To Save Madagascar’s One-of-a-Kind Ecosystems, You Have to Feed the People First – Mother Jones

Report on the Socio-Ecological Crisis in Southwest Madagascar and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report examines the critical environmental and humanitarian situation in the Bay of Ranobe, southwest Madagascar. The region faces a cascading crisis characterized by the collapse of its coral reef ecosystems and the associated fisheries, which are fundamental to local livelihoods and food security. This crisis is deeply intertwined with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The report analyzes the root causes, including overfishing driven by poverty and climate-induced migration, and evaluates a novel, people-centric conservation intervention aimed at restoring marine ecosystems as a pathway to achieving sustainable development.

1. Environmental Degradation and Impacts on Marine Ecosystems (SDG 14)

The marine environment of southwest Madagascar, once a bastion of biodiversity, is in a state of severe decline, directly challenging the objectives of SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

1.1. Coral Reef Collapse

• Since 2000, Madagascar has lost approximately half of its live coral cover.
• Reefs in the Bay of Ranobe show significant degradation, with a notable absence of fish and other marine fauna, indicating a system on the verge of collapse.
• Threats to the reefs are multifaceted, including overfishing, climate change-induced marine heatwaves, and sedimentation from inland deforestation.

1.2. Fishery Decline and Overexploitation

The degradation of coral reefs has led to a corresponding collapse in the local fishery, a critical resource for coastal communities.

1. Depleted Fish Stocks: Fishermen report catching fewer fish and fewer species compared to previous decades. Key species, such as certain types of parrotfish vital for reef health, have disappeared from some areas.
2. Reduced Catch Size: The prevalence of juvenile fish and octopuses in daily catches is a clear indicator of overfishing, as it removes individuals before they can reproduce, undermining the fishery’s ability to regenerate.
3. Destructive Practices: The use of indiscriminate fishing gear, such as repurposed mosquito nets, and physical damage to corals during reef gleaning activities further accelerate the decline of the ecosystem.

2. Socio-Economic Drivers and Human Impact (SDG 1, 2, 8, 13)

The environmental crisis is inextricably linked to profound socio-economic challenges, highlighting the interconnectedness of the SDGs.

2.1. Pervasive Poverty and Food Insecurity

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): With approximately 80% of the population living on less than $2.15 a day, extreme poverty forces a direct and unsustainable dependence on natural resources for survival.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): The fishery is the primary source of nutrition. Its decline has led to severe food insecurity, with reports of families reducing meals from two per day to just one.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Fishing is the main source of income. Collapsing fish stocks have drastically reduced earnings, pushing communities deeper into poverty. A group of fishermen may now earn only $5-$10 for a day’s work, which must be split among them.

2.2. Climate Change and Governance Failures

1. SDG 13 (Climate Action): Climate change exacerbates the crisis by causing prolonged droughts inland. This forces farmers to migrate to the coast in search of alternative livelihoods, leading to a rapid increase in the coastal population and intensifying pressure on already strained marine resources.
2. SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): The failure of the state to provide basic services, economic opportunities, or effective environmental management has created a vacuum. Political instability, including a recent military takeover, further complicates efforts to implement sustainable, long-term solutions.

3. A People-Centric Intervention for Ecosystem and Community Resilience

In response to the failure of traditional conservation models, which often neglect the needs of local populations, a new approach is being implemented in the Bay of Ranobe. This initiative directly addresses multiple SDGs by integrating human well-being with environmental restoration.

3.1. Project Overview: Artificial Reef Construction

Led by the NGO Reef Doctor, the project focuses on restoring the fishery by expanding marine habitats rather than restricting access.

• The methodology involves constructing artificial reefs from limestone blocks, seeded with life from healthy reefs using Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS).
• The goal is to create new, productive fishing grounds, thereby increasing the available resources for the community and reducing pressure on natural reefs.

3.2. Linking Environmental and Public Health Outcomes (SDG 3)

A key component of the project is a large-scale study to quantify the links between ecosystem restoration and human health, framing conservation as a public health intervention.

1. Objective: To demonstrate how stewarding natural resources can simultaneously benefit ecosystems, human nutrition, food security, and overall well-being (SDG 3).
2. Impact Assessment: Researchers are monitoring the effects of the artificial reefs on marine life, the fishery, and the physical and mental health of local communities.

4. Conclusion and Recommendations for Achieving the SDGs

The situation in Madagascar underscores that environmental conservation cannot succeed when it conflicts with the basic survival needs of impoverished communities. While the artificial reef project in the Bay of Ranobe represents an innovative and promising model, its long-term success is contingent on addressing larger, systemic issues.

4.1. Challenges

• The scale of the intervention is small compared to the immense pressure from a growing coastal population.
• Without systemic change, including good governance and economic diversification, such projects may offer only temporary relief.

4.2. Path Forward

Achieving sustainable development in Madagascar requires a multi-faceted approach that moves beyond traditional conservation.

