The east coast of Madagascar consists largely of steeply shelving beaches
and rocky shores. The shoreline is
straight with the exception of one bay.
A narrow band of lowlands is used for agriculture due to the very
abundant rich soil. Although there are
some beautiful beaches on the east coast, sharks frequent the shoreline and the
sharp drop off at most beaches make it dangerous for swimmers. Madagascar east coast, especially in the
north, usually gets three to four major cyclones each year. The storms in the last several years have
been very intense resulting in beach erosion and forcing several communities to
leave the areas they have been living in.
The west coast of Madagascar also has beautiful beaches, coral reefs and
Mangroves. Over 90% of the coral reefs
around the island are located on the west coast. The third largest coral reef in the world,
Toliara, is located in the southwest coast of Madagascar. Mangroves, shrubs and trees that are saline
tolerant that grow along the coastline and estuaries, largely grow on the west
coast. Both the reefs and mangroves work
in concert to protect each other. The
reefs buffer the mangroves from the pounding surf and storm surges and the
mangroves protect the reefs and sea grass beds by capturing river-borne
sediment and sediment from the inland. Mangroves provide shelter for mollusk,
crustacean communities and it is also a habitat for turtles, birds and
dugongs. Many fish and shellfish species
that live in the estuaries need fresh water for at least part of their life
cycle and certain migratory birds prey on these for food. The mangroves are also critical for coastal
communities that use the mangroves for cooking fuel, medicine, construction
material and food.
Mangroves have been threatened recently because of urban development,
overpopulation, overfishing, deforestation inland and overharvesting of
mangroves. Some areas of mangroves have
been completely removed to provide room for rice farmers, shrimp farmers and
salt production which has resulted in high rates of erosion. One of the fastest changing coastlines in the
world is located in northern Madagascar in the Betsiboka estuary, the mouth of
Madagascar’s largest river. Erosion from
the loss of mangroves and deforestation inland has produced so much sediment
that ships that were once able to travel up the estuary cannot anymore. Without the mangroves, communities along the
coast will not be able to harvest the mangroves for wood and construction and
the various sea creatures like mollusk, crustacean and fish will die off. One of the main food sources for these
communities will no longer be available.
The migratory birds will also no longer have a food source. It has been estimated that 30 to 50% of
mangroves worldwide have been destroyed.
The mangroves that also protect the reefs and grass beds from sediment
are also compromised. Toliara Reef has
experienced an increase in sediment recently although fortunately it has not
reached a scale where the effects are not reversible. The reefs also buffer the shoreline from the
pounding surf and storm surges which helps to prevent shore erosion. Along with the sediment, rising temperatures
in the ocean is also expelling colorful algae in the reefs that when not
present results in the reefs turning white.
This process is known as bleaching and if it is intense, sustained or
happens frequently; it can result in the reef dying and the death of the
creatures living in the reef. Because of
warm ocean temperatures in 1998 and 2000, reefs in the southwest were dying and
some reefs lost 99% of their coral cover.
Because of climate change and ocean temperatures rising, this is an
ongoing concern.
Many organizations like WWF (World Wildlife fund), Honko Mangrove
Conservation and Education and The World Conservation Union have tried to help
Madagascar restore their mangroves.
These organizations educate the local communities about the importance
of mangroves and in many places have started replanting projects. Mangroves grow fast and within the first year
can grow to over three feet. Emphasis is
also placed on how important mangroves are to other creatures that need the
mangroves to survive. A sustainable
population of shrimp, crab and fish will not only feed their families but can
also be a source of profit by selling them at the market. There are also areas like the Mosoala
National Park which is protected and has nine species of mangroves. On a larger scale it is harder to stop the
growth of large shrimp and rice farms because they are very lucrative and
provides income not only to a much improvised country but also jobs for the
local populations. Although regulations
have been put in place to prevent degradation of the environment, many are not
always reinforced. When it comes to
climate change and rising ocean temperature, this needs to be addressed on a global
scale. One problem that always seems to
be cited when it comes to many of these environmental problems, not only in
Madagascar but also other countries, is over population. Since 1980, the population of Madagascar has
doubled. About half of the population is
under 15 and will soon be of reproductive age.
One positive note is that family planning methods have increased from 5%
to 18% in recent years. Hopefully this
number will continue to increase so the impact on the environment will lessen.
REFERENCES
Northwest Coast of
Madagascar | Coastal Care. coastalcare.org/2011/06/northwest-coast-of-madagascar-erosions-impact.
Mangrove deforestation in
Madagascar: What are the options www.illegal-logging.info/content/mangrove-deforestation-madagascar.
Deforestation is
killing Madagascar's
coral reefs. news.mongabay.com/2012/0905-deforestation-coral-reefs.html.
WWF - Coral reef protection in
Madagascar. wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/madagascar/index.cfm?uProject.
Madagascar Naturellement: Birth Control is My. https://www.k4health.org/toolkits/phe/madagascar-naturellement.
