Mikama - Sep 6, 2018

Dans Ecologist
In April 2017, The Ecologist published concerns about the violation of an environmental buffer zone by the mining group Rio Tinto’s subsidiary, QIT Minerals Madagascar (QMM).
Recent studies undertaken by Rio Tinto (RT) and independently by Dr Steven Emerman, the hydrology and mining expert for The Andrew Lees Trust and an author of this article, confirm that QMM’s mine activity on the Mandena site has extended well beyond legal permissions and encroached onto the lake bed where people fish, collect reeds and other water products.
The Andrew Lees Trust reports are available in French and English.
After three months, Rio Tinto has failed to produce an official statement about the buffer violation, or answer related questions raised by The Andrew Lees Trust.
Sensitive environment
QMM is mining ilmenite, an industrial whitener, from coastal sands of southern Madagascar.
Situated alongside an estuary along the southeast coastline, the mine is operating in a sensitive environment with highly variable weather conditions, including cyclones and seasonal flooding, and a volatile water table.
The extraction of ilmenite leaves behind ponds of water and tailings enriched with radioactive substances (radionuclides). There are concerns that radionuclide-enriched water from the mine tailings will flow into the estuary by flooding or seepage.
Malagasy law requires an 80-metre buffer zone between any investment activity - such as mining - and sensitive areas such as lagoons, marshy areas and wetlands, so as not to disturb the ecological balance. This means an 80-metre area should be left between the lake edge and the mine activity.
QMM claims it was unaware of the national 80-metre buffer restriction until 2013.
Reducing the buffer
QMM therefore applied to the Malagasy Government to waiver the 80-metre restriction for their operation. Their proposed changes were presented in a Social and Environmental Management Plan (SEMP 2014-2018).
QMM proposed to reduce the legal buffer limit by 30 metres, from 80 metres to 50 metres. In reducing the buffer, QMM also proposed to build a “berm” or dam between the edge of the mining operation and the revised 50-metre buffer delimitation.
More egregious than the decimation of an additional 14.4 hectares of unique littoral forest acquired from the buffer reduction, is the fact that QMM’s mine has not respected the revised 50-metre limit and has extended onto the lake bed itself.
There are restrictions to private legal ownership within natural public areas (domaines publics naturels) in Madagascar of which reserved lands (pas géométriques), such as river beds, are included.
Malagasy law requires permissions from the local authority for extractive activities within these reserved lands. No evidence that such permissions have been sought and secured has been provided by Rio Tinto/QMM.
Mine encroachment
Comparing two visual images of the same area of the mine site in question from 2009 and 2016 clearly shows the encroachment and destruction of original forest area.
The 2009 image illustrates the very marshy nature of the lake, which shows in dark pools between the trees.
QMM’s encroachment within and beyond the revised buffer has decimated the ecosystem.

Mikama - Sep 5, 2018

Dans Relief Web
The island was affected by two cyclones this season - Ava and Eliakim - which collectively affected 212,200 people, of which 74,200 were displaced. Madagascar recorded widespread FAW outbreaks and a drought that affected two-thirds of the country (south-central). From March to June 2018 in southern and south-eastern Madagascar, a total of 709,000 people (21% of the population) were classified as in IPC Phase 3 and 350,000 in IPC Phase 4 (10% of the population). From July to September 2018, this figure is projected to increase to 1,261,300, of which 861,000 people will be in IPC Phase 3 and 400,000 in IPC Phase 4, representing 37 percent of population in 4 regions ( Androy, Anosy, Atsimo Andrefana, Atsimo Atsinanana and Vatovavy-Fitovinany)

Dans Web Wire
For Nanie Ratsifandrihamanana, “the focus is not just on planting trees for ecological priorities, but for a toolbox of agricultural, forestry and social activities, benefiting for nature and communities at the same time. (...) It was a demanding learning process for all of us. ” To these thirteen years of restoration, from challenges and experiences gained in the Fandriana Vondrozo Corridor, WWF has published a report highlighting the restoration of more than 6,700 ha of forest area, reducing deforestation from 2.58 to 1% and a 30% increase in community incomes through sustainable production systems. Available for download here, this document shares detailed lessons learned on forest restoration from the Malagasy example. The main guarantee of success is that forest restoration should include, as a matter of priority, the appropriation of communities living close to forests. Also, it is a continuous process in the medium and long term that can only be measured in decades.

Mikama - Sep 4, 2018

Dans International Monertary Fund
The gradual economic recovery in this fragile state has persisted, with solid growth for the second consecutive year. Fiscal performance has been strong, inflation contained, and the external position robust. Implementation of the authorities’ economic program, supported by an Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement approved in July 2016, has been generally strong, buttressing the recovery.
Series: Country Report No. 18/239
Full Text: http://www.imf.org/~/media/Files/Publications/CR/2018/cr18239.ashx

Dans Relief Web
Severe drought conditions during southern Madagascar’s rainy season from November 2017 to April 2018 has led to nearly dry dams in many parts of the south. This dryness has affected livestock’s access to water and pastureland, which has led to poor livestock body conditions as many are subsisting on burnt cactus leaves in the absence of viable pastureland. This has similarly affected crop development, with many areas experiencing failed or near failed harvests. Only Ambovombe commune received favorably heavy rains in July that allowed some farmers to plant new maize and potato crops.

