U.S. Ambassador endorses Madagascar’s risk reduction strategy at National Disaster Preparedness Workshop – Pacific Disaster Center | (PDC Global)

U.S. Ambassador endorses Madagascar’s risk reduction strategy at National Disaster Preparedness Workshop – Pacific Disaster Center | (PDC Global)

 

Madagascar National Risk Assessment: A Sustainable Development Goals Perspective

Hazard Exposure and its Impact on SDG Achievement

A subnational-level Risk and Vulnerability Assessment for Madagascar reveals significant exposure to multiple hazards that directly impede progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Primary Hazards Identified

  • Cyclones
  • Landslides
  • Malaria Outbreaks
  • Extreme Heat

Implications for Sustainable Development

  • SDG 13 (Climate Action): The high frequency of climate-related disasters, including cyclones and extreme heat, highlights the nation’s acute vulnerability to climate change and the urgent need for adaptation measures.
  • SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The persistence of malaria outbreaks represents a significant public health challenge, directly threatening the achievement of health and well-being for all.
  • SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) & SDG 15 (Life on Land): Continuous pressure on natural resources and critical infrastructure from these hazards undermines the sustainability of communities and terrestrial ecosystems.

Addressing Core Vulnerabilities to Advance the 2030 Agenda

The assessment identifies critical vulnerabilities that must be addressed to foster resilience and advance the 2030 Agenda. These areas represent tangible opportunities for targeted interventions.

Key Vulnerabilities and Corresponding SDGs

  • Inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities presents a direct challenge to achieving SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).
  • Limited availability of healthcare services hinders progress towards SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
  • Deficiencies in transportation infrastructure impede economic development and access to essential services, impacting SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

Strategic Opportunities for Intervention

  1. Improve nationwide access to clean water and sanitation infrastructure.
  2. Enhance the provision and accessibility of public healthcare.
  3. Develop and upgrade transportation networks to connect vulnerable populations.
  4. Strengthen national and subnational coping capacities to build resilience, contributing to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Analysis of Disaster Management Capacity

An evaluation of the national disaster management framework points to systemic constraints that limit the effectiveness of preparedness and response efforts, despite commendable work by the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) and its partners.

Identified Constraints

  • Insufficient funding for disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities.
  • Shortages in specialized staffing.
  • Inadequate infrastructure for disaster management operations.
  • Weaknesses in inter-agency coordination mechanisms.

Recommendations for Building Resilience

  • Address gaps in preparedness, mitigation, and response capacity to make communities more resilient, in line with the targets of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
  • Leverage multi-stakeholder partnerships, a key component of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), to fill resource gaps and improve coordination among all stakeholders.

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

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The article directly addresses health issues by mentioning “malaria outbreaks” as a significant hazard and identifying the need for “improving access to… health care” as a key opportunity to address vulnerabilities.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

This goal is explicitly connected through the assessment’s findings, which point to “improving access to clean water, sanitation” as a tangible opportunity to reduce core vulnerabilities in Madagascar.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The article’s core focus on a “subnational-level Risk and Vulnerability Assessment” for hazards like “cyclones” and “landslides” that affect “critical infrastructure” and “vulnerable populations” directly relates to building resilient communities. The need to improve “transportation” and strengthen “preparedness, mitigation, and response capacity” further solidifies this link.

SDG 13: Climate Action

The mention of climate-related hazards such as “cyclones” and “extreme heat” connects the article to climate action. The overall goal of the assessment is to strengthen “coping capacities” and resilience to these natural disasters, which is a central theme of SDG 13.

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

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  1. Target 3.3: By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The article’s specific mention of “malaria outbreaks” as a hazard directly aligns with this target.
  2. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. The assessment’s findings on “significant constraints in funding, staffing, infrastructure, and coordination mechanisms” and the need to fill gaps in “preparedness, mitigation, and response capacity” for hazards like malaria outbreaks support this target.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  1. Target 6.1: By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all. This is identified in the article as a core vulnerability and an opportunity for improvement through “improving access to clean water.”
  2. Target 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all. The article explicitly states the need for “improving access to… sanitation.”

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  1. Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations. The entire article is about assessing risks from disasters (“cyclones, landslides”) to protect “vulnerable populations.”
  2. Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters… The article describes a “national baseline assessment” and the need for “strategies outlined in the final results,” which are foundational steps for implementing such integrated plans for disaster resilience.

SDG 13: Climate Action

  1. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article’s focus on assessing vulnerability to “cyclones” and “extreme heat” and the need to strengthen “coping capacities” and “preparedness, mitigation, and response capacity” directly addresses this target.

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

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  • Indicator 3.3.3 (Implied): Malaria incidence per 1,000 population. The article’s mention of “malaria outbreaks” implies that tracking the frequency and scale of these outbreaks is a necessary measure of progress.
  • Indicator 3.d.1 (Implied): International Health Regulations (IHR) capacity and health emergency preparedness. The article’s discussion of “significant constraints in funding, staffing, infrastructure, and coordination mechanisms” and gaps in “preparedness, mitigation, and response capacity” directly relates to the components measured by this indicator.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  • Indicator 6.1.1 (Implied): Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services. Progress on “improving access to clean water” would be measured by this indicator.
  • Indicator 6.2.1 (Implied): Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services. Progress on “improving access to… sanitation” would be measured by this indicator.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • Indicator 11.5.2 (Implied): Direct economic loss in relation to global GDP, including disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services. The article’s concern about pressure on “critical infrastructure” and the need to improve “transportation” implies that measuring damage and disruption to these systems is a key metric.
  • Indicator 11.b.2 (Implied): Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies. The article’s call to strengthen capacities at “national and subnational levels” and leverage “strategies outlined in the final results of the national baseline assessment” implies the need for such strategies to be adopted and implemented locally.

SDG 13: Climate Action

  • Indicator 13.1.3 (Implied): Proportion of local governments that have adopted and implemented local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national strategies. As with Indicator 11.b.2, the article’s focus on implementing strategies at the “subnational” level to address hazards like cyclones and extreme heat points to this as a relevant measure of progress.

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article. In this table, list the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their corresponding targets, and the specific indicators identified in the article.

SDGs Targets Indicators (Implied from Article)
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being 3.3: End the epidemic of malaria.

3.d: Strengthen capacity for early warning, risk reduction, and management of health risks.

3.3.3: Malaria incidence per 1,000 population (related to “malaria outbreaks”).

3.d.1: Health emergency preparedness capacity (related to gaps in “preparedness, mitigation, and response capacity”).

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation 6.1: Achieve universal access to safe drinking water.

6.2: Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation.

6.1.1: Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services (related to “improving access to clean water”).

6.2.1: Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services (related to “improving access to… sanitation”).

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities 11.5: Significantly reduce deaths and economic losses from disasters.

11.b: Implement integrated policies and plans for resilience to disasters.

11.5.2: Direct disaster economic loss, including damage to critical infrastructure (related to pressure on “critical infrastructure” and “transportation”).

11.b.2: Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies (related to strengthening “subnational” capacities).

SDG 13: Climate Action 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters. 13.1.3: Proportion of local governments that have adopted and implemented local disaster risk reduction strategies (related to implementing strategies at the “subnational” level for hazards like “cyclones” and “extreme heat”).

Source: pdc.org