Baker-Medard, Merrill

The concept of “land back” in marine conservation envisions a restorative model where coastal communities regain not only access to marine ecosystems, but the power to define what social and ecological well-being truly means. In Madagascar, this vision transcends access rights, pushing to decolonize conservation frameworks that have long been shaped by Western paradigms. Such models often silence local knowledge, placing natural forces like the ocean and climate in an ontological void—denying the spiritual and ecological relationships that see the ocean, weather, and ancestors as vibrant, active forces, deeply entangled in our shared climate reality.
Our findings stem from a transnational research partnership that engaged in bi-weekly discussions beginning in 2023, where we reflected on our own education and life experiences as we interviewed and analyzed 35 semi-structured interviews conducted in three coastal regions of Madagascar. Our conversations examined how we relate to and experience climate change, livelihood change, and programs conservation organizations implement in our communities in the name of biodiversity protection, climate mitigation and climate adaptation.
One of our findings is that while many younger community members express a sense of powerlessness in the face political economic marginalization and climate catastrophe, Malagasy elders and local leaders believe that reconfiguring taboos regarding and ancestral relations with nature is both possible and a prerequisite for a livable future. This reconfiguration is not a return to pre-colonial practices and beliefs, but an ontological intervention, re-introducing and legitimizing an alternative way of understanding and relating to the world. Part of this reconfiguration requires greater control over conservation-oriented funds and infrastructure in coastal areas. We see these desired shifts as essential steps to help right historical wrongs and enable the paradigm shift required for our survival.