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23–25 September 2025 | Madagascar

The African Forest Forum (AFF), in collaboration with the National Focal Point for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Madagascar, will convene a three-day National Policy Dialogue to strengthen the integration of forestry into national biodiversity governance frameworks.

Why this Dialogue matters

Forests are home to more than two-thirds of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, yet they remain under increasing threat from deforestation, climate change, and land degradation. In Madagascar—a global biodiversity hotspot with exceptional levels of endemism—forest ecosystems face growing pressures from fragmented sectoral governance and weak integration of forestry priorities into national policies on biodiversity, climate change, and desertification.

AFF, with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), is implementing the project “Transforming the African Forest Forum to enhance its capacity to improve livelihoods and environmental stability through better management of African forest and tree resources.” As part of this initiative, AFF has conducted studies across Africa’s biodiversity hotspots to assess how biodiversity, climate change, and desertification policies intersect with forestry. These studies highlight both opportunities and barriers for improving the management of forest biodiversity to strengthen climate resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and ecosystem services.

The Dialogue process

The Madagascar Policy Dialogue will build on these studies through a two-step process:

1. Analysis of global, regional, and national biodiversity governance frameworks to assess opportunities for integrating forestry across policy and institutional levels.
2. National Consultative Workshop bringing together policymakers, civil society, the private sector, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to exchange knowledge, identify gaps, and co-develop solutions for more effective governance of forest biodiversity.

Through expert presentations, group work, and plenary discussions, participants will assess coherence, complementarity, and gaps in existing policy instruments, including the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), forest policy, and climate-related frameworks. They will also explore climate-resilient value chains, traditional and indigenous knowledge in forest use, and sustainable biomass energy options.

Expected outcomes

The Dialogue is expected to deliver:

• A validated national report on the integration of forestry into biodiversity policy frameworks.
• Consensus among key sectors—including environment, forestry, finance, planning, and land—on priority actions to strengthen forest biodiversity governance.
• A shared national roadmap with clear roles, responsibilities, and timelines for implementation.
• A framework for interinstitutional collaboration to foster synergies across forestry, biodiversity, and related sectors.

Participation

The event will gather around 15 in-person participants, representing government ministries, civil society, the private sector, local communities, and Indigenous peoples.

By aligning forestry more closely with biodiversity policies and processes, this National Policy Dialogue aims to enhance the governance of Madagascar’s forests, safeguard biodiversity, and contribute to sustainable socio-economic development.

For more information, download the Terms of Reference.