Fighting declining fish stocks and improving human health in Madagascar – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Report on an Integrated Environmental and Public Health Intervention in Madagascar

1.0 Executive Summary

This report details a novel intervention in Madagascar addressing the collapse of coastal fisheries, a crisis with severe implications for several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Overfishing, climate change, and population growth have decimated fish stocks and coral reefs, threatening the livelihoods and food security of local communities. In response, a research initiative involving the construction of artificial reefs is being implemented. This project aims to demonstrate that environmental restoration can serve as a direct public health intervention, simultaneously advancing SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 1 (No Poverty), and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

2.0 The Challenge to Sustainable Development in Madagascar

Madagascar’s coastal fisheries are in a state of critical decline, directly undermining progress toward key SDGs. The primary factors contributing to this crisis and their impacts are outlined below.

• Threat to SDG 14 (Life Below Water): Overfishing and climate change have led to the severe depletion of marine biodiversity and the degradation of natural coral reef habitats.
• Impact on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): As a crucial source of food, the collapse of fish stocks has created significant food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies in vulnerable coastal communities.
• Setback for SDG 1 (No Poverty): The decline in fisheries, a primary source of income, has exacerbated poverty and economic instability for families dependent on marine resources.
• Failure of Traditional Methods: Previous conservation efforts, such as restricting fishing access, have often proven ineffective and have sometimes negatively impacted the economic stability of already vulnerable households.

3.0 Intervention: Artificial Reefs as a Catalyst for the SDGs

A new approach centered on building artificial reefs is being tested as a multi-faceted solution. These human-made structures are designed to achieve integrated outcomes that support multiple SDGs.

3.1 Primary Objectives of the Intervention

1. Ecological Restoration (SDG 14): To create new, resilient habitats that mimic natural reefs, fostering the recovery of fish populations and supporting marine biodiversity.
2. Enhancing Food Security (SDG 2): To increase fish stocks, thereby providing a sustainable and accessible source of nutrition for local communities.
3. Improving Livelihoods (SDG 1 & SDG 8): To create more productive fishing areas, which can lead to improved household incomes and contribute to sustainable economic growth.

4.0 Research and Analysis: Linking Environmental and Human Health

The initiative is accompanied by an extensive study, described by researcher Christopher Golden as a comprehensive examination of the link between ecosystem health and human health outcomes. The research framework is designed to quantify the project’s success as an integrated development model.

• Core Hypothesis: The central goal is to validate that stewarding natural resources can produce simultaneous, measurable benefits for both the ecosystem and human well-being.
• Measuring SDG Impact: The study will assess how an environmental intervention targeting SDG 14 can be quantified as a public health intervention, directly contributing to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
• Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17): The effort represents a collaboration between scientists and local organizations, embodying the cooperative approach necessary to achieve the SDGs.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article identifies Madagascar as “one of the world’s poorest nations” and notes that coastal fisheries are a crucial source of “income.” The project’s goal to “improve… household incomes” directly addresses poverty alleviation.
2. SDG 2: Zero Hunger
   • The text explicitly states that fisheries are a “crucial source of both food” and that “local communities struggling to find enough to eat.” The intervention aims to improve “nutrition and food security,” which is the core mission of this goal.
3. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The research mentioned in the article focuses on the “connection between ecosystem health and human health outcomes.” It frames the environmental project as a potential “public health intervention” aimed at improving the “health and well-being of nearby communities.”
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article lists “climate change” as one of the primary reasons for the decline in fish stocks and the depletion of coral reefs, connecting the local environmental crisis to a global climate issue.
5. SDG 14: Life Below Water
   • This is the most central SDG. The article’s entire focus is on the collapse of “Madagascar’s coastal fisheries” due to “overfishing” and “depleted coral reefs.” The solution of building “artificial reefs” is a direct action to restore marine habitats, support “marine biodiversity,” and help “fish populations grow.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations.
   • The article describes how traditional conservation efforts have “made life harder for already vulnerable families.” The artificial reef project is an attempt to build environmental and economic resilience for these communities against the shock of collapsing fisheries.
2. Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food.
   • The project directly addresses this target by aiming to increase fish populations, which are a “crucial source of food” for local communities that are “struggling to find enough to eat,” thereby improving “nutrition and food security.”
3. Target 14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts… and take action for their restoration.
   • The initiative to build “artificial reefs” is a direct restoration action. The article states these structures are “designed to mimic the lost natural habitat fish rely on to survive,” thereby helping to restore the depleted local ecosystem.
4. Target 14.4: End overfishing… and implement science-based management plans… to restore fish stocks.
   • The article highlights “overfishing” as a key cause of plummeting “fish stocks.” The artificial reef project is a science-based intervention designed to help “fish populations grow,” which is a method to restore fish stocks.
5. Target 14.b: Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources.
   • The project’s goal is to provide “more fishing areas to local communities.” These communities are dependent on coastal fisheries, implying they are small-scale fishers who would benefit from restored access to marine resources.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators of Ecosystem Health
   • The article states that researchers will study how the reefs “affect local ecosystems.” This implies measuring indicators such as the size of fish populations, the growth of coral on the artificial structures, and overall marine biodiversity in the area.
2. Indicators of Human Nutrition and Health
   • The research explicitly aims to quantify the project’s impact on “human nutrition and food security and human health.” This implies the use of public health indicators, such as rates of malnutrition, dietary diversity, and food consumption patterns in the local communities.
3. Indicators of Economic Well-being
   • One of the stated goals is to “improve… household incomes.” Progress towards this can be measured by tracking changes in the average income of families in the fishing communities.
4. Indicators of Fisheries’ Productivity
   • The article mentions that researchers will study the effects on “fisheries.” This suggests that indicators like fish catch volume, catch per unit effort, and the size and health of the fish being caught will be monitored to measure the project’s success.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary Table

Source: hsph.harvard.edu