World’s first Climate change famine hits Earth’s 8th continent

While an alarming number of people in the civilised world continue to debate weather climate change and global warming is actually a thing, the very first physical manifestation of the doomsday are here already.  Often nicknamed as Earth’s 8th continent, Madagascar, an island nation of African continent is the first to be hit by this phenomenon. Nearly 80% of plant and animal species found in this country exist nowhere else on the planet. This island nation is considered as one of the hottest ecological hotspot on the planet. 

However, today the nation is facing what experts call the first climate change driven food crisis in the world,  amplified by rounds of domestic political instability and the COVID-19 Pandemic. The worst draught in 4 decades has exposed almost 1.14 million people to a crisis of food unprecedented in human history.  Millions battle for their life in this crisis.

Florencia Soto Nino-Martinez, associate spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, says that the “severe lack of rains” coupled with sandstorms have made it nearly impossible for farmers to grow their own food, leaving at least 1.31 million people — nearly two in every five people in the Grand Sud — severely food insecure.” People subjected to highest internationally recognised level of food insecurity, level 5 hunger, are resorting to alternative arrangements such as locusts and cactus.

The drought has led to agricultural losses of up to 60% in the most populated provinces. Experts have warned about the further intensification of the crisis.

Sixth Assessment Report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) flagged rising aridity and hot temperature extremes as key concerns in Madagascar.

SEED Madagascar is an award-winning organization operational in the region for over two decades now. Organization operational in the south-east of Madagascar manages a wide range of sustainable development and conservation projects. It is also involved in raising global awareness of Madagascar’s unique needs and build constructive partnerships to aid development. 

Mark Jacobs is the Managing Director of SEED Madagascar.

To unravels the shades of the crisis, and to analyse the crisis, The Voices interviews Mark Jacobs.