1. Invest in Human Capital: Foreign aid and national investment should prioritize education, healthcare, and skills training to create alternative, non-extractive livelihoods, directly supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8.
2. Strengthen Governance: Establishing political stability and strong, accountable institutions (SDG 16) is a prerequisite for the effective management of natural resources and the delivery of public services.
3. Adopt People-Centric Models: Conservation efforts must be co-designed and led by local communities, ensuring that interventions support food security and economic resilience as primary objectives, thereby creating a sustainable foundation for protecting biodiversity (SDG 14).

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

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

The article discusses a complex interplay of environmental degradation, poverty, and governance failure in Madagascar, directly connecting to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary issues of overfishing, coral reef collapse, and the local community’s dependence on these resources touch upon goals related to poverty, hunger, health, economic growth, climate change, and the conservation of marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

• SDG 1: No Poverty: The article explicitly states that Madagascar is “among the poorest of poor nations, with some 80 percent of its population living on less than the equivalent of $2.15 a day.” The dependence on fishing for income and the declining catches directly impact the poverty levels of coastal communities.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: Fishing is described as an “essential, and often the only, source of food.” The decline in fish stocks has led to food insecurity, as highlighted by a fisherman’s comment: “They used to have lunch and dinner. But now they only have dinner due to the scarcity of fish.”
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article mentions a large-scale study designed “to link ecosystem health to human health,” focusing on how restoring the fishery could benefit “human nutrition and food security and human health.”
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article details the economic struggles of fishermen, whose incomes are shrinking due to collapsing fish stocks. It highlights the lack of alternative livelihoods, forcing people into unsustainable fishing practices.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: Climate change is identified as a root cause of the problem. The article explains that “prolonged droughts that make it harder to grow crops” are forcing inland farmers to migrate to the coast, increasing the pressure on marine resources.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: This is the central theme of the article. It extensively covers overfishing, the collapse of coral reefs (“lost as much as half of its live coral cover”), the decline in fish populations, and the loss of marine biodiversity. The efforts to build artificial reefs are a direct response to these issues.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The article links marine problems to terrestrial ones, noting that “inland deforestation is also sending dirt into the ocean, which can smother coral reefs.” It also mentions the loss of “native forest” and the threat of extinction for terrestrial species like lemurs.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article points to a failure of governance, stating the government “has failed to provide even the most basic services like reliable electricity and water, let alone a pathway out of poverty.” This failure has fueled political unrest, including protests and a military coup.

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

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets are relevant:

1. Target 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day. The article’s mention of “80 percent of its population living on less than the equivalent of $2.15 a day” directly relates to this target.
2. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The article’s description of people skipping meals due to fish scarcity highlights the relevance of this target.
3. Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans. The article’s focus on the collapse of coral reefs and the project to build artificial reefs directly addresses this target.
4. Target 14.4: By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible. The entire narrative is centered on the consequences of failing to meet this target, as evidenced by descriptions of overfishing and declining fish populations.
5. Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. The article connects “widespread deforestation” inland to the degradation of marine ecosystems.
6. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. The declining income from fishing and the lack of alternative livelihoods show a critical need to work towards this target.
7. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The migration of farmers to the coast due to climate-induced droughts shows a lack of adaptive capacity, making this target highly relevant.

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

The article provides several qualitative and quantitative data points that can serve as indicators for measuring progress:

• Indicator for SDG 1 (Poverty):
  • Proportion of population below the international poverty line: The article explicitly states this is “some 80 percent of its population living on less than the equivalent of $2.15 a day.”
  • Income of small-scale producers: The article provides a direct measure of declining income for fishermen, from “$10 or $15 in one outing” in the past to a shared “$5 to $10” among groups of four or five today.
• Indicator for SDG 2 (Hunger):
  • Prevalence of food insecurity: The qualitative statement that people “only have dinner due to the scarcity of fish” where they previously had lunch and dinner serves as a strong indicator of rising food insecurity.
• Indicator for SDG 14 (Life Below Water):
  • Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels: This is implied to be very low. The article notes that “fishermen are catching fewer fish, and fewer fish species,” and the fish they do catch are “smaller,” indicating the capture of juveniles, a clear sign of unsustainable fishing.
  • Changes in live coral cover: The article quantifies the degradation by stating the country “has lost as much as half of its live coral cover” since the turn of the century.
  • Biodiversity loss: The disappearance of certain species, such as specific kinds of parrotfish, from some areas is a direct indicator of biodiversity loss.
• Indicator for SDG 15 (Life on Land):
  • Forest area as a proportion of total land area: The article implies a significant decrease, stating the country has lost “a similar extent of native forest” as its coral cover.
  • Red List Index: The statement that “Nearly every species of lemur… is now threatened with extinction” is a direct reference to the data used for this index.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: motherjones.com