| Participants in the project launching ceremony last Friday in Tsaralalàna. |
Good initiatives. The launch of the Project for Strengthening the Resilience of Cities to Climate Change took place last Friday at the Grand Mellis Tsaralalàna hotel. Around one hundred and seventy-three towns and cities on the Big Island are the beneficiaries of this project. This will last five and a half years and will end in July 2025. As an objective, the project aims to develop adequate skills at the level of the ministry concerned, urban authorities and communities such as the Fokontany, NGOs, professionals, among others. others. It is above all based on effective involvement at all levels in terms of adaptation to variability, climate change and the reduction of related risks.
Considerable concentration is seen across cities. Currently, they are home to a third of the Malagasy population who are exposed to variability, climate change and their impacts. These urban populations generate 70% of the national GDP. This is why the urban sector constitutes a major socio-economic issue for Madagascar.
The impacts of this climate change are felt by the increase in extreme temperatures, the increase in precipitation leading to floods and landslides, the increase in the intensity of tropical cyclones, drought, but also the rise in water levels. of the sea threatening 19% of Malagasy cities which are coastal cities. Through this project, institutional and technical support to the ministry and its technical departments in the mission of steering and coordinating actions relating to the fight against climate change in urban areas would be provided. Also, support for decentralized local authorities (CTD) must be gradually integrated into the dimension of climate change in their actions in order to contribute to strengthening urban resilience. And finally, raising awareness among all local stakeholders on the issues of climate change in urban areas.
Several activities will be implemented through this project, including the development and implementation of a capacity building plan for MDAT for the integration of climate change into its sovereign missions. Among other things, a training and development plan for those involved in urban resilience will be developed and implemented. Exchange programs with academics, in the form of conferences and scientific seminars on the issues of climate change in urban areas will be carried out in the six former provinces of Madagascar. Also, a study for the implementation of the urban resilience strategy of the Directorate General of Territorial Planning.
Thank you Ida
