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ATLAS REPORT

Country report: Madagascar

Generated 15 October 2026, 06:44 from live Atlas data

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Executive summary

Atlas holds 319,264 mapped features and 38,648 observations in 44 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 261,598 ha in 26,508 polygons across 1 formation classes; Mangrove dominates with 100.0% of the area. The median patch is only 0.172 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 93.6% of the area. 0 ha (0.0%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.

Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.

Species & formations

FormationPolygonsArea (ha)ShareMean patch (ha)
Mangrove26,508261,598.3100.0%9.87
Shannon evenness by area: 0.00

Pressure: LAPSSET and villages

Mangrove ha by distance from LAPSSET

Mangrove ha by distance from villages

Data quality

DatasetFeaturