The extensive use of clearing by fire for agricultural reasons is considered to be the main cause for the destruction of the environment: The ground fauna is destroyed and the humus layer is damaged and washed away. More than three quarters of the surface of Madagascar has already been desolated by this kind of erosion.

Despite their destructive effect, these cultivation methods are still used today for several reasons. Firstly the large increase in population makes it hard (if not impossible) to realize lengthy restructuring of agriculture because people are forced into short term cultivation by clearing. Secondly and more importantly, these agricultural methods are inherited by the ancestors and therefore maintained because of taboos ('fadys') and/or because people fear curses by their ancestors.

For the fauna and flora of Madagascar, this means a dramatic loss of habitat. On and around Lac Alaotra this effect is increased further by the extensive cultivation of rice. Hunting, fishing, grazing of zebus and pigs and charcoal production mean further threats. In addition indigenous animal and plant species are threatened or displaced by introduced ones (rats, straying dogs and the waterlilly).

So on one hand the traditional cultivation methods are maintained while on the other hand there is an urgent need for changes to help both the local population and the endangered nature.

A possible solution out of this conflict of interests may be found in nature tourism. That is tourism, which contributes to the efforts of conservation. We try to avoid the term "ecotourism" because it is mostly used in a wrong or misunderstanding manner. Nature tourism is for example achieved through National Parks, where tourists come to see the unique nature of Madagascar and where the local population is integrated in the operation of the park. This way money is brought to the local people and possibly the whole region and also the destruction of forest is stopped since local population realises that it can actually benefit from conservation.

However, while there already exist a number of National Parks in Madagascar, tourism is still not running high, so that this promising approach has not yet had as much success as expected and therefore should be pushed further on.

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