The Village of Andavadoaka, announced as Winners of the UNDP Equator Prize

The Village of Andavadoaka was honored yesterday at United Nations Headquarters by the UNDP Equator Prize, an international recognition of extraordinary work to diminish poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The Prize serves to further advance the understanding within the global community of the vital link between healthy, biologically diverse environments and the creation of sustainable livelihoods.

The remote community of Andavadoaka, Madagascar has been acknowledged for its work in partnership with Blue Ventures and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), developing community run marine protected areas in the remote southwest of the country.

It is a fantastic acheivement having been selected from a group of 25 finalists, chosen from more than 300 nominations from 70 different countries.

The community will receive international recognition at an Awards Ceremony in Berlin, Germany on World Environment Day, 5th June 2007