Madagascar is a land of wonders. Most species living on this, the World’s fourth largest island, are found nowhere else. While it is right off the east coast of southern Africa, the wildlife is very different than anything found in continental Africa. So it is concerning to see the number of intentionally set fires that are burning critical wildlife habitat in Madagascar.
Antananarivo Pollution
Upon arrival in Madagascar, one of the first things that I noticed is the ubiquitous presence of fire and smoke. Like every major city, Antananarivo (Tana), the capital city, struggles with urban pollution. Traffic jams and un-scrubbed vehicle exhaust are ubiquitous. Nearly 3.5 million people live in metro area of Tana. The two lane roads are narrow and always under construction, so cars and trucks sit during heavy traffic while vehicle exhaust builds up. The pollution is a mixture of fuel exhaust, dust, hot asphalt, and particulate from brick kilns.
Brick Kilns
Smoke from the outdoor brick kilns is everywhere, and so are the places that make bricks. There is apparently a construction boom in Tana. It is surreal to see hundreds of multi-acre sites where bricks are made and manually and stacked in neat structures near roads (photo 1 & 2).
The smoke makes this a tough place to live for people with allergies. Once I left Tana, heading for the forests famous for endemic wildlife, I was hoping that I would get a break from pollution. Instead, I found that the smoke followed me all the way to the coasts.
Wood Burning
Burning wood to make charcoal is widespread all over Madagascar. In the rural areas, people use charcoal for cooking and heating. Large bags of charcoal are available everywhere, and are sold along the national highways, in every village, and every market. Charcoal is a necessity in rural Madagascar because most people living outside of major cities don’t gave electricity. Charcoal is frequently burned inside of the house or in special huts used as kitchens and smoke houses. Many houses have have dark stains on the outside walls, a result of smoke rising out of windows (photo 3).
Grass Fires
Even away from villages you will still encounter smoke, especially as you drive toward the west. The smoke is from numerous intentionally set grass fires that burn uncontrolled. These fires are set in attempt to clear the land for grazing livestock or planting crops (photo 4). During the 16-hour drive from Tana to Morandavo, on the west coast of Madagascar, I encountered an almost unbroken chain of these grass fires. The fires burn across whole landscapes, even to the tops of several mountains. Not many trees populate the dry mountain areas, so fires don’t get very hot, but they burn all available vegetation, leaving eerie, dark and scarred landscapes. In some locations, the burned landscape stretches mile after mile, and you see nothing but blackened ground strewn with equally blackened rocks.
Long History of Setting Fires
The government provides information on the potential destruction of sensitive habitats that results from these grass fires, but people have been setting grass fires for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Traditions are difficult to change. For the Malagasy ranchers, it is their livelihood at stake. It is necessary to clear the land to graze cattle and grow crops. As more and more land is being used for grazing, more fires are set to clear the natural vegetation for more livestock friendly plants. According to our guide, there are more fires being set now than in the past.
Smoke and Haze
The smoke from these fires is widespread, and hangs from horizon to horizon, blanketing the landscape. Astrophotography is very difficult out west, because the haze does not clear at night.
As we passed by one fire, set very close to the road, we noticed the smoke rose 15 to 20 feet, before pancaking and spreading out just above the trees. Smoke laden air that would normally rise and dissipate was instead trapped near the ground by a cool layer air above (photo 5).
Habitat Loss
One consequence of slash-and-burn agriculture in the eastern rainforests is the loss of habitat for black and white lemurs (Varecia variegata variegata). They are one of the largest lemurs, and the worlds largest pollinators: as they forage, pollen sticks to their fur. They are communal, sometimes living in fairly large groups. Due to habitat loss from slash-and-burn agriculture, as well as hunting, they are listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
Perhaps, as the nation prospers, there will be fewer fires. Today, however, much of Madagascar is burning.