Mikama - Sep 3, 2018

Dans Transparency International
Transparency International - Initiative Madagascar (TI-IM) and the Voahary Gasy Alliance (AVG) were recently approached by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to collect information and data on rosewood trafficking in Madagascar. The resulting investigation  reinforces our own analysis of the situation and that of other specialized organizations, such as the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).  (..) Faced with this state of affairs, TI-IM and the AVG recommend that the government stick to the commitments they have made, in particular by:
- Carrying out the expected investigations and enquiries on the whole "precious wood" affair;
- Sanctioning without reservation all traffickers and their accomplices, including public and political figures involved in trafficking precious wood;
- Meeting the obligations of protecting environmental activists involved in denouncing traffickers and their perpetrators, instead of repressing and terrorizing them;
- Demonstrating transparency in drawing up inventories of existing rosewood stocks, by including civil society, and enforcing the measures provided for in the May 2016 Biodiversity Management Plan.
(..) Facilitating the illegal trade in precious wood is an international environmental crime for which the perpetrators must answer in court.

Dans African Review
Madagascar has the highest percentage of ‘olderpreneurs’ (entrepreneurs over the age of 50) compared to the rest of the world, according to analysis from Allstar Business Solutions, the UK-based leading provider of fuel cards. (..) Madagascar was found to have the highest proportion of olderpreneurs in the world, with 39 per cent of the 55+ population accounted for in the TEA index.

Mikama - Aug 31, 2018

Dans Energy News
Madagascar periwinkle extract is a derivative obtained from a series of processing of Madagascar periwinkle plant parts, particularly the flower. The botanical extract is known to comprise alkaloids with an extensive range of polarities. Catharanthus roseus is known to be of greater importance pharmaceutically with inclusive important terpenoid indole alkaloids. The applications of periwinkle as a dietary supplement is not limited, as it comprises pharmacologically active vinca alkaloids. Madagascar periwinkle has also drawn the attraction of pharmaceutical manufacturers leading to development of active research programs in medicinal plant chemistry. Hence, there is huge potential for Madagascar periwinkle Extract market growth with anticipation in increase in R&D in Catharanthus roseus and improved supply of Madagascar Periwinkle Extract.

Dans News Medical Life Sciences
Chronic malnutrition, usually associated with an inflammation of the small intestine, affects one in every four children under the age of five. It is the leading cause of child mortality in low-income countries and is also responsible for severe stunting. (..) "With traditional treatment, in other words providing affected children with micronutrients, a balanced diet and ample food while treating the underlying infections, we can only correct 30% of growth delays,"... Chronic malnutrition is not only linked to a lack of food; it is also associated with immune problems and chronic gut inflammation, the workings of which are not yet fully understood.

Mikama - Aug 30, 2018

Dans Daily Mail
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT LEMURS?
Lemurs, whose name means 'spirits of the night', are a special group of primates, which look something like a cat crossed with a squirrel and a dog. They are found only on Madagascar and the Comoro Islands.... The largest ever living type of lemur was the Archaeoindris with its weight ranging between 350 and 440lbs (160 and 200kg). It became extinct when humans first settled in Madagascar about 2,000 years ago... The smallest lemur, the pygmy mouse lemur, weighs only 1oz (28g) but the biggest, the Indri and Diademed Sifaka, can weigh up to 15 lb (6.8kg), which is equivalent to a big cat. Lemurs are mainly vegetarian, generally they eat fruits and leaves. Some are nocturnal, whilst others are active during the day or at dawn. (..) Habitat loss is the main threat to lemurs today, as people clear their native forests for farm land. 80 per cent of the lemur's original habitat in Madagascar has been destroyed. Out of the 50 different kinds of lemurs, 10 are critically endangered, 7 are endangered, and 19 are considered vulnerable.

Dans Landscape News
... there are mangroves across the whole western coast of Madagascar, and their use varies between regions. In the north, people exploit mangroves very intensively, and the rate of mangrove deforestation is extremely high compared to in the south. The main problem is the production of charcoal, for cooking fuel. People also export mangrove wood for building materials. (..) In the south, we are developing a mangrove carbon project, which will provide long-term sustainable financing through the sale of carbon credits from mangrove conservation to the global carbon market. The money will be used to incentivize local communities to protect the mangroves. Activities for the project include delineating strict conservation zones, limiting the amount of timber that they can extract from other zones and monitoring and enforcing regulations on mangrove use designed by the communities themselves. There is also restoration work to do on the degraded mangrove forests. We are not paying these local communities to restore mangroves, but we do provide a big meal after the replanting events. However, the idea is that when they receive money from the sale of carbon credits, some of it will be used to support and to finance mangrove restoration.
In Madagascar, the challenges are mainly funding. (..) Most of the reforestation is done by NGOs: the local, regional and national governments are not doing a lot to support the restoration efforts. Our national goal is to restore 4 million hectares of degraded landscape by 2030

