Climate change in Madagascar

Climate change has raised temperatures, made the dry season longer and has resulted in more intense tropical storms.

Climate change is projected to drive declines in coral reefs and forest habitats, and threaten native species such as lemurs.

Madagascar is a signatory to the Paris Agreement and has set out goals for climate change adaptation, although their implementation faces challenges due to country's relative poverty.

[3] Cyclones are expected become more intense due to climate change but less frequent, greatly impacting the country and increasing flood risk.

[4] Vegetation cover correlates strongly with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, with this relationship indicating climate change is likely to further degrade Madagascar's environment.

[2] Suitable eastern rainforest habitat for ruffed lemurs is projected to decline considerably due to the interacting impacts of climate change and deforestation in Madagascar.

[6] Coral reefs in Madagascar are likely to decline in the 21st century due to climate change, although deforestation is thought to have a greater impact.

[4] The severe 2021–2022 Madagascar famine, which followed the worst drought in four decades, has been linked to climate change by the United Nations and media commentators, although an attribution study found that "while climate change may have slightly increased the likelihood of this reduced rainfall [over 2019–21], the effect is not statistically significant", with poverty, poor infrastructure and high dependence on rain-fed agriculture being primary factors.

Decreases in annual rainfall, increased evapotranspiration and sea level rise are projected to further reduce water availability across much of the country.

[3] Proposed measures using conservation in Madagascar include expanding protected areas and generating income by selling carbon offsets for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+).

[3] Building climate resilience in the population can be achieved through reducing poverty and improving water access and infrastructure, particularly in rural areas.

Satellite image of Madagascar with a large cyclone to the right of it in the ocean.
Satellite image of Cyclone Batsirai approaching Madagascar. Tropical cyclones are set to become more intense in the country due to climate change.
Bar chart showing blue lines below the x-axis, which change to red lines above the x-axis, representing increasing average annual temperature in Madagascar.
Temperature change in Madagascar, 1901 to 2020
Map of South Madagascar showing areas of reduced rainfall.
Droughts in Madagascar are being made more likely due to climate change.
Satellite image of a river flooding.
Flooding of agricultural fields (pictured in 2010 near the Betsiboka River ) is increasing in Madagascar due to climate change.
Image of a man in a suit.
Minister of Environment, Ecology, Sea and Forests Ralava Beboarimisa at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference