More than 60 stakeholders, representing multiple sectors, participated in the final workshop for Madagascar’s National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment.

Photo credit: Pacific Disaster Center

Antananarivo, Madagascar—The Pacific Disaster Center (PDC), in collaboration with Madagascar’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC), successfully concluded its final workshop for the National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment (NDPBA) on July 15, 2025. 

The event, held in Antananarivo, marked a significant milestone in strengthening the nation’s capacity to understand and reduce disaster risk. More than 60 representatives from government agencies, international organizations, NGOs, and academia participated in the event that garnered participation of the United States Ambassador to Madagascar, Claire A. Pierangelo. Ambassador Pierangelo endorsed the project, underscoring the continued support and partnership of the U.S. government in advancing disaster resilience efforts across the region.

U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar, Claire A. Pierangelo, stands alongside Madagascar’s national disaster management organization Director General, Major General Andriakaja Elack, offering strong support of Madagascar’s scientific approach to disaster risk reduction.

Photo credit: Pacific Disaster Center

“I’ve had the privilege of working alongside PDC in Vietnam and Indonesia, and I’ve seen firsthand the power of their tools and the strength of their partnerships,” said Ambassador Pierangelo during her opening remarks. “There is no one better to do this work. The NDPBA is not just a report—it is a roadmap. It will help us address critical shortfalls in Madagascar’s preparedness and response capabilities and will highlight the necessary investments to increase resilience.”

Pierangelo expressed her excitement for the opportunity to use validated science to support Madagascar in alignment with the United Nations Sendai and Hyogo frameworks.

“Together, with the results of this project, we will work to reduce risk and improve the preparedness of all Malagasy. With science as our foundation—we will move forward to protect lives, livelihoods, and Madagascar’s future.”

Initiated with BNGRC in 2024, the year-long NDPBA process was conducted in a time of growing complexity in Madagascar’s hazard profile. Stricken by tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, wildfires, locust infestations, the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, a malaria outbreak—all over a short five-year period—the continuous impacts of disasters have tested the nation’s existing disaster management capacities. From these challenges, valuable insights have been gleaned through the national baseline assessment, providing insights into disaster management capabilities, response mechanisms, as well as current and projected risks. These insights were invaluable for tailoring recommendations to Madagascar’s evolving risk landscape.

Director General, Major General Andriakaja Elack Olivier of Madagascar’s national disaster management organization, BNGRC, emphasized the importance of the national baseline assessment in supporting national priorities for disaster risk reduction.

“I am very thankful for the cooperation with PDC on the NDPBA. The assessment has reinforced the value of theory and science to advancing our disaster management. The NDPBA is an actionable tool that we need and will use to guide our national capabilities,” said Major General Elack.  

The Director General reflected on the realities Madagascar faces, the hazards that endanger the Malagasy community and stress the limits of its systems. With the knowledge gained from the assessment, he emphasized that Madagascar will be better positioned to coordinate resources and guide strategic investments to build a more resilient future.

As part of the national baseline assessment, PDC conducted a comprehensive, subnational-level Risk and Vulnerability Assessment, finding that Madagascar remains highly exposed to numerous hazards, including cyclones, landslides, malaria outbreaks, and extreme heat. These hazards continue to put significant pressure on the country’s natural resources, critical infrastructure, and vulnerable populations. At the same time, the assessment identified tangible opportunities to address core vulnerabilities—such as improving access to clean water, sanitation, health care, and transportation, while strengthening coping capacities at national and subnational levels.

Findings from the Disaster Management portion of the assessment point to significant constraints in funding, staffing, infrastructure, and coordination mechanisms. While existing efforts by BNGRC and its partners are commendable, many gaps must be filled in preparedness, mitigation, and response capacity leveraging a variety of strategies outlined in the final results of the national baseline assessment.

PDC’s Senior Advisor Tim Manning provided his perspectives on the importance of the collaboration.

“As Madagascar looks ahead to a more disaster-resilient future, both PDC and BNGRC will continue our partnership and shared commitment to addressing complex risks and reducing disaster-related losses.

By working together, our partnership aims to turn data into action, strengthening national and local capacities, and ensuring that strategies are effective in supporting long-term resilience for all Malagasy communities.”

The NDPBA delivers not only a national-level overview but also a subnational analysis and recommendations, providing the scientific evidence and data needed to prioritize risk reduction investments and decisions. The national and subnational reports for each of Madagascar’s regions will be available in coming weeks at www.pdc.org/ndpba. All data and analytics derived from the assessment will be made available for operational use by disaster management and humanitarian assistance practitioners through PDC’s free situational awareness, early warning, and risk intelligence platform, DisasterAWARE Pro.