 9,000 ha.
