Observations, responsibilities, and paths for action. This summarizes the two days of scientific reflection that brought together researchers, students, and the general public at the University of Toliara. Biodiversity, food security, wetlands, reefs, agriculture, migration, water, health, vegetation fires, and marine plastics were among the main themes addressed.
The panel organized last Friday, the final day of the international colloquium on natural resources and climate change, highlighted the paths to follow in the face of forest and reef degradation and the gradual disappearance of groundwater. It was emphasized that urgent solutions are needed as Toliara is exposed to rising sea levels due to its low-lying terrain, as well as the acidification and warming of the oceans.
The decline of ancestral taboos and customs related to the use of medicinal plants was recalled by a representative of the local community during the panel. It was requested that research results be returned to the concerned communities and that scientific knowledge be bridged with traditional wisdom.
Professor Jacky Youssouf, a lecturer at the University of Toliara, recalled that the acceleration of climate change is largely a result of human activities. However, it was acknowledged by both the audience and speakers that the impoverishment of local populations limits the results of awareness-raising activities conducted by various entities to encourage behavioral change.
The international colloquium highlighted the energy potential of the “tioka atimo” (the southern wind) and the pastoral practices of the South. The sacred plant “Lambakoaky” and the maritime knowledge of the Vezo people were also integrated into the concepts of territories, languages, and traditions of the populations.
Research belongs to researchers, while the practical actions to be undertaken, derived from research results, fall under the responsibility of the government and parliament.
“Our actions stop at research. For example, we have deduced that the effects of climate change are linked to energy choices, living conditions, and the application of environmental policies. However, directly applicable solutions were proposed, such as community entrepreneurship, the protection of coastal forests, and the natural cooling of buildings,” explained Francis Veriza, President of the University of Toliara.
He also suggested that the preservation of natural resources in Toliara, in particular, requires better management of water and forests, the effective application of laws, and a real dialogue between scientific knowledge, traditional wisdom, and public policy decisions.
The research results will be returned to local communities to be translated into actions adapted to the realities of the territories. All findings from the colloquium on “Climate, Natural Resources, and Societies: Challenges and Solutions for a Sustainable Future” will be submitted to the Presidency of the Republic of Madagascar and various ministries, so that they may translate them into… urgent actions.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-14 06:41:49 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/colloque-sur-le-climat-les-actions.html