Mikama - Aug 29, 2018

Dans Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
Madagascar — sometimes known as the “world’s eighth continent” — is a naturalist’s paradise. More than 80 percent of the flora and fauna on the island can be found nowhere else on earth. (..) Said Gilbert, a former rosewood logger, says he earned between $2 and $3 cutting down two trees a day. Gilbert is just trying to get by. But while locals like him subsist on rice and bushmeat, the 300-year-old trees they fell generate thousands of dollars in profits for businessmen at home and abroad. Most loggers never meet the financiers, traders, and buyers who deal in the timber, which is so sought-after that it sells for $20,000 to $25,000 per ton. Nor are they likely to ever see the finished product — mostly high-end furniture for China’s growing elite. Logging rosewood in Madagascar is a big business. According to estimates from 2013, between $250 and $300 million in exotic timber, mostly rosewood, was illegally exported from the island that year... Between 2009 and 2010, more than 1,500 containers of wood, worth over $150 million, were authorized for export in contravention of international regulations.

Dans CGTN
Despite being an island, one of the biggest problems facing Madagascar is water shortage. About half the island’s approximately 25 million people struggle to find clean water for basic use. Now however, a massive project is underway to change that narrative.  The Chinese funded initiative seeks to drill about 200 boreholes – mainly in the southwest region – to ensure locals can access clean water. When complete, the project will enable more than 300,000 people to accesss clean water for their daily chores.

Mikama - Aug 13, 2018

Razafy Dans Madagascar Matin

Madagascar s’est doté d’une part d’un Programme national d’investissement agricole, élevage et de pêche (Pniaep) et prévoit de créer deux millions d’hectares de zones d’investissements agricoles  en 10 ans et du Programme national foncier (Pnf), d’autre part. L’objectif global de ces deux Programmes est de réduire le taux de pauvreté de la population, vivant en dessous du seuil de 1,25 dollars par jour en passant de 82% à 20% en 2025, d’avoir un taux de croissance annuelle de 6% pour le secteur Aep... Aussi, le pays doit mettre en place les Zones d’investissement agricole destinées aux exploitations agricoles et économiques des investisseurs.

AinaBovel dans Midi Madagasikara

Après la visite dans les poussières d’Ambovombe et de Tsihombe, l’ambassadeur du Japon n’a pas manqué d’exprimer sa satisfaction par rapport aux résultats produits dans la mesure où les 2, 095 millions de dollars que le gouvernement japonais a alloués pour le financement de ce projet conjoint ont porté ses fruits. En effet, avec ce fonds japonais et la coordination ainsi que l’implication du système des Nations unies, 7 500 ménages profitent de la construction de cinq systèmes d’adduction d’eau ; l’accès à l’eau potable étant un grand problème dans le Sud. Par ailleurs, 2 800 personnes ont pu investir grâce à la réalisation d’activités contre travail et épargne. C’est le cas de la réhabilitation de la route de 12 kilomètres reliant les Communes d’Ambonaivo et d’Ambondro par les habitants de ces communes en 60 jours.

Antsa R. dans Midi Madagasikara

D’après les informations, les paysans bénéficiaires du Programme reçoivent des formations et des sensibilisations sur le SRI (Système de Riziculture Intensive), des appuis pour la pratique de culture de contre-saison pour améliorer leurs revenus, des formations sur la gestion financière et l’épargne, ainsi que sur d’autres activités comme la pisciculture, la production de biogaz, etc. Jusqu’en juin 2018, plus de 1 085 paysans partenaires ont travaillé avec le Programme Avotra sur le SRI. 455 nouveaux paysans se sont manifestés pour intégrer le Programme. Ces bénéficiaires exploitent en tout 85,6ha de rizières, pour le SRI, d’après les responsables du Programme Avotra. Par ailleurs, des facilitations de l’accès aux intrants agricoles sont également offertes aux paysans bénéficiaires. (..)  Outre la riziculture, certains bénéficiaires du Programme Avotra se spécialisent également dans le compostage. 414 paysans ont déjà été formés dans ce domaine

Dans Energy News

Madagascar periwinkle extract is a derivative obtained from a series of processing of Madagascar periwinkle plant parts, particularly the flower. The botanical extract is known to comprise alkaloids with an extensive range of polarities. Catharanthus roseus is known to be of greater importance pharmaceutically with inclusive important terpenoid indole alkaloids. The applications of periwinkle as a dietary supplement is not limited, as it comprises pharmacologically active vinca alkaloids. Madagascar periwinkle has also drawn the attraction of pharmaceutical manufacturers leading to development of active research programs in medicinal plant chemistry. Hence, there is huge potential for Madagascar periwinkle Extract market growth with anticipation in increase in R&D in Catharanthus roseus and improved supply of Madagascar Periwinkle Extract.

