Madagascar Beach Erosion

     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.

Madagascar -- A World Apart: Paradise in Peril.  www.pbs.org/edens/madagascar/paradise.htm.

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.                                                                                                         

Honko Mangrove Conservation & Education. honko.org