We will be discussing initiatives led by the MRSN and the Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology at the University of Torino, highlighting their established, long-term presence in Madagascar
Madagascar is a world unto itself, harboring approximately 5% of global biodiversity and exhibiting exceptionally high rates of endemism. Notwithstanding its unique evolutionary heritage, the ecosystem faces critical anthropogenic drivers of degradation: widespread land-use change, anthropogenic fire, landscape fragmentation, and accelerated climate alteration.
Primatologist Jonah Ratsimbazafy has engaged in long-term, high-risk conservation efforts to protect Madagascar's endemic biodiversity and foster socio-ecological resilience.
He has gained key collaborators in Torino: the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences and the University of Torino have been actively involved in research, awareness, and conservation efforts to protect this unique biodiversity, while contributing to internationally significant conservation initiatives and action plans.
The latest significant accomplishment was the publication of a comprehensive systematic review of Madagascar's over 400 diurnal butterfly species, including 243 endemics. The study was authored by Emilio Balletto, Francesca Barbero and Luca Casacci from the Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology at the University of Torino, and by David C. Lees from the Natural History Museum in London.
The urgency of establishing a global alliance for Madagascar is greater than ever: collaborative synergies must be reinforced and local communities supported, recognizing biodiversity as a critical resource.
Via Accademia Albertina 15, Torino