Mikama - Aug 10, 2018

Dans Public Finance International
The country’s economy growth for 2017 is estimated at 4.2% and projected at 5.0% in 2018, according to the bank’s latest economic update for the country, released yesterday. (..) The poverty headcount, based on $1.50 a day line, is projected to lower from 75% in 2018 to 73% in 2020, if the growth is inclusive.

Dans Relief Web
Poor and very poor households in the southwest (primarily Livelihood Zone 23) are experiencing Crisis (IPC Phase 3) acute food insecurity because of below normal agricultural production which caused stocks to deplete earlier than normal and households to atypically rely more on markets that are supplied with food from outside the zone that are more expensive. In the far south (primarily Livelihood Zone 24), food access improved after the sweet potato harvest, but food consumption gaps will persist due to below normal production keeping the area in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) in the west and in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) in east of the zone.

Dans The Guardian
There are nine species of baobab in the world, and Madagascar, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, is home to six. (..) Some of the most impressive trees from back then are still around, those from Madagascar especially: for example, the Adansonia grandidieri, or giant baobab, which can reach a height of 30m. It remains the most famous species of baobab in Madagascar. The rarest baobab species in Madagascar are the Adansonia perrieri and A. suarezensis.
All three of these species are threatened and are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and recent assessments have suggested that the latter two species be reclassified as critically endangered. A. perrieri’s habitat is being lost to agriculture and development, whereas A. suarezensis’s biggest threats to survival are lightning, water logging, black fungus and drought. To make matters worse, the large animal species responsible for carrying seeds may have become extinct and hence reduced the wider distribution of the plant species.

Mikama - Aug 9, 2018

Navalona R. dans Midi Madagasikara

Le bois énergie reste la principale source d’énergie domestique utilisée par plus de 92% des ménages malagasy. (..) La demande annuelle s’élève à 18 millions de m3 alors que l’offre n’arrive à satisfaire que la moitié. En outre, le chiffre d’affaires annuel est estimé à 125 millions d’Euros. (..) « la couverture forestière a connu une baisse significative, passant de 9 451 350ha en 2005 à 8 977 337ha cinq ans plus tard jusqu’à 8 845 509ha en 2013. (..) Par ailleurs, le reboisement continu devrait atteindre 40 000 ha en 2030.

Dans La Gazette de la Grande Ile

Selon les estimations, mentionne l’identique source, la consommation en bois énergie devrait doubler d’ici 2030. Pour prévenir les pénuries et ainsi préserver l’environnement, une Stratégie Nationale d’Approvisionnement en Bois Energie (SNABE) a été élaborée...  il importe de rappeler, les données de la FAO que dans le pays , la couverture forestière s’amenuise inexorablement: 200 000 ha de forêts disparaissent chaque année sous l’action de défrichement effectuée de différentes manières et 1 200 000 ha de parcours sont la proie des flammes. (..) Les forêts tropicales sèches le long de la côte-ouest sont en voie de disparition à un rythme de 2,5% par an, et les forêts tropicales humides de la côte-est suivent la même destinée à un taux annuel de 1,5% par an.

Mikama - Aug 7, 2018

Ny Aina Rahaga dans Madagascar Tribune

Un groupe de primatologues qui étudie essentiellement les lémuriens de Madagascar ont conclu que 95% des lémuriens de Madagascar sont en voie de disparition et auront définitivement rejoint les légendes comme le rhinocéros blanc d’ici quelques années si rien n’est fait. Cette situation est due en grande partie à la destruction de leur habitat naturel par les feux de brousse et les braconnages notamment dans les réserves protégés. Un groupe de spécialistes des primates de la Commission de la sauvegarde des espèces de l’Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature avait également sorti une étude selon laquelle 23 espèces de lémuriens se trouvent en situation vulnérable, 44 espèces en danger et 38 autres en danger critique. Ce qui fait un effrayant total de 105 espèces en danger sur les 112 existantes sur la Grande ile.

Dans La Gazette de la Grande Ile

... selon les données publiées dans le Rapport national de priorisation des objectifs de développement durable – Madagascar 2018, les 48 pays les moins avancés (PMA).Le niveau de pauvreté, élevé, affecte 71,5 % de la population ; environ 93 % vivent avec moins de deux dollars (PPA) par jour ; 55 % de la population vit dans l’extrême pauvreté et plus d’un tiers des Malagasy sont dans une situation d’insécurité alimentaire. (..) le taux net de scolarisation dans le primaire est de 69%, le taux d’achèvement du primaire est de 69% et le taux d’alphabétisation des 15 ans et plus est de 72%.Le taux de mortalité infanto-juvénile reste important à près de 62 pour mille enfants et le taux de mortalité maternelle est de 478 pour 100.000 naissances vivantes.

