Fire Prevention and Protection for the Rural Community of Anjoma Itsara in Madagascar
The town of Anjoma Itsara is situated in the highlands of southeast Madagascar with a population of 2,500 inhabitants. Pastoral grasslands that are designated for cattle grazing surround the town. The Malagasy farmers are accustomed to burning these lands annually to help generate new growth for their cattle to graze on months after the rains are over.
Often times these burnings get out of control due to strong winds and lack of appropriate control systems and mechanisms. Hundreds of acres of forests are lost each year to out-of-control wild fires. The town of Anjoma Itsara and the surrounding villages and homesteads are also vulnerable to these fires.
TAPFIRE has conducted an assessment to design a community-managed system for efficiently controlling the burns, thereby mitigating the potential environmental damage caused by this inevitable cultural phenomenon. The physical structure of this system will be defined by the area’s rural road networks, which will be rehabilitated to serve (secondarily) as fire breaks. Utilizing the improved access afforded by the rehabilitated roads, specially-trained and equipped “controlled burn teams” will then conduct managed burnings, according to criteria established under a program approved by commune authorities. Specialized equipment (e.g. protective clothing, fire beaters, extinguishers, etc.) will be required to outfit the teams, as well as funding to pay their members and to conduct community awareness campaigns.