By Firmain Eric Mbadinga
Ny Aro Andriamiarosoa's relentless zeal as a climate activist matches the enormity of the task she has at hand.
In her native Madagascar, the impact of the climate emergency has been debilitating. A prolonged drought between 2018 and 2022 in the southern part of the country left a significant section of the population struggling to put food on the table.
Thousands of families continue to live under the threat of cyclones such as Batsirai, which killed around a hundred people and displaced nearly 30,800 in 2022.
Extended periods of drought in the south of the country and the increase in climatic phenomena such as cyclones are all blamed on the scourge of climate change.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, 95% of the people facing acute food insecurity in southern Madagascar depend on agriculture, livestock rearing, and fishing.
In recent years, the region has experienced below-average rainy seasons, leading to a severe drop in primary food produce, particularly rice and manioc, as well as a reduction in the size and deterioration in the condition of herds.
It is these very climate-induced issues that Andriamiarosoa is committed to tackling with her expertise as an agricultural engineer and ability to mobilise people for what is generically a fight for survival.
"I believe that the development of an island like Madagascar depends on integrating climate change into every economic model," she tells TRT Afrika.
Passionate about politics and leadership, Andriamiarosoa joined the Youth Leadership Training Program in 2022 and the Youth African Leadership Initiative in 2023.
Andriamiarosoa is also the president of CliMates Madagascar, an international laboratory of ideas and action, bringing together volunteers, students, and young professionals whose common objective is to take up the challenge of climate change.
She routinely organises theoretical training at conferences for young people and boot camps designed for participants to immerse themselves in nature.
Last April, Andriamiarosoa brought together around 50 young people for four days of practical work in the heart of the Madagascar forest in Antananarivo, an outing that led to the creation of the National Youth Alliance for Environment, Biodiversity and Climate. One of the primary objectives of the alliance is to lend heft to the fight against desertification.
"At the moment, I am mainly involved in promoting and educating Malagasy youth about the climate challenges of our era, whether through politics or awareness-raising sessions in schools and universities. My most recent project through CliMates was the 'Climate Presidential' project," says Andriamiarosoa.
Turning point
When Madagascar went to polls in 2023, CliMates smartly leveraged the buzz on social networks to publicise the social plans of the election candidates while raising awareness about climate change. UNESCO joined the campaign.
In October 2021, Agnès Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, made a prescient statement ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.
"Madagascar is on the frontline of the climate crisis. As a result, a million people face catastrophic drought and violations of their rights to life, health, food, and water. This means the risk of starvation. This is what is happening. Current climate change projections indicate that droughts will worsen and disproportionately affect people in developing countries," she said.
Two United Nations conferences later, the effects of climate change have worsened, further jeopardising the living conditions of the people of Madagascar.
"Even if Madagascar is isolated, our problems aren't. We are part of the African continent, and our challenges and issues are the same," Andriamiarosoa, who took part in the most recent COP28 discussions in Dubai, tells TRT Afrika.
Steady gains
Through the "Climate Presidency," a project whose viability extends well beyond the electoral period, Andriamiarosoa has been able to talk about the environmental ethical principles drawn up by UNESCO and raise awareness of the transversal relationship between politics and climate.
In addition to this project, joint actions with young people from other continents form part of CliMates Madagascar's activities.
"The youth programme with the Africa-Europe Foundation is also focused on this. Our ambition with the Africa-Europe Foundation is to create a platform to enable young people from both continents to interact and exchange, aiming to increase the weight of young people in decision-making," explains Andriamiarosoa.
At COP28, which brought together some 7,000 participants over 11 days, the major announcements were the "beginning of the end" of the era of fossil fuels and the announcement of financial aid for certain countries to strengthen their resistance to the effects of climate change.
"Madagascar's geographical location and cosmopolitan population mean that our customs and traditions sometimes overlook the importance of children and women in decision-making," says Andriamiarosoa.
Her commitment to the Alliance Nationale de la Jeunesse Malagasy pour la Biodiversité, and le Climat et la Lutte Contre la Désertification remains unwavering. She intends to organise a regional review of the key points and decisions of COP28, based on the belief that "the real battle begins when the climate conference is over".
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