National Marine Ecosystem Diagnostic Analysis (MEDA) - Madagascar

The ASCLME Project is approaching the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and Strategic Action Plan process initially at the country level through a national Marine Ecosystem Diagnostic Analysis (MEDA) The MEDA captures essential data and information relating to the coastal and marine environment and identifies areas of concern that will feed into the Transboundary Diagnostic Analyses (TDAs) and the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) for the Western Indian Ocean. Madagascar has a total surface area of approximately 590,000 km² making it the world’s 4th largest island. The income per capita is approximately USD 478 (2009) and life expectancy is 66.7 years with a population growth rate of 3% per annum. The key coastal ecosystems supporting livelihood systems include estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs and offshore marine ecosystem beyond the continental shelf. The mangrove forests occupy about 327 000 ha and the seagrass beds and coral reefs are found along 1 400 km of the coastline. The East coast is very steep compared to the West coast which has gentler slopes. The country experiences tropical climatic conditions with two seasons: a hot, rainy season from November to April, and a cooler, dry season from May to October. There is however, great variation in climate owing to elevation and position relative to dominant prevailing winds.

The MEDA is a national contribution to the multinational Transboundary Diagnostic Analyses (TDA) - Strategic Action Programme (SAP) process, and was funded and supported by the Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems Project (which is funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme).