Social and Environmental Projects
in Madagascar

Drought Mitigation Project

The Andrew Lees Trust (ALT) has worked in southern Madagascar directly

with beneficiaries and host communities since 1999. ALT aims to empower local people to manage their resources more sustainably, improve food security and reduce the effects of extreme poverty.

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, but one of the richest in unique biodiversity.  The south of Madagascar encompasses diverse habitats ranging from marine and littoral zones to wet forest, transition forest and into dry forest areas. Rural areas across the south are extremely isolated, lack infrastructure and suffer from lack of social and economic development opportunities. ALT has increasingly aimed to address the ongoing food security issues and environmental challenges in the deep south of Madagascar, a region prone to cyclones, drought and famine.

After successfully securing new funding from the Big Lottery Fund, ALT launched its Drought Mitigation Programme (DMP) in December 2005 to address the need to create livelihoods and improve food security, whilst also promoting more sustainable natural resource management.

The project has already started to reintroduce sorghum as a main crop with some success, educating and enabling over 250 farming families to grow and use seed varieties that are drought resistant that provide fodder and fuel, as well as food. Three communes in the hardest hit of the drought ridden Androy region reported sorghum as the principle food during the traditionally worst months of the year in 2007.

Other important components of the project include tree planting at family level to help secure formal land tenure, and to provide fruit produce for families. A coconut plantation has been launched to help stabilise poor soil areas, and provide employment and food produce. 5000 value adding trees have already been distributed locally to beneficiary families.

HIV AIDS awareness activities also ensure that members of this community enjoy full health to benefit from the results of the project. The project has produced and broadcast over 50 radio programmes since August 2006.

The work is designed to reach some of the most marginalised populations on the island, help improve food security and livelihoods, reduce poverty and increase general standards of living.