Mikama - Jul 27, 2018

Madagascar PREPAREDNESS WORKING GROUP
The Logistics Cluster provides coordination and Information Management to support operational decision-making and improve the predictability, timeliness and efficiency of the humanitarian emergency response. Where necessary, the Logistics Cluster also facilitates access to common logistics services. Due to its expertise in the field of humanitarian logistics, the World Food Programme was chosen by the IASC as the lead agency for the Logistics Cluster . WFP hosts the Global Logistics Cluster support team in its headquarters in Rome. WFP also acts as a ‘provider of last resort’ offering common logistics services, when critical gaps hamper the humanitarian response.

Dans Relief Web
The Nutrition Surveillance System, implemented in 120 of 224 communes in Southern Madagascar, showed that 37 per cent have a global acute malnutrition prevalence (GAM) greater than 10 per cent; though the situation is similar to last year, UNICEF continues both its interventions and monitoring of the nutrition situation in the region. Of the four districts in the South-Eastern part of the country, the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) for Acute Food Insecurity completed in May 2018 has found two districts in Phase 3/Crisis, and the other two districts in Phase 2/Alert. On the nutritional side, a SMART survey in April 2018 in these same four districts showed no emergency (GAM> 15%), though one district showed an alarming situation (GAM> = 10%).

Dans WFMJ
Rakotondraibe is from Madagascar and brought the compounds from the Cinnamosma fragrans tree, commonly called mandravasarotra, with him to Columbus. The bark is used in traditional medicines on the island. "It's very exciting to me first, because it's a plant from Madagascar and it's endemic. So endemic means only Madagascar you can find it. The chemical components are very unique. It's also natural and most of the insecticides that have been used are not natural. So this will help the community a lot. I think this is very very exciting," Rakotondraibe said. The bark from the small tree worked equally well on mosquitoes resistant to common insecticides. "These fragrant molecules are contributing to, I think, some of these activities which is kind of interesting and it smells really pleasant. It's almost like when you open up a spice rack and you kind of have that peppery aroma that's what the bark smells like," Piermarini said. The active ingredient, cinnamodial, activates the same receptors in mosquitoes that help us pick up pain from hot surfaces and spicy foods.

Mikama - Jul 25, 2018

Navalona R. dans Midi Madagasikara

Filière piscicole : Des kits d’hygiène pour les opérateurs de marché. Le projet AMPIANA, financé par l’Union européenne à travers le programme ASA, œuvre dans l’appui aux marchés piscicoles d’eau douce à Antananarivo et ses alentours. En fait, « le manque d’hygiène dans la commercialisation des produits piscicoles constitue la plus grande problématique de tous les acteurs opérant dans tous les maillons de la filière piscicole..

Arh. dans NewsMada

Plus de 300.000 jeunes débarquent chaque année sur le marché du travail. Et 75% d’entre eux ainsi que 90% des travailleurs opèrent dans l’informel, d’après les dernières données fournies par l’Institut national de la statistique (Instat). (..) Le taux de chômage dans le pays s’élève aujourd’hui à 6 %. A cela s’ajoute le faible taux d’urbanisation (2 %).

Riana R. dans NewsMada

C’est dans ce sens que l’AFD a accordé au projet Talaky un financement de 3,5 millions d’euros (14 millions d’ariary), destiné à conserver les forêts et à développer l’économie autour du massif de Beampingaratsy (région Anosy). (..) Le projet Talaky contribue à concrétiser l’engagement pris par le gouvernement malgache à Durban en 2003, notamment celui d’accroître à 6 millions d’hectares la superficie des aires protégées dans la Grande île.

Mikama - Jul 24, 2018

Navalona R. dans Midi Madagasikara

Près de 400 000 étudiants intègrent annuellement le marché du travail. Mais l’offre ne permet de recevoir que 35 000 jeunes. Et encore, à peu près 3.000 d’entre eux ont pu décrocher un travail à l’issue d’un entretien. L’exigence d’une expérience pendant deux à cinq ans par les entreprises constitue également une autre contrainte, ne leur permettant pas de trouver facilement de l’emploi.

Mirana Ihariliva dans L'Express de Madagascar

Le programme Eaurizon, mis en œuvre par la région Haute Matsiatra et la Métropole de Lyon en France, résoudra le problème d’adduction en eau potable de la ville de Fianarantsoa. Quelques 725 millions d’ariary ont été engagés, dont 81% par ces deux régions partenaires, 14% par la Jirama et 6% par la commune urbaine de Fianarantsoa (..) Ce Programme Eaurizon en cours a commencé en 2016 et s’étale jusqu’en 2020. Il comprend des actions dans seize communes d’intervention, qui sont formées à la maîtrise d’ouvrage et des projets d’accès à l’eau potable pour près de quarante mille habitants. Sept cent quatre vingt dix points d’eau ont été réalisés. Cinquante bassins versants ont été aménagés pour la préservation des ressources

