The village lies on the edge of a shallow lagoon protected from the open ocean by a series of fringing and submerged barrier reefs that support substantial coral growth, providing a vital resource base for a local artisanal fishery. Owing to the remoteness and isolation, these coral reefs are thought to possess a significantly higher abundance and diversity of species than other reefs in southwest Madagascar. Andavadoaka is also home to the Vezo fishing people, who are known for their dependence upon the ocean.
Andavadoaka is one of the founding villages of the Velondriake locally managed marine area. The village won the Equator Prize, awarded by the United Nations Development Program, in 2007, for its innovative approach to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Andavadoaka is home to the administrative centre of the Velondriake Association, which was created in 2005 to manage the Velondriake LMMA.
Blue Ventures, a UK-based non-governmental organisation, runs a field research site situated next to the village of Andavodoaka, aiming to improve the community and promote the sustainable management of marine resources. Biodiversity studies have identified many hundreds of marine species in the waters in the area. The reefs around Andavadoaka represent some of the most well-developed coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean.
Andavadoaka is one of the few small villages in the South-West of Madagascar with general access to electricity. Eosol has got an electricity grid of high quality in Andavadoaka, fed by about 65 kWp of solar panels and backed by a battery bank. The uptime is higher than for instance this in Tuléar.
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