Waste Management - Madagascar

Waste




1. Madagascar produces the least amount of municipal waste in the world, producing only about 9kg per year. Currently, all of Madagascar's waste is disposed of in two ways. 96.7% of their waste goes directly to landfills while only 3.5% of it is composted.


2. There are many problems with the way that Madagascar handles its waste. For one thing, there are no facilities for the disposal of chemical waste. There are also no regulations on the disposal of plastic waste.The movement of hazardous waste in the country is very poor and not well monitored. There is no legislation in place to deal with these issues and the public is not educated to understand the dangers of waste.


3. There are a few steps that Madagascar could take to improve the quality of their waste management. They need to pass legislation to ensure that there are regulations on the disposal of waste. They also need to educate the public about waste disposal as well as about composting. Composting can be very beneficial to the country with regards to organic farming. Organic farming can benefit the economy and can help sustain the environment.

Climate Controls of Madagascar

Climate Controls of Madagascar


1. Madagascar's dominant climate is formed by many of the climate controls. This country is surrounded by water and it is below (and near) the equator. The central region is made up of mountains and high lands while the rest of the country is mainly made up of coastal plains.

2. Their dominant climate is a subtropical one. The country is 20° south of the equator and is an island with the Indian Ocean to the east. The southeastern trade winds combined with the country's proximity to water leads to a climate with hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters. The temperature in the capital ranges between 14° and 17° Celsius in the summer months and between 19° and 22° Celsius in the winter.

3. Climagraph for the capital city of Antananarivo, Madagascar:

Hurricane - Madagascar

Cyclone Geralda

In late January of 1994, Madagascar was hit by a crippling tropical cyclone from the Indian Ocean. Cyclone Geralda was a category 5 storm which arose from low pressure in the Indian Ocean. It lasted from January 26th to February 8th, 1994. After several days, the storm had winds reaching 200 km/h. The highest gusts of wind during the cyclone reached up to 350 km/h. The cyclone caused heavy rainfall which led to intense flooding, especially in the valleys. There was severe damage done to the roads. Around 231 people died from the storm as well as over 10,000 cattle killed by the storm. Over 740,000 acres of crop fields were destroyed throughout the country. The country experienced food and fuel shortages throughout and close to 40% of their communications network were knocked offline. Over 40,000 houses were destroyed by the cyclone. Madagascar's only petroleum refinery was obliterated and the cost for it was around $800,000. The approximate economic damage that the storm caused was estimated to be over $10 million.

Air Mass, Global Winds and Rain

The prevalent air mass in Madagascar is Maritime Tropical

The main winds affecting Madagascar are southeasterly trade winds

The type of rainfall which affects most of Madagascar is orographic rainfall. It is hit with easterly on shore winds on the windward side of the mountain to create a wet tropical climate. While on the leeward side, it is dryer in the rain shadow.