Dans Earth Touch News
For ring-tailed lemurs, scent is an important means of communication. The island primates are equipped with genital scent glands that produce a musky substance – perfect for smearing on branches and twigs if you’re a lemur wanting to send olfactory messages to your fellow primates. The pungent paste is made up of 200 to 300 chemicals that carry important messages like “I was here” or “let’s start a family”. Each lemur’s distinctive musk also reveals clues about its health. (..) In lemur land, social status is ranked by the quantity and quality of these smelly secretions. In addition to slathering their scent on trees and branches, males will also "re-mark" over the secretions of their rivals in an attempt to out-stink the competition. Males that leave behind a weak odour are more likely to have their scent smeared out by rivals, indicating that the over-marking males are able to detect a weaker competitor. “These animals constantly monitor the physical condition of their competitors and respond quickly to any opportunity to climb the social ladder,” says Rachel Harris, who conducted the research as a postdoctoral associate in evolutionary anthropology at Duke.

Mikama - Jul 19, 2018

Dans Mongabay
Large swaths of forest inside northwestern Madagascar’s Bongolava Forest Corridor, a protected area, have been burned to make way for commercial corn farming, raising the fortunes of many residents accustomed to living on the edge of subsistence.
Last month, angry farmers armed with sticks and machetes stormed into the northwestern city of Boriziny, also known as Port–Bergé, to demand the release of people arrested for illegally clearing farmland inside the protected area.
The group destroyed the offices of the local nonprofit that manages the protected area and set fire to the building it shares with an outpost of the environment ministry, as well as to the homes of the group’s coordinator and the government administrator for the area.
The episode highlights the difficulty of achieving meaningful conservation in an area where the populace largely views ecological goals as conflicting with an important source of income.

Dans Mashable
Madagascar's forests have been nearly logged to death, with nearly 90 percent of its original forests destroyed in the last century, according to NASA.

Mikama - Jul 17, 2018

Mirana Ihariliva dans L'Express de Madagascar

Une nouvelle qui ravit vingt-et-une communes de la région Est et Alaotra Mangoro, impactées directement et indirectement par le projet d’exploi­tation d’Ambatovy. « Tenez-vous bien, quarante huit milliard huit cent sept millions d’ariary (48 807 000 000 ariary) seront versés par la compagnie minière Ambatovy aux communes touchées par cette exploitation de nickel et de cobalt, à titre de ristourne... pour cette année, exceptionnellement, 20% seront débloqués immédiatement afin de pouvoir faire démarrer les travaux de construction d’infrastructures. Sur les 2 % de redevances minières versées au budget général de l’État, 1,6 % de ristournes iront aux collectivités décentralisées, communes, régions, et provinces, 10% des ristournes pour le Fonds national de péréquation  et 90% pour les Collectivités Décentra­lisées concernées »

Mirana Ihariliva dans L'Express de Madagascar

Aires protégées : Des pertes de revenus compensées. Près de quinze mille personnes bénéficient du Plan de sauvegarde sociale et environnementale, un projet soutenu par la Banque mondiale.  Le projet a pour objectif de compenser les pertes des revenus engendrées par la création ou l&rsquo;extension d'aires protégées. Des sous-projets de développement d'un montant total de 7,3 milliards d'ariary ont été ainsi octroyés pendant les deux années du projet. « Les sous-projets touchent différents types d'activités, dépendant des sites et en fonction des choix des populations affectées par le projet, telles que l'aviculture, la pisciculture, la pêche, la culture maraîchère, sèche ou la culture de maïs », explique le directeur exécutif de la fondation pour les Aires protégées de  Mada­gascar (FAPBM), Gérard Rambeloarisoa.</p>
<p>Ces populations affectées concernent les dix aires protégées, gérées par Madagascar National Park, le parc naturel de Makira, la plus grande zone protégée de la Grande île, à cheval entre Analanjirofo, Sava et Sofia avec ses quelque 372000 ha.

R.Edmond dans Midi Madagasikara

On rappelle en effet qu’en 2016-2017, Madagascar a produit 1300 à 1500 tonnes de vanille exportable. La production malgache est estimée à 82% de la production mondiale. Les autres pays producteurs montent de plus en plus avec 5% de la production mondiale pour l’Indonésie, 4% pour l’Ouganda, 3% pour la Papouasie Nouvelle Guinée, 2% pour l’Inde. Bref, la vanille malgache qui a été longtemps estimée sur le marché mondial se présente actuellement sous des perspectives de développement plus limitées. La crise continue de miner la filière qui a connu des hauts et des bas et la vanille malgache perd de plus en plus en crédibilité.

