Month of the Malagasy Language | June 2015 VITALITY & VULNERABILITY OF WATER RESOURCES IN MADAGASCAR Lovy Hervet RASOLOFOMANANA © April 2016 Country Representative of WaterAid in Madagascar AKEMIAD A MAYLAGAS about This document was elaborated during the Month of the Malagasy Language by the Akademia Malagasy, celebrated under the theme “Water and Habitat”: « Teny malagasy loharano tovozin-tsy ritra, antoky ny toeram-ponenana soa sy madio » “The Malagasy Language, an infinite source, guaranteeing a healthy and pleasant home”. © Crédit Photo : Lovy Hervet Rasolofomanana 2 about Summary 4 Abstract 6 I. Introduction 8 2. Method 10 3. Findings 11 3.1. Overview of Water Resources in Madagascar 11 3.1.1. Quantitative Aspects 13 3.1.2. Qualitative Aspects 16 4. Legal Framework 18 5. Challenges 19 5.1. Freshwater resources are distributed unevenly 19 5.2. Conciliation of different contrasting uses 20 5.3. Water scarcity and difficulty accessing drinking water 20 5.4. Deterioration of Water Resources 21 5.5. Potential Use 21 5.5.1. Agriculture 22 5.5.2. Fisheries 22 5.5.3. Navigable Waterways 22 5.5.4. Water, Energy and Industry 24 6. Discussion and Conclusion 25 6.1. Actions to be taken 25 6.1.1. Development of a more appropriate legal framework and policy 25 6.1.2. Development and Operationalisation of a holistic water management 26 6.1.3. Developing Innovative Approaches 26 6.1.4. Implementing Resources Preservation Measures 29 6.2. Conclusion 30 7. Works Cited 31 8. Acknowledgement 3 Abstract © Crédit Photo : Lovy Hervet Rasolofomanana 4 Abstract y tahirindrano dia sady es ressources en eau ater resources are sarobidy no saropady. sont vitales et très vital and highly Misy fasamihafana be vulnérables. Il y a sensitive. Nny fitsinjarana ny tahirindrano Lune hétérogénéité dans la WThe potential eto Madagasikara. répartition et le potentiel and distribution of water Ny mampifanindran-dalana de ses ressources en eau à resources vary throughout ireo fampiasana ny rano, izay Madagascar. Il est souvent Madagascar. Often, mazana saika mifanohitra. difficile de concilier les divers it is difficult to reconcile its Isan’ny olana politika goavana usages parfois conflictuels. various conflicting uses. ny tsy fahampian-drano sy La pénurie en eau Water scarcity and difficulty ny tsy fahazoan’ny olona et la difficulté d’accès à l’eau of access to drinking water rano. Manomboka hita taratra potable constituent are a highly political issue. ireo fambara mahakasika un problème hautement Signs of water resources ny faharatsian’ny kalitao sy politique. Des signes degeneration are observed, fihenan’ny fatran’ny rano de détérioration des including water resources miendrika faharitran’ny rano ressources en eau sont depletion and pollution. sy fahaloton’ny rano. Ny visibles comme le tarissement Floods and droughts tondradrano sy ny haitany dia et la pollution des ressources are already a chronic zary efa mahazatra fa eo ihany en eau. Les inondations et phenomenon in some koa ny fiovan’ny toetrandro la sècheresse sont déjà des regions and climate change izay isan’ny olana atrehina. phénomènes chroniques also affects the country. pour certaines régions et Maro ireo irika fanararaotra le changement climatique mahakasika ny fambolena, affecte aussi le pays. ny jono, ny fitanterana, ny angovo, ary ny toekarena Les potentialités d’utilisation The potential for the amin’ny ankapobeny. des ressources en eau Madagascar water resources Ahafahan’i Madagasikara à Madagascar pour to be used in agriculture, mamaly ny filan’ny mponina, l’agriculture, la pêche, les fishing, river transport, ny biby, ny zavamaniry, ny transports fluviaux, l’énergie energy and the economy fampivoarana ny toekareny et l’économie en général in general is enormous. sy ny fanatsarana ny tontolo sont énormes. Rational water resources iainan’ny mponina ao aminy La gestion rationnelle des management will help ny fitantanana an-tsakany sy ressources en eau permettra Madagascar meet its human, an-davany ny tahirindrano. à Madagascar de répondre fauna and flora needs, aux besoins humains, des develop economically and faunes et des flores, du improve the living standards développement de son of its population. économie et l’amélioration des conditions de vie de sa population. Keywords : Water resources – surface water – groundwater – watershed – drinking water – environment – Integrated water resource management. 5 I. Introduction ppearing about 3 to km3, available in the liquid, Surface water (rivers, 4 billion years ago, solid or gaseous forms. •frozen soils, swamps and water is almost as However, most (97%) is freshwater lakes: 0.03%); oldA as the Earth. Since then, contained in the oceans and The atmosphere (0.001%); its volume has generally is salty, making it unusable � remained stable. The same by humans. Freshwater only � Living organisms. water circulates and is represents 3% of the total continuously transformed water on Earth, and consists La Half of this water is in the atmosphere, on the of: freshwater suitable for surface and in the subsoil human use, which only of the Earth. Water is highly � Mountain snow-caps and makes up 0.3% or 4 million abundant on our planet. ice sheets in Greenland and km3 of water volume in the When seen from space, Antarctica (nearly 2%); world. This water is available Earth looks blue as oceans in different natural resources cover nearly three-quarters � Underground freshwater such as rivers, shallow of its surface (70%). The (less than 1%, not all aquifers or lakes[1]. groundwater are freshwater, total volume of water on [1] http://www.eau-poitou-charentes.org/IMG/ Earth is about 1.4 billion most are salty); pdf/Cycle_naturel_eau.pdf 6 I. Introduction Without water, life on earth In Madagascar, renewable loharano tovozin-tsy ritra, is unimaginable or even water resources are estimated antoky ny toeram-ponenana impossible. Water is the at 337 km3/year. Renewable soa sy madio» (“The Malagasy main constituent of the surface water resources are Language, an infinite source, human body, with an average estimated at 332 km3/year guaranteeing a healthy and percentage of 65% for an and groundwater at 55 km3/ pleasant home”). adult. On earth, water is year, with a shared part a mobile, renewable and between surface waters and Its plan is consistent with the indestructible resource that is groundwater at 50 km3/year Akademia Malagasy policy on . sometimes subject to multiple (table below). Main rivers drain journals and communications 335 405 2 conflicting uses as has been off to about , km of This paper aims to highlight 57 observed throughout the watersheds or percent of the vitality and vulnerability history of mankind. Today, the the country’s total surface. of water resources in 13 uneven distribution of water The largest reservoirs have Madagascar while providing resources on planet earth is a a total capacity of about food-for-thought for its 493 3 source of conflicts and issues million m , of which rational use for sustainable 108 relating to water shortage. million are for irrigation development. and 385 million for hydropower generation[2]. An overview of water resources in Madagascar will This document was elaborated be provided prior to the laws during the Month of the and regulations governing Malagasy Language by the water resources, related Akademia Malagasy, celebrated challenges, their potential under the theme «Water and uses and finally alternative Habitat»: «Teny Malagasy solutions will also be provided. [2] http://www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/ countries_regions/mdg/indexfra.stm Table: Water Resources in Madagascar Renewable Water Resources Average rainfall 1,513 mm/an 888 109m3/an Domestic renewable water resources 337 109m3/an Total actual renewable water resources 337 109m3/an Dependency ratio 0 % Per capita renewable water resources 2004 18,826 m3/an Total capacity of dams 2002 493 106 m3 © Crédit Photo : Lovy Hervet Rasolofomanana 7 2. Method 8 2. Method his study is a documentary research on available water resources literatures in Madagascar, as well as related challenges This document is not intended to conduct Tand proposed solutions, enriched by personal a thorough analysis of water resources in archives. Madagascar. It is limited to informing the current situation and providing food for The following documents have been particularly thoughts. Written in the form of collection, analysed throughout this study: this document is intended for students — Water Resources in Madagascar by the or people who want to have a basic Food and Agriculture Organization of the knowledge of water resources, particularly United Nations (FAO) those of Madagascar. — Feedback on Integrated Water Resources Management by CITE: Ran’Eau and PS’Eau. — Rivers and streams of Madagascar © Crédit Photo : Lovy Hervet Rasolofomanana 9 3. Findings Carte des rivières de Madagascar Mahavavy Nord Irodo Loky Sambirano Bemarivo Maevarano Antainambalany Soa Mahajamba Betsiboka Maningoza Maningory Manambaho Onibe Mahavavy Sud Manambolo Mangoro Tsiribihina Morondava Namorona Faraony Mangoky Manampatrana Fiherenana Onilahy Mananara Linta Menarandra Mandrare 10 3. Findings 3.1. Overview of Water Resources in Madagascar[3] 2 he potentials and distribution of � The Eastern Watersheds 150,000 km water resources in Madagascar whose main rivers are Maningory is very disparate. Some areas 260 km and 12,646 km2, Sandratsio 125 km, 2 Tseem to not adequately use the Ivondro 150 km and 3,513 km , Rianila 2 resources available to them, while 134 km and 7,594 km , Mangoro 300 km and 17,704 km2 212 km 7,002 km2 others do not have enough. , Mananjary and , Namorana 103 km and 2,079 km2, Faraony Although no systematic study to 150 km and 2,761 km2, Mananara 323 km 2 evaluate the water resources of the from Sahambano and 17,230 km ; country has been conducted to date, � The Western Watershed 365,000 km2 a summary of the main aquatic whose main rivers are Sofia 328 km and potential of Madagascar will be 28,295 km2 with the following tributaries: outlined in the following paragraphs.