Madagascar’s lemurs live with the threat of cyclones – has this shaped their behaviour?: Madagascar is an island that’s no stranger to natural disasters, in particular cyclones. This is because it’s located in the south-west Indian Ocean cyclone basin, a region of the Indian Ocean where tropical cyclones typically form and develop. Madagascar has experienced …
Madagascar’s huge ocean algae bloom was caused by dust from drought-stricken southern Africa: Scientists have found new evidence that desertification, potentially linked to global warming, leads to large amounts of nutrient-rich dust landing in the sea, causing ocean algae to grow rapidly. Biological oceanographer John A. Gittings and an international group of researchers have found …
Madagascar’s 2023 presidential election is crucial for the island’s future, but it’s off to a rocky start: Madagascar is set to elect its president on 16 November 2023, for the next five years. There’s a lot at stake. I’ve studied Madagascar’s politics – focusing on democratisation and political transitions – and believe that this election …
Climate change is threatening Madagascar’s famous forests – our study shows how serious it is: Urgent action is needed to protect Madagascar's forests. Rijasolo/AFP via Getty Images Global climate change doesn’t only cause the melting of polar ice caps, rising sea levels and extreme weather events. It also has a direct effect on many tropical …
How climate change contributed to Madagascar’s food crisis: A baby scale hangs on a tree branch during a malnutrition screening session in Ifotaka, southern Madagascar. RIJASOLO/AFP via Getty Images The UN has announced that Madagascar is on the brink of experiencing the world’s first “climate change famine”. Tens of thousands of people are suffering “catastrophic” …
Didier Ratsiraka: the legacy of Madagascar’s “Red Admiral”: Madagascar's former president, Didier Ratsiraka. Francois LOCHON/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Didier Ratsiraka, who was Madagascar’s president twice for a combined period of 21 years, has died at the age of 84. Ratsiraka was a controversial figure. Nicknamed the “Red Admiral” for his socialist policies, he was a …
What Madagascar’s amazing mini creatures tell us about evolution: Brookesia tedi, described in 2019, is one of the smallest chameleons, and indeed one of the smallest amniote vertebrates, on earth. Mark D. Scherz Madagascar has many “mini” creatures. These include a recently discovered group of miniaturised frogs as well as the discovery earlier this year …
Five actions Madagascar’s president must take to save country’s biodiversity: Sunset at Madagascar's avenue of the baobabs in Morondavo Chr. Offenberg/Shutterstock Madagascar is one of the world’s most special natural environments. It has droves of weird and wonderful species that are found nowhere else on earth. These include its many species of lemurs, chameleons, orchids …
Madagascar’s next president must put public safety and job creation first: Since independence in 1960, Madagascar has experienced a handful of political crises. Shutterstock Madagascar is gearing up for presidential elections in November this year. The Conversation Africa spoke to Adrien Ratsimbaharison about how the elections might unfold and what challenges Madagascar’s new president will …
The loss of Madagascar’s unique palm trees will devastate ecosystems: Dypsis decipiens – a highly threatened palm of Madagascar. Mijoro Rakotoarinivo, Author provided Madagascar is a crucial diversity hot spot for palm tree species. 98% of the currently 204 known species do not occur anywhere else. This high diversity is because the island – and …