Anitry Ny Aina Ratsifandrihamanana
Anitry Ny Aina Ratsifandrihamanana (Nanie) | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Malagasy |
| Alma mater | Ecole Normale Supérieure, Antananarivo and Cornell University, Ithaca. |
| Occupation | conservationist |
Anitry Ny Aina Ratsifandrihamanana (Nanie) is a Malagasy conservationist and is the country director of WWF Madagascar and western Indian Ocean Islands.
Biography
[edit]Ratsifandrihamanana studied English literature at the Ecole Normal Supérieure at the University of Antananarivo, but has always had an interest in nature.[1] Her involvement in conservation began in the early 1990s when she was employed as an administrator on the USAID-funded project to establish Ranomafana National Park.[1] She then went to the US to study Environmental Education & Communication at Cornell University. She specialises on the dry spiny forests of southern Madagascar, but now works on conservation across the country.[2]
Ratsifandrihamanana started working for WWF Madagascar in 1999,[3] working as conservation director from 2004 to 2013. In this capacity, she had a leading role in the implementation of the "Durban Vision" which resulted in the tripling of Madagascar's protected area network as she co-led the Malagasy Protected Area Commission over the critical years of 2005–2009.[3][4]
In 2014, Ratsifandrihamanana took over the role of Country Director of WWF Madagascar and western Indian Ocean Islands.[1][3] She is the first Malagasy national to hold this position[1] and is only the second national to represent WWF in Madagascar since Vaohita Barthélémy held this position in 1987.[3]
From 2008 to 2011 Ratsifandrihamanana also served on the board of quasi-governmental body responsible for protected area management; Madagascar National Parks.[1] From 2019 she has been serving as the vice-president of the Madagascar Protected areas and Biodiversity Trust Fund (a $70 million endowment to provide sustainable funding for Madagascar's protected area network).[5] She is also a member of the IUCN World Commission on protected areas.[1]
Ratsifandrihamanana is on the Board of Directors of the conservation organisation Association VAHATRA.[6]
Advocacy
[edit]Ratsifandrihamanana has been an outspoken critic of Madagascar's illegal wildlife trade and of exploitation of rosewood within protected areas.[7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Madagasikara, Redaction Midi (2014-03-20). "Country Director de WWF MWIOPO : Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana, femme engagée, leader incontestée". Midi Madagasikara (in French). Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- ^ Jones, Julia P. G. (2019-04-24). "A wish list from conservation scientists to Madagascar's new president". Springer Nature Sustainability Community. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- ^ a b c d Valis (2020-06-15). "Mme Anitry Ny Aina Ratsifandrihamanana succède à Richard Hughes". Madagascar-Tribune.com (in French). Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- ^ "Meet the experts behind #LPC2018 WWF South Africa". www.wwf.org.za. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- ^ "Mme Nanie RATSIFANDRIHAMANANA". www.fapbm.org (in French). Retrieved 2020-06-15.
- ^ "Board of Directors". www.vahatra.mg. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ "Le bois de rose, priorité de la nouvelle patronne de WWF à Madagascar". RFI (in French). 2014-03-14. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
- ^ "Madagascar: Is NGO-led conservation too conservative to conserve much?". Mongabay Environmental News. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2020-06-15.