06:00
PORT OF MAHAJANGA
The Port of Mahajanga requires rehabilitation and expansion. This is the result of a visit on site by a delegation from the World Bank, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Maritime and Fluvial Port Agency. The corresponding works should be undertaken urgently in parallel with the rehabilitation of RN4. It should be noted that emergency works are currently being carried out at the port, at the Coste and Vuillemin docks.
08:00
PONT IVATO AMBOSITRA
Emergency works on the Ivato Ambositra bridge at PK 273+800 on the RN7 are completed. These works involved strengthening the infrastructure, including the metal decks, guardrails, bolts, etc… The bridge is currently open to traffic.
10:00
FPHN 2024
The Malagasy Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Environment and Sustainable Development are participating in the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (FPHN 2024) in New York. This forum examines SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions) under the theme “Strengthening the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises.” It should be noted that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015, aim to be achieved by 2030. For Madagascar, actions will be turned into tangible actions to achieve the 2030 program. A ministerial declaration, guiding the necessary actions to achieve the SDGs, is expected at the end of the ministerial segment of the forum.
11:00
TPC
The works for the orange line of the Cable Transport in Antananarivo, corresponding to sections 2 (Soarano-Ivandry) and 3 (Ivandry-Ambatobe), are planned to be completed in early 2025, according to the Ministry of State in charge of New Cities and Housing. As a reminder, the first tests for the circulation of the orange line Section 1 (Anosy-Soarano) were successful, and this first section is expected to be open to passengers soon, while waiting for the works on the rest of the line, states the Ministry. The orange line of the TPC will serve the main administrative, economic, leisure, and residential areas of the city of Antananarivo. Composed of 7 stations (Anosy, Soarano, Antanimena Fraise, Ankorondrano, Ivandry, Analamahitsy, Ambatobe), 51 pylons, and 198 cabins distributed over 3 sections, it will cover a distance of 8.6 km in less than 30 minutes.
12:00
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURES
15 students who received a scholarship for the construction of road infrastructures from the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) have returned to Madagascar after 5 years of training in China and obtaining a Bachelor of Honor degree. The selection of the 15 scholarship recipients, mostly from the Higher Polytechnic School of Vontovorona, was made possible through collaboration between the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and CRBC. These graduates will now put their knowledge into practice and contribute to the development of road infrastructure construction in Madagascar. It should be noted that the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), known for its global civil engineering and construction projects, has been involved in Madagascar since 1985 and has completed major road projects throughout the island.
13:00
COMPANY LIFE
The Syndicate of Industries of Madagascar (SIM) is teaming up with ACPE SARL, an industrial performance consulting firm, to organize the “Operational Excellence Meetings”. This second edition focuses on the theme: “Maintenance and reliability management: Achieving excellence”. The main goal is to minimize unexpected interruptions, which are the main source of productivity decrease and additional costs. This training aims to provide participants with the necessary skills to optimize maintenance work efficiency, extend equipment lifespan, reduce expenses related to frequent replacements, and control maintenance costs by implementing prevention and forecasting strategies.
14:00
PORT SECURITY AND NAVIGATION SAFETY
Madagascar is hosting a regional workshop on the self-assessment and audit of port facilities from 15 to 19 July 2024, as part of the Port Security and Navigation Safety Program (PSP). The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of responsible authorities and establish a regional mechanism for sharing information and exchanging data on cargo and passengers in the southern and eastern regions of Africa and the Indian Ocean (AfOA-OI). The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL are also providing technical support for the implementation of the PSP. 16 national officials from the Maritime and River Port Agency (APMF) and the ports of Antsiranana, Toamasina, Ehoala, Toliara, Mahajanga, and Nosy-Be, which are open to international traffic, as well as 8 officials from the Union of the Comoros are participating in the workshop, during which aspects related to the development of regional cooperation will also be examined. It should be noted that the PSP is a project of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), funded by the European Union and implemented by the Indian Ocean Commission (COI).
15:00
ECO-VILLAGE IN SIHANAMARO
In the municipality of Sihanamaro, in southern Madagascar, a project called “Eco-villages” supported by UNICEF provides essential infrastructure, such as clean water, to more than 38,000 people, while supporting families and children in the areas of health, nutrition, education, hygiene and sanitation, as well as child protection. The local community is involved in maintaining hygiene and sanitation in the village, which is committed to ending open defecation. They have also been trained in adopting new cooking approaches, while women and girls have benefited from the production and sale of reusable sanitary napkins. The concept of Eco-Village in the municipality of Sihanamaro is also reflected in the private sector’s commitment to promoting entrepreneurship and income-generating activities, particularly for women and girls.
16:00
ISALO NATIONAL PARK
Isalo National Park is preparing its application dossier to join the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network in 2026. According to the park director, Jean Jacques Rakotoarivelo, this initiative aims to promote geotourism in the region by showcasing the exceptional geodiversity of the park, which includes geology, morphology, archaeology, culture, and paleontology. In addition to its rich biodiversity, the park is also known for its unique geological features, such as the external shape of its rocks, the Grotte des Portugais, and two types of tombs: the Bara tomb and the Sakalava tomb. Integration into the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network will offer a major opportunity for Isalo to enhance its tourist attractiveness and contribute to the sustainable development of the region through geotourism. During the first six months of 2024, the number of visitors to Isalo National Park increased by 9% compared to the same period in 2023, with a total of 1,828 visitors compared to 1,650 the previous year. This upward trend confirms the growing popularity of the site in the Ihorombe region. Among the registered visitors in 2024, 1,309 were foreigners and 519 were nationals, while in 2023, the park welcomed 1,142 foreigners and 508 nationals during the same period.
17:00
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Madagascar is hosting training sessions as part of a program aimed at strengthening technical skills in Earth observation and geographic information systems (GIS). These training sessions aim to facilitate environmental management and land planning in the Indian Ocean region and Madagascar, particularly through the use of satellite data and proper information collection and processing. The program is organized by the Regional Centre for Mapping and Development (RCMRD) in collaboration with the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center (ICPAC).
