ANTANANARIVO: Authorities on alert as tropical storm heads toward island

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

JOHANNESBURG, 27 Jan 2006 (IRIN) - A tropical storm threatens Madagascar's southeast coast but officials believe the Indian Ocean island is better prepared for the cyclone season this year.

The country has suffered badly in recent years. In 2000, cyclones Eline, Gloria and Hudah killed more than 1,000 people and affected over a million; in 2004, Gafilo killed over 200, leaving another 300,000 homeless and devastating a significant portion of the country's infrastructure and agricultural land.

Tropical storm 'Boloetse', currently some 300 km off the southeast coast, is predicted to hit the world's fourth largest island this weekend. Jacky Roland Randimbiarison, executive secretary of Madagascar's National Emergency Council (CNS), told IRIN that "although we're still monitoring it carefully, it no longer appears to pose a major threat".

According to Didier Young, Emergency Relief Coordinator for the NGO, CARE, Boloetse appeared to be dissipating. However, had it threatened to turn into a full-blown cyclone it would have been met by a much better system than existed 12 years ago, when CARE first set up emergency relief operations on the island.

CARE's efforts have been supported and improved by collaboration with other national and international NGOs, United Nations agencies and the Malagasy government. Together, the partners coordinate relief efforts according to their existing bases of operation and areas of expertise.

The CNS falls under the Ministry of Interior, and although it has existed for well over a decade, only in the past few years has it received the resources and attention needed to function properly as the government's coordinator of emergency relief efforts.

The system relies heavily on the collaboration of NGO partners, but Young said it had improved considerably. "[CNS] has reached a stage where, if they had a little more money, they could be really effective - they're on the right path," he said.

Capacity building at the CNS has resulted in enhanced communications and better organisation at provincial and regional levels. The body also has access to army resources in the event of an emergency. The Civil Protection Corps (CPC) falls under the Ministry of Defence, but its manpower and vehicles can be mobilised by CNS when necessary.

Other new levels of preparedness include stocks of rice, jerry cans and water treatment supplies, ready to be deployed from warehouses in the capital, Antananarivo. Thirteen of Madagascar's 22 regions have established regional-level emergency councils and received training in activities such as distributing emergency stocks, identification of shelters, and reinforcing houses.

The remaining nine regions will establish their councils this year.

Although it is unlikely that Boloetse will test the system this weekend, it is just a matter of time before the country is hit by another cyclone. As Young pointed out, "In Madagascar you get a lot of practice."

[ENDS]