Navalona R. dans Midi Madagasikara

Parmi les projets exposés durant le salon, la transformation du « Moringa » ou « Ananambo » qui est une plante à plusieurs vertus en poudre, était à l’honneur. Tsiferana Sata Andrianina, ayant obtenu son licence en Marketing en 2016, a pu fabriquer des cookies, des cakes et des krackers à base de ce produit.  (..) Quant à Jacky Andriarimalala, étudiant en 3e Année, filière « Finances & Comptabilité », il se lance à fond dans la production de poudre de soja instantané parfumé au chocolat et de poudre de lait de soja présentés également dans de beaux emballages. (..) Pour Laha Nambinina, étudiante en 5e Année, filière « Administration & Management agroalimentaire », elle exploite les produits de son terroir, en tant qu’originaire d’Amboasary Atsimo, et ce, depuis un an déjà. « Je fabrique des confitures de cactus et de jujube ainsi que de l’huile de ricin, et ce avec une méthode artisanale... Et s’agissant du jeune étudiant diplômé de licence en Création d’Entreprise en 2016, nommé Fy pour ses intimes, son projet a connu un stade plus avancé qui a été concocté en deux ans. « Je produits des huiles essentielles à base de cyprès, de gingembre, de girofle, de romarin, de « Rambiazina » et de « Ravintsara », entre autres. Je dispose d’un alambic d’une capacité de 1 500 litres avec l’appui de mes parents. J’ai pu percer un marché via facebook où il y avait une demande de 10kg de l’huile essentielle....  nous avons lancé un fonds de garantie en partenariat avec la banque BFV pour soutenir financièrement les projets de ces étudiants. Ceux-ci n’ont qu’à faire un dépôt de 200 000 Ar pour pouvoir en bénéficier, tout en présentant des projets viables et bancables.

Mikama - Jul 16, 2018

Dans RFI
New research investigating conservation efforts in Madagascar says some 27,000 people are suffering from restrictions aimed at maintaining tropical forest. The study, published in the PeerJ journal, suggests that people living in the protected area have not been fully compensated and their incomes are affected as a result. The Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor, in eastern Madagascar, is part of a pilot project under the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) scheme supported by the World Bank. (..) The study is not suggesting that conservation efforts should be stopped, instead it is calling for forest dwellers to be properly compensated for the impact conservation has on their livelihoods, in particular on traditional agricultural practices.

Dans IMF
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today completed the third review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) Arrangement for Madagascar. The completion of this review enables the disbursement of SDR 31.43 million (about US$44.25 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 156.26 million (about US$220.02 million). Madagascar’s 40-month arrangement for SDR 220 million (about US$304.7 million, or 90 percent of Madagascar’s quota), was approved on July 27, 2016 (see Press Release No.16/370) .

Dans Renewables Now
The Veolia Foundation of French water, waste and energy management company Veolia Environnement SA (EPA:VIE) yesterday announced it was renewing its support for a Madagascar start-up, which is experimenting with a new decentralized solar electrification model. Nano-grids developed by Nanoé Développement, as the start-up is named, are collective solar systems delivering power to 4 to 6 households, who use mobile prepayments to purchase daily access to an electrical service adapted to their needs. The company also trains rural nano-entrepreneurs to build and operate these nano-grids. After a trial phase in early 2018, during which nearly 300 homes were connected, the Veolia Foundation now continues to support the deployment of the system with a twofold goal: 1,000 nano-grids and 100 nano-entrepreneurs by the end of the year.

Mikama - Jul 5, 2018

Dans Relief Web
National rice production will likely be 3.6 Million MT which is 17 percent higher than last year and near the 5-year average. Overall national maize production will likely be 264,000 MT which is 6 percent lower than last year and 21 percent below the 5-year average. National cassava production will likely be 2.6 Million MT which is 3 percent higher than last year but 7 percent below the 5-year average. (..) The current food security situation is improved compared to previous months due to ongoing harvests, but areas of Crisis (IPC Phase 3) remain in the District of Beloha (part of Livelihood Zone 24) and in the Mahafaly Plain (Livelihood Zone 23). Other parts of the country including the Southeast of Madagascar (Livelihood Zone 19) and in the part of the Southwest included in Livelihood Zone 20 are currently in Stressed (IPC Phase 2).

Dans L'Express de Madagascar

L’utilisation du bois de chauffe et du charbon de bois représente depuis toujours plus de 90% de l’énergie consommée. Le bois utilisé est, en grande majorité, issu d’une exploitation illicite et destructive des ressources forestières. Ce phénomène à croissance rapide est l’une des principales causes de déforestation et dégradation des forêts naturelles dont la couverture est passée de 9,4 millions d’hectares en 2005 à 9,2 millions d’hectares en 2010. Soit une réduction de presque 40 000 hectares par an. Cette perte en forêts naturelles épuise le capital naturel unique de l’ile et rend le pays davantage vulnérable au changement climatique. Le gouvernement veut mettre fin à ce déclin et sécuriser l’approvisionnement en bois d’utilité par un programme de reboisement. Entre autres, la Nouvelle Politique de l’Énergie encourage les efforts de reboisement de 35 000 à 40 000 hectares par an afin de sécuriser l’approvisionnement en bois-énergie.
Site : www.gre.mg
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Groupe-de-Réflexion-sur-lEnergie-GRE

