The Bedo Ramsar Site is located in the west of Madagascar in the centre of the Menabe region, between the Morondava and Tsiribihina rivers, at the western end of the Marandravy and Analabe forests. It is an important site for birds and hosts migratory species such as the endangered Bernier’s teal (Anas bernieri) and Humblot’s heron (Ardea humbloti) and the vulnerable Madagascar plover (Charadrius thoracicus). The forest is a habitat of lemur species and endemic land tortoises, while the Mandroatse river which feeds the Site is home to endemic and threatened species such as the Marakely fish (Paratilapia polleni) and the Nile crocodile. The natural resources of the Site are significant for the surrounding communities; the lesser bulrush (Typha angustifolia, known as vondro in Madagascar) is the main raw material for basketry and roofs of houses of all the coastal villages and even further afield. The wetland provides all the fish for local consumption and the fish products are also sold in the market of Morondava city, the main town. The nearby Baobab forest increases the potential for ecotourism.