ARMY STATUS
A reform project for the Army status is in progress. Several proposals for modifications have been adopted during a five-day consultation workshop that involved several high-level officials from the Ministry of Armed Forces and the Armed Forces General Staff last week. The aim is to adapt the Army status to current challenges.
TSIMBAZAZA BOTANICAL AND ZOOLOGICAL PARK
An interministerial committee for the recovery of the Tsimbazaza Botanical and Zoological Park, composed of representatives from 7 ministries, has been established. This decision is expected to bring a new breath to the park, which is preparing to celebrate its centenary in 2025. Moreover, Madagascar will host the International Congress of the International Primatological Society in 2025. Note that work is already underway for the rehabilitation of the park, whose state of dilapidation has struck visitors and prompted nature defenders like INDRI or the President of the Primate Study and Research Group of Madagascar (GERP), Pr Jonah Ratsimbazafy, to speak out.
ADEMA TOAMASINA
Be Frédéric is the new commander of the Aéroports de Madagascar (ADEMA) company in Toamasina. He is responsible, along with his team, for securing airport facilities, as well as coordinating technical, commercial, financial, and managerial activities within the Toamasina airport. The upgrading of the Ambalamanasy airport to accommodate large aircraft is in progress.
DON UA
The African Union has donated $200,000 to support the efforts in managing natural disasters in Madagascar. It should be noted that from 2022 to 2024, Madagascar was severely affected by multiple cyclones and tropical storms, resulting in 444,224 affected people and 174,489 displaced individuals, over 110,000 hectares of rice fields destroyed, worsening food insecurity, and infrastructure damage estimated at several million dollars.
MARINE BIODIVERSITY SYMPOSIUM
The first-ever Marine Biodiversity Symposium of Madagascar will take place in Toliara on December 2 and 3, 2024. This national-scale event, which is crucial for the establishment of effective management models for marine ecosystems, will bring together key actors in marine conservation, sustainable development, and the management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs). The Marine Biodiversity Symposium of Madagascar is organized by the Institute of Fisheries and Marine Sciences at the University of Toliara, with major financial support from the Foundation for Protected Areas and Biodiversity of Madagascar (FAPBM) and in collaboration with the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA).
HUMANITARIAN AID
The Chinese Government, through its embassy in Madagascar, has handed over 1,500 MT of rice to the World Food Programme (WFP). This donation will assist vulnerable people in southern Madagascar, particularly those affected by the effects of the lean season and climate change, for a period of 90 days, it is said.
