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The PAGES-supported workshop "Synergy between palaeo-scientists and stakeholders for biodiversity conservation in Madagascar and its surrounding islands" is being organised in collaboration with PAGES DiverseK working group, and held in two phases. The first phase was online in March 2022, and the second phase will be a hybrid format from 24–26 September 2024 in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Logistics
Phase one: Online, 23-24 March 2022 (recording available upon request)
Phase two: 24-26 September 2024, Antananarivo Madagascar
Venue: TBC
Type: hybrid event (In-person and online). We anticipate around 30 in-person participants
Registration
As phase 2 is a hybrid event, registration is now open online here.
Description
This is an open workshop. The timescale covered is The Holocene.
This workshop aims to help promote palaeoecology in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands by building an interdisciplinary collaboration with ecologists and stakeholders. It will enhance the understanding of landscape history and develop more inclusive strategies for the conservation biodiversity and ecosystem services for the Indian Ocean islands.
The first phase was an online workshop from 23-24 March in 2022, which demonstrated the importance and application of palaeoecology in conservation and initiate discussion between palaeoecologists, ecologists and conservationists worldwide, particularly in Madagascar, and its surrounding islands.
The second part of the workshop will be held face-to-face as previously planned in Antananarivo, Madagascar, for three days from 24-26 September 2024. This hybrid meeting (In-person and online) will be focusing on a discussion to elaborate conservation questions in Madagascar and its surrounding islands that could be responded to through palaeoecological investigations.
This workshop has both environmental and human dimensions:
- Environment: motivate local ecologists, conservationists, and stakeholders to understand the use and importance of palaeoscience in understanding environmental history, interaction, ecological resilience and changes at various spatial and temporal scales.
- Humans: involve decision-makers in the workshop to change their perception of the complex factors that affect biodiversity but not only humans. This would lead to strategies that are more sustainable for conservation and community livelihoods and incite more inclusion of local communities in conservation initiatives.
Phase 1: Virtual workshop concluded on 23-24 March 2022
During the online workshop, we showcased research dealing with integrating and applying palaeoecological findings to policy and management at local, regional, national and international scale. Presentations of some successful cases of contribution of applied palaeoecology to deal with conservation challenges, and that demonstrate the application of palaeoecological and its related disciplines worldwide were conducted. Presentations covered the following field or topics:
- Palaeoecology and its related discipline applied to species, ecosystem and landscape conservation
- Palaeoecology and rewilding
- Palaeosciences and socio-ecological dynamics
- Palaeosciences and marine conservation
- Palaeoscience and climate change mitigation
In addition, a session dedicated for discussion as a focus group was conducted to discuss challenges faced by ecologists and stakeholders while collaborating with palaeoscientists.
Download snapshots of what participants felt during the first phase of the workshop and what would they expect during this second phase. > Download pdf
Phase 2: Hybrid event (In-person and online) workshop in Antananarivo, Madagascar (24-26 September 2024)
This workshop will particularly focus on academics and stakeholders working in Madagascar and its surroundings islands. International participants are encouraged to register for online participation whenever possible.
This second phase will focus on:
- Integrating palaeoscience into policy: reviewing and comparing policy and management strategies across Indian Ocean islands in order to try to integrate palaeodata into biodiversity management. This will contribute to understand how our research findings with focus on long-term data can help address pressing environmental challenges.
- Promoting collaborations: In this session, we will discuss strategies in building collaboration between palaeoscientists, local researchers and stakeholders and conservationists.
- Identifying relevant research questions: Here is a focus and group discussion will be conducted elaborate and gather research questions that could be answered through palaeo-investigations but relevant to the local needs. This could lead to the establishment of collaborative projects.
Support
We will cover local travel and accommodation for selected participants from Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands.
We have limited funding available to support international travel strictly for early-career scientists working in palaeoecology.
Timeline
Preliminary workshop content: 30 May
Travel grant application deadline: 30 June
Deadline for registration and travel grant application: 15 July
Notification of selected participants and travel grant awardees: 30 July
Deadline of registration and confirmation of participation: 15 August
Final program: 30 August
Workshop dates: 24-26 September 2024
Outreach event
We are planning to conduct outreach during and after the workshop to introduce the field of palaeoecology to university students.
Further information
Contact the workshop organizers Estelle Razanatsoa: estelle.razanatsoagmail.com and/or Andriantsilavo Razafimanantsoa: tsilamiezaka3gmail.com
Code of Conduct
Please refer to the PAGES Code of Conduct here.