The forests of the West, South, and Southwest are under threat. These regions of Madagascar are at risk of being hit by El Niño, a phenomenon characterized by extremely high temperatures and a drastic drop in humidity.
“Vegetation in these areas is particularly exposed to fire risks, especially in protected areas that house plant cover,” stated Tojo Ratefason, Director of Protected Areas at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, during a ceremony yesterday where firefighting protective equipment was handed over to field agents of parks managed by Madagascar National Parks.
Fires have already begun to affect protected areas. “We have not yet reached the peak of the fire season. The peak occurs in October, and fire outbreaks will intensify until the arrival of the next rains. Regarding the situation in protected areas, fire outbreaks have already been reported, but they remain under control for the moment,” our source continued.
Managers of protected areas in the West, South, and Southwest regions of Madagascar are already preparing for fires. Eleven Madagascar National Parks sites have received 834 pieces of personal protective equipment. This equipment was provided through a partnership with the Association Baroudeur Massilia Pompier du Monde and is intended for personnel engaged in fighting forest and bush fires.
In the event of large-scale fires, similar to the major blazes recently observed in Europe, is the available equipment sufficient? The State had considered using a Canadair aircraft to fight forest fires during the 2025 fire season, but this project was ultimately suspended.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-29 06:38:33 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/climat-el-nino-menace-la-foret-du-sud.html