Strengthening Madagascar’s Resilience: Insights and Action from the CADRI Partnership Engagement
Madagascar stands at the frontline of climate and disaster risks, with cyclones, floods, droughts, and locust invasions taking a heavy toll on its people and threatening the nation’s food security and economic stability. These recurring hazards and disasters underscore the urgent need for coordinated and comprehensive action to enhance resilience and safeguard development progress.
In a decisive move to confront these challenges, Madagascar’s Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes (BNGRC) partnered with the CADRI Partnership in October 2021 to assess the country’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) capacities. Together, they embarked on a mission to identify gaps, strengthen systems, and provide actionable recommendations for building resilience across sectors and scales.
A collaborative framework for DRR and CCA
Nestled in the Southwestern Indian Ocean, Madagascar has made strides in developing a legislative, policy, and institutional framework that embraces a multi-hazard, multi-sectoral, and multi-actor approach to reducing risks. However, DRR continues to be viewed as a standalone sector, with limited integration into broader development planning. Insufficient accountability and financing mechanisms further hinder the adoption and implementation of multi-sectoral approaches to risk management.
To address these challenges, the CADRI Partnership mobilized a multi-disciplinary team of 22 regional and national experts to conduct a comprehensive assessment of DRR and CCA capacities across various sectors. This effort brought together expertise from BNGRC, Cellule de Prevention et de la Gestion des Urgences (CPGU), and regional experts from CADRI partner agencies FAO, IFRC, IOM, UNDP, UNDRR, and UNOPS. Representatives from UN agencies operating in Madagascar — OCHA, WHO, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, and UNICEF — joined hands with NGOs such as CRM, CRS, MEDAIR, and MDM to ensure a holistic approach.
Laying the foundation for resilience
The engagement began with a scoping mission in November 2021, which laid the groundwork for a comprehensive capacity diagnosis mission conducted in June 2022. This two-week mission assessed capacities at national and local levels, identified critical gaps, and proposed actionable recommendations to enhance resilience.
The CADRI team visited the capital, Antananarivo, and conducted field visits to Toamasina, Androy, and Ambovombe, engaging over 100 stakeholders, including government agencies, municipalities, civil society organizations, private sector actors, and development partners. The mission also involved more than 50 representatives from local institutions, providing invaluable insights into the capacities needed to effectively manage disaster risks.
The capacity diagnosis focused on eight sectors, addressing four priority themes:
- Enhancing risk information management and early warning systems
- Strengthening coordination mechanisms and ensuring policy coherence between sectoral, DRR, and CCA strategies
- Integrating DRR and CCA into land-use planning and development processes
- Decentralizing and localizing DRR efforts to build community-level resilience
On the final day of the mission, over 100 government representatives gathered under the leadership of the Ministry of Interior and the Office of the Prime Minister to review the findings. UN Resident Coordinator Mr. Issa Sanogo highlighted the urgency of a paradigm shift, emphasizing the need to integrate DRR across socio-economic sectors to reduce vulnerabilities and build resilience.
“The CADRI capacity diagnosis comes at the right time to support the country in enhancing its DRR systems and strengthening the resilience of its people to climate and disaster risks” — Mr. Tianrivelo Razafimahefa, Ministry of the Interior.
Validating the findings and charting a path forward
Following a comprehensive mission, experts contributed to compiling an in-depth capacity diagnosis report and summary for policymakers. After delays in 2023, the findings and recommendations outlined in the report were validated during a half-day workshop in December 2024, facilitated by BNGRC and organized by UNDP Madagascar. The workshop gathered over 50 participants from government agencies, UN organizations, NGOs, and the private sector, and included opening remarks from the UN RC a.i. Mr. Abdou Dieng, and the Secretary General of BNGRC, General Olivier Elack.
Colonel Faly, General Project Coordinator at BNGRC, presented the main recommendations, and participants worked in thematic groups to review the report and propose updates reflecting the evolving DRR and CCA context. The workshop also identified critical actions, set priorities, and explored resource mobilization strategies to implement the recommendations.
In his address, Mr. Dieng reaffirmed the commitment of UN agencies in Madagascar to support the Malagasy government’s efforts to enhance risk governance to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen disaster preparedness and response mechanisms. He called on technical and financial partners, friendly nations, the Diaspora, the private sector, and other key stakeholders to collaborate in implementing the recommendations.
A roadmap for implementation and monitoring
The updated report, currently being finalized by BNGRC and CPGU, will be published along with a policymaker’s digest by the CADRI Secretariat in early 2025. These documents will serve as foundational resources for monitoring the implementation of Madagascar’s National Strategy for DRR and assessing progress under the Sendai Framework for DRR, with a review scheduled for 2025. Additionally, the recommendations will guide resource mobilization efforts, ensuring Madagascar can secure the investments needed to strengthen its resilience to climate and disaster risks.
A unified vision for resilience
Madagascar’s partnership with the CADRI Partnership reflects a unified vision for resilience — one that integrates disaster risk management into national development efforts. By fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, Madagascar is building a future where communities are not only prepared for disasters but are empowered to thrive despite them.
With commitment, coordination, and action, Madagascar is demonstrating that even in the face of formidable challenges, resilience is achievable. Together, the nation and its partners are laying the groundwork for a safer, more sustainable future.
The full Capacity Diagnosis Report and Policymakers Digest for Madagascar will be made available in French on cadri.net in early 2025.
