Southern Madagascar has been experiencing ongoing drought since 2019, and the devastating consequences are pushing local communities to the brink. Roughly 1.3 million people – more than one in three people in the area– have become food insecure in what the World Food Program (WFP) describes as “famine-like conditions,” compounded by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response, the UN and Malagasy government have issued a flash appeal for USD 75.9 million in aid to avert a humanitarian crisis. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), many southern provinces are currently in IPC Phase 3, with some dipping into Phase 4, which indicates high levels of acute malnutrition.

To understand why Madagascar’s drought is so long-lasting and consequential, Landscape News discussed the crisis with Patrick Ranjatson, a professor at the University of Antananarivo’s forestry school, where he researches local natural resources management and migration.
Which areas of Madagascar are the most affected by this drought, and how serious is it?

The most affected area is in what we call the “Deep South.” This is really the extreme south of Madagascar – not the southeast, because the southeast is part of the eastern humid ecoregion, so it’s not actually concerned with drought. And it’s not the southwest of Madagascar, which is arid, but it is also close to the sea. What we’re talking about is the Ambovombe area, which is administratively called the Androy region and is far from the sea. This part of Madagascar is traditionally very dry and strongly affected by drought..

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