Culturally Embedded Governance for Fire Management: A Case Study of Social Innovation in Andohahela National Park, Madagascar
Taylor Dira Angelo Veriza
ABSTRACT
In the semi-arid agropastoral systems of southern Madagascar, fire has historically been a functional and culturally embedded tool for pasture management. However, demographic pressure, climate change, and the erosion of customary institutions have led to uncontrolled bushfires, threatening both biodiversity in protected areas and the livelihoods of local communities. Conventional top-down fire management policies have proven largely ineffective due to their disconnect from local socio-cultural realities.
This study employs a qualitative case study design to analyse an innovative community-based fire management initiative in the buffer zone of Andohahela National Park. The initiative is focused on a community social pact (locally framed as a “fady”), sanctioned by traditional authorities and operationalized through village vigilance committees. Data were derived from an in-depth analysis of an unpublished 2025 mission report from Madagascar National Parks and relevant academic literature, using qualitative content analysis to identify key themes related to governance, social learning, and institutional innovation.
The findings reveal that the integration of customary governance structures and ritual practices generated a socially legitimate and effective fire management system. The ritualized social pact embedded rules within moral and spiritual frameworks, shifting enforcement from external policing to internalized social control. Village vigilance committees translated this commitment into practical action through prevention, surveillance, and rapid response. Customary authorities played a central role in legitimizing and enforcing the pact, creating a bridge of trust between communities and conservation institutions. The initiative was associated with observable shifts in behavior and discourse among community members.
The Andohahela case demonstrates that culturally embedded governance mechanisms can significantly enhance fire management outcomes. The study contributes to Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) and agroecological transition theories by highlighting the transformative role of cultural and institutional innovation. It offers practical implications for conservation practitioners and policymakers, emphasizing the need for cultural diagnostics, support for local governance structures, and the formal recognition of customary institutions in protected area co-management.
