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The Masoala protected area is a very important water reserve for the region, as it supplies water for the rice fields and is a source for drinking water. The development of ecotourism benefits the local population, as it generates jobs such as guides, porters, craftsman and merchants.
== Conservation targets ==
Despite its strategic role, Masoala is threatened by human activities:
* Dense humid forest 0m - 800m: land clearing, illegal logging of precious timber
* Eastern coastal forest: highly threatened due to its proximity to villages
* Reef: erosion and silting threaten the coast, seagrass beds and mangroves
* Protected species are highly threatened by poaching within and outside the protected area.
