Climate Change in Madagascar

 Poor economic situation and development capacity make Madagascar more vulnerable on climate change and environmental hazards than any other country on the African continent (WB)[1]. Between 1980 and 2010, 53 natural hazards - including, droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, cyclones, and extreme temperatures - affected Madagascar causing economic damages of over US$1 billion. Since 2010, There has been an increase in new hazards’ events such as droughts and floods, and the apparition of new ones such as epidemics (7 epidemic events in the last 2 decades compared with 0 in the 1990s).  While we can attest to the physical change in climate scenarios (increased cyclones, temperature rise rate of 0.2°c, sea surface temperature increased by 0.60°C, rainfall intensity leading to floods, liaison between drought records and lack of rain records)[2], calculating these impacts at a social level is still in its infancy Furthermore, with more than 90% of the world’s species endemic, the climate change is perceived by the general public as an abstract concept, while deforestation, wildfire, etc. continue and progress over new territories, including preserved areas. The pristine landscapes that enable this biodiversity to survive past climate change have largely disappeared[3].

However, there have been some positive impacts on agriculture. For instance, research into the impacts of climate change on rice has revealed that the acceleration of carbon and nitrogen depletion in soils directly linked to climate conditions could be positive for rise productivity, particularly under the most pessimistic scenario[4]. But we need to remain cautious, given the uncertainty of the climate change science and the variability of physical environmental hazards (rainfall, cyclones). To strengthen national resilience actions to climate change, Madagascar has adopted a national policy against climate change[5]. Thanks to this political commitment, we hope that, in general, climate change-related themes will feature prominently in the institution’s discussions and, more specifically, on how to effectively implement adaptation and mitigation measures for a realistic resilience.

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[1] Climate change Knowlegde Portal, world Bank

https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/country/madagascar/vulnerability#:~:text=Historical%20Hazards,a%20variable%20and%20changing%20climate.

[2] M Tadross, L. Randriamarolaza, Zo Rabefitia, Zheng Ki Yip, Climate Change in Madagascar: recent past and future, World Bank, February, February, 2008

[3] Lee Hannah, Climate change adaptation for conservation in Madagascar, Biology Letter 4, pp590-594

[4] Gerardeaux, E., Giner, M., Ramanantsoanirina, A. et al. Positive effects of climate change on rice in Madagascar. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 32, 619–627 (2012)

[5] Weiskopf, S. R., J. A. Cushing, T. Morelli, and B. J. E. Myers. 2021. Climate change risks and adaptation options for Madagascar. Ecology and Society 26(4):36.