Forest Fire Prevention and Conservation: Health In Harmony Steps Up Its Work In Manombo
The biodiversity-rich Manombo Special Reserve in Madagascar is home to a rainforest roughly half the size of San Francisco and plays a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of the Earth’s biosphere. Yet, alongside climate change and deforestation, unexpected forest fires – particularly during dry season May to October – threaten the future of the forest.
As part of its efforts to prevent and combat these forest fires – protecting the forest and those who call it home – Health In Harmony Madagascar recently took another step forward by organizing a specialized fire prevention training course. Working with a professional trainer, around forty members of local partner communities and HIH staff were able to benefit from essential capacity-building. The participants learned skills to better prevent, detect and manage fires, thereby contributing to forest protection and ecosystem safety. Trainees also received first aid training for emergency response in the case of fire.
But it doesn't stop there. Health In Harmony is also strengthening its collaboration with the local authorities, in particular with the Direction Régionale de l'Environnement et du Développement Durable (DREDD). A new Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed, symbolizing a shared commitment to sustainable conservation.
Building on this momentum, Health In Harmony and the DREDD joined forces to organize an official visit by the Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development, as well as national TV news network TVM, who featured a segment on the fire prevention training. These high-level visits mark recognition of the forest-protection work HIH Madagascar is supporting communities to carry out and underlines the importance of the Manombo Special Reserve.
Deepening this collaboration with public authorities and local rainforest communities illustrates HIH’s integrated approach: linking the health of humans to that of ecosystems, through solidarity, mutual respect, and concrete action.
