Action on climate change Urgency of a specific rescue plan for Madagascar - Voices of Youth, 01 juin 2015

Link of the article on the blog Voices of Youth: http://www.voicesofyouth.org/en/posts/action-on-climate-change--urgency-of-a-specific-rescue-plan-for-madagascar

Action on climate change

Urgency of a specific rescue plan for Madagascar

The 21th UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) is no more than six months. As usual, the Head of the Malagasy State as well as a strong delegation of environmental actors and experts from other areas will be invited. A question has already arisen: will the COP21 be another environmental event where the Great Island has just had the largest delegation? Madagascar can make the difference if its government is able to develop a specific action plan on climate change. The Great Island is indeed the third most vulnerable country to climate change after India and Bangladesh.

National disaster status

On 16 and 17 January 2015, 15 of the 22 regions of Madagascar, namely Alaotra Mangoro, Amoron'Imania, Analamanga, Betsiboka Bongolava, Diana, Boeny, Haute Matsiatra, Itasy, Melaky, Menabe, Sofia, Vakinankaratra, South East, Vatovavy Fitovinany have suffered from historic floods following the passage of cyclone Chedza and torrential rains that accompanied it. When the President of the Republic decrees the January 28 as a national day of mourning and the Malagasy Prime Minister simultaneously declares a "national disaster status", the record of the National Risk and Disaster Management Office (BNGRC) is more than heavy: 68 deaths, 134,127 affected people and 45,676 displaced persons. Landslides and rock falls; hundreds of homes collapsing and flooding; many neighborhoods, towns and cultures flooding; destruction of road, hydro-agricultural, educational, health and administrative infrastructure ... The Malagasy Government is seeking urgent international aid amounting to 101 764 117 309 ariary, approximately 34 million Usd, to rehabilitate the country because the 2014-2015 National Contingency Plan did not foresee the "disproportionate and extraordinary" events described by General John Ravelonarivo, Head of Government.

One month later, on 27 February 2015, the Malagasy Prime Minister reiterates a national disaster condition and urgently calls for international help. The alert level had reached the maximum in 48 hours in Antananarivo, many dams have collapsed under the weight of water due to heavy rains since February 24. BNGRC announces an appalling record: 14 deaths, 41 581 affected people of which 27,097 in the region of Analamanga, 21,128 displaced persons of which 18,928 in the region of Analamanga and 8,169 people to evacuate.

Stronger cyclones, more acidic water, more epidemics...

Natural disasters that hit Madagascar in early 2015 confirm once again that the country is threatened by the worst consequences of climate change. The Directorate for Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment, ecology, sea and forests forecasts the temperature rise of the Great Island until 2050 like this: from 1.6 to 2.6 ° C in the south, from 1.1 to 1.8 ° C in coastal areas, from 1.3 to 2.5 ° C over the rest of the country.

The changing of rains seasons and rainfall patterns, which is already effective for several years, is the most obvious consequence. The dry season has become longer and annual rainfall decreases in the Central Highlands and in the east, while the western part receives more rain. If the rainy season is shorter, it is rather more intense. According to the Worldwide Wildlife Fund (WWF), the number of intense hurricanes has dropped since 1994, but the number of strong hurricanes with winds of over 200 km / ha increased; the average speed of cyclones hitting Madagascar has increased by 30 km / h. The National Development Plan 2015-2019 (PND) also argues that between 1990 and 2013, 63 natural disasters, including fifty cyclones hit the country, affecting 13 million people.

The rise in sea level is another consequence of climate change that threatens entire islands and coastal communities in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, including the famous coastal areas of Madagascar. According to the WWF, the coasts of Mahajanga, Morondava, Toamasina and Manakara will experience a decline of 225 meters by 2100. This scourge might engulf part of the beach and cultural sites, but mainly thousands of riches of ecosystem. Scientific experts also project an increase of 10 to 20% of the total flow of nitrogen to coastal ecosystems, especially in developing countries by 2030. Excess nitrogen contributes to eutrophication of freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems as well as acidification of freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, involving threats to biodiversity in these ecosystems. Nitrogen plays a role in the creation of ozone at ground level to some degree, loss of agricultural and forest productivity threatens affected countries.

Be aware also that the increase in temperature facilitates the spread of communicable diseases and epidemics. Such are the cases of plague in the capital in 2014 and the threat of spread of malaria, a tropical disease, in the capital since April 2015. Inadvertent power cut due to insufficient water in thermal power stations of the established electricity and water firm, Jirama, is still a consequence of climate change, as well as the reduction of arable plains due to erosion and drought.

At the rate things are now deteriorating, Madagascar will be concerned by the inevitable decline of 50% in agricultural production in Africa by 2020, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) forecast. According to this forecast, several African governments will find themselves unable to lift their countries out of poverty and will risk being toppled by popular movements.

Renewable clean energy and sustainable infrastructure

Madagascar adopted in 2010 the National Action Programme for Climate Change Adaptation (PANA), but the document only takes into account the agricultural, environmental and health issues and no concrete plan has yet emerged. The length of a national action plan on climate change may vary depending on the characteristics of the country: one of Quebec runs from 2013 to 2020 while that of India launched in 2008 extends to 2030. If Madagascar launched its action plan on climate change this year, it could extend until 2045 and would be the business of governments that will succeed one another.

Thus, transferring to the private management of the power stations of the Jirama, the Malagasy State should appeal to "green" investors who would exploit the water, solar and wind energy to develop the Jirama while gradually eliminating use of hydroelectric and thermal energy. The electrification of the rest of the country should also be planned through renewable energy.

The most difficult challenge is undoubtedly strengthening the resilience of the population to natural disasters, including hurricanes and floods. According to the BNGRC, Madagascar is among the ten countries with a high mortality rate due to cyclones. Consequently, habitats, schools, health centers, roads, dams and other public infrastructure should be "sustainable", that is to say, saving energy consumption and resistant to high humidity. Each year, in rural villages and coastal areas, many families are forced to rebuild their homes, as well as communities repair the same school, the same hospital, the same bridge, the same roads after cyclones.

Ra Dom