Mikama - Jul 4, 2018

Dans Digital Journal
DNI Metals Inc. (OTC PINK: DMNKF) (CSE: DNI) ("DNI" or the "Company"), is pleased to provide an update on the status of Environmental Licenses for its 100%-owned Vohitsara and Marofody graphite projects in Madagascar. The "Cahier des Charges Minières" (see explanation below) were delivered to the Company on May 18, 2018 and June 11, 2018 for Vohitsara and Marofody, respectively. As a result, the environmental licenses are expected to be received shortly.  DNI owns two permitted, saprolite-hosted graphite deposits in Madagascar; located 50kms from the country's main seaport. The deposits are located less than two (2) kms from the paved national highway. DNI intends to develop the Vohitsara project, should the economic viability and technical feasibility be established. DNI has not yet established mineral resources or mineral reserves supported by a PEA or mining study (PFS or FS). DNI has a graphite wholesale business, in which it buys and sells high quality graphite.

Dans Pasadena Business Now
Tetra Tech Inc., a global provider of consulting and engineering services based in Pasadena, has been awarded a $22 million, single-award contract by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support biodiversity protection and enhance livelihoods in Madagascar, a company press release said Thursday. The contract involves a five-year USAID project, called the Mikajy activity, which is part of the agency’s Conservation and Communities Project in Madagascar. Mikajy, in Madagascar’s national language Malagasay, means “taking good care of.” Under the contract, Tetra Tech will support critical biodiversity conservation efforts in forested and coastal ecosystems in Madagascar, and empower local communities in these regions to manage their natural resources; the company will also provide new economic opportunities and support for natural resource tenure and property rights.

Dans APO Group Mena Newsroom
Madagascar a été déclaré officiellement « Polio Free », ou Pays libéré de la poliomyélite, par la Commission Régionale de Certification de l'Éradication de la Poliomyélite en Afrique, le 21 juin 2018, à Abuja, au Nigéria... si les critères de performance déclinent, dont les systèmes de surveillance des paralysies flasques aiguës et la couverture vaccinale, il y a toujours un risque que la Commission Régionale retire le statut...

Mikama - Jun 20, 2018

Mirana Ihariliva dans L'Express de Madagascar

La Banque européenne d’investissement fait partie des entités d’exécution du projet Paysages durables dans l’Est de Madagascar. 35 millions de dollars assureront la viabilité du projet pendant dix ans. L’institution opèrera aux côtés de l’ONG Conser­vation Internationale, qui sera le principal financeur pour la partie publique, à hauteur de 18, 5 millions de dollars. « Le projet paysages durables dans l’Est de Madagascar vise à améliorer la résilience des petits agriculteurs vulnérables au changement climatique, réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre, dues à la déforestation. Ce projet a également pour objectif de promouvoir les investissements du secteur privé dans la lutte contre le changement climatique », explique  Zo Lalaina Rakotobe, de Conservation Internationale... Le projet permettra d’éviter la déforestation de 683 000 ha de forêts naturelles d’importance mondiale, de réduire dix millions de tonnes d’émissions de gaz carbonique équivalant de gaz à effet de serre, de renforcer la capacité de deux  cent soixante communautés de base, quinze mille ménages et cent cinquante mille individus dans la gestion des communautés, la gestion des aires protégées et le maintien des services éco-systémiques en général.

Mamisoa Antonia dans L'Express de Madagascar

Un enfant sur deux souffre de malnutrition chronique. Six enfants sur dix n’achèvent pas le programme scolaire. Un enfant sur deux n’a pas accès à l’eau potable. Un euro investi dans la nutrition aura un retour de 18 % sur l’investissement du pays. L’État a déjà déployé des efforts dans l’amélioration de budget alloué dans les secteurs sociaux de base. « Le budget public a augmenté en montant nominal en passant de 3 116 milliards d’ariary en 2014 à 7 173 milliards en 2018. Le budget alloué aux secteurs sociaux a augmenté de 1 097 milliards d’ariary à 1 990 milliards d’ariary pendant la même période »

Fahranarison dans NewsMada

Les enquêtes ont été basées sur les perceptions et les vécus de 2.523 personnes, composées de jeunes, personnel médical, travailleurs sociaux, policiers, magistrats, personnel scolaire, parents et autres: «89% de jeunes déclarent avoir été victimes de châtiment corporel dans leurs familles, soit près de 9 jeunes sur 10. Plus de la moitié des jeunes affirment avoir subi des violences en milieu scolaire, soit 1 jeune sur 2», a informé Sbihi Rajoe, l’un des membres de Bide, qui ont participé à l’étude. Le plus décevant, c’est de constater que cette forme de violence est acceptée par les familles, les communautés et même les victimes. D’après l’étude, «65% de répondants considèrent le châtiment corporel comme approprié à la maison. Et 29% de jeunes acceptent le châtiment corporel en milieu scolaire».