Practise SL questions on sustainable development by distinguishing future-oriented needs, comparing resource choices and evaluating environmental, social and economic trade-offs.
Figure:Tavy — traditional slash-and-burn agriculture in Madagascar
Figure:Agroforestry — an alternative to traditional tavy farming
Figure:Ecological footprint and biocapacity per person in Madagascar
Figure:Deforestation hotspots within MaMaBay in 2009
Figure:Tourism multiplier effect
- Figure: Fact file on Madagascar: Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and had about 24 million people in 2016.
- Crude birth rate was 32.1 per 1000 and crude death rate 6.7 per 1000 in 2016.
- Main employment sectors are agriculture, fisheries and forestry; most people rely on traditional subsistence farming.
- Forests are cleared for traditional farming, valuable timber and charcoal; soil erosion is serious, with up to 363 tonnes/ha/year lost in some areas.
- Figure: Fact file on MaMaBay: MaMaBay includes Makira and Masoala National Parks and Antongil Bay.
- Forest within the Antongil Bay watershed contains about 50% of the island biodiversity.
- Antongil Conservation aims to preserve forest diversity, develop ecotourism, and create alternative farming methods/income for local people.
- The bay has 11 whale species, 19 shark species, over 110 fish species and 3 turtle species, and is an important humpback whale breeding ground.
- Threats include high/illegal fishing, mangrove depletion and sediment from river inputs.
Madagascar biodiversity makes it attractive for ecotourism. The tourist industry was predicted to grow 1.1% per year and support 912000 jobs, 13.2% of total employment, by 2025.
To what extent could development away from traditional lifestyles lead to greater sustainability in Madagascar?