The French Ministry for Environment (Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de l’Environnement) is responsible for conservation of biological diversity . It can initiate and/or support long term conservation tools such as a state botanical conservatory.

The objective of the feasibility study for such an institution in NC is to assess present requirements for improving knowledge and conservation of the NC dry forest wild flora. The study will also specify possible steps needed for setting up a conservatory which will answer these needs.

The feasibility study could be implemented in three parts.
- assessment of conservation stakes : floristic interest, heritage value, threatened species and main threats.
- evaluation of actions undertaken : knowledge of wild flora, in situ and ex situ conservation, resources assessment.
- prospects for improvement : necessary conditions, action coherence, coordinated development of new actions

Based on these factors a number of possible scenarios will be presented to improve coherence and general understanding of conservation measures for the NC flora. It will be possible to apply for approval of a single national botanical conservatory through a joint working partnership on the project.

Expected results :
- assessment of flora conservation stakes.
- evaluation of actions undertaken by all partners.
- partnership members viewpoint on the possible role of a botanical conservatory
- ways and means for an efficient data sharing on actions carried out in New Caledonia for the conservation of flora.
- contents, implementation and financing of this study will have to be determined by the competent territorial authorities, in co-operation with the French Ministry “Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de l’Environnement, Direction de la Nature et des Paysages”.

For each sclerophyll forest plot, a development and management plan adapted to the specific constraints linked to its conservation must be set up :

The development plans must be sustained by exploiting the knowledge acquired by scientists but also by objective analyses of the situation by means of mapping.

This global vision, in the short- and medium-term, of the use of the Caledonian space offers an opportunity to propose large-scale developments, without creating major conflicts, and alternative solutions to the over-exploitation of dry forests

Rare and threatened ecosystem organisms and important cultural, economical or ecological special features must be described and located. It must be ascertained that government agencies work toward the protection of representative entities of these phenomena in their natural environment.

This involves an analysis of the present state in terms of means (baseline data and tools):

Representation of biodiversity in space
It implies a detailed knowledge of the species, their habitats and distribution. In order to achieve biologically representative entities, the various assemblages of the flora and the specific representation gradients of the different existing forest formations must be identified. The definition of a minimum representative level of habitat and species protection, with a view to conservation, requires this preliminary stage which contributes the objective elements, in a clear and abundantly documented manner, useful in all decision-making.

Representation of threats in space
By identifying the threats to priority sites, it is possible to describe the evolution in space and time of these threats and therefore better predict what measures to take into account to limit their deleterious impact.

Land organisation
In New Caledonia, a thorough knowledge of land-ownership is necessary. Information concerning the spatial, social and economic configuration of the land-ownership boundaries in the areas where the ecological priority sites have been identified makes it possible to predict what special methods of development would be applicable as well as their potential consequences and obstacles.

This approach is intended to determine not only the type characteristics of the dry-forest site but also to identify potential short- or medium-term restoration zones on the basis of the information obtained from the land-use map.

Thus, creating a tool to assist computerized decision-making in the relevant agencies of the Provinces involves collaboration between WWF and IRD. It also requires that the feasibility and suitability of such a tool be investigated by taking into account the questions posed by the future users. A computer data base including all existing information concerning New Caledonia (in many different formats) can be developed and made available to the programme by collaboration with the SMAI through RETIGEO (geo-referenced territorial information service). If such a proposition were accepted, this data bank would represent the collective memory of the programme.