Forest degradation: Madagascar is ranked in the seventh place

Madagascar is ranked in the ninth place among the group of areas that experienced the greatest loss in terms of forests worldwide. According to a list which was established by International Conservation, Madagascar and the Indian Ocean islands are equally placed in the seventh place with the same situation as the California Floristic Province and the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa which have 10% of remaining forests. Technicians argue that poverty which is related to population growth constitutes the main cause of the degradation of the forest in Madagascar.

Unsustainable agriculture, hunting and wood exploitation, industrial and small-scale mining are considered as serious threats against the forests. In spite of that however, Madagascar is still considered as a unique pearl thanks to the richness and originality of its biodiversity. The simple fact that specific groups of animals in Africa are very different from the endemic species of animals in Madagascar is already one of the great peculiarities of the Great Island. The forest degradation is seen as one of the main causes of drinking water shortage in Madagascar although the country is rich in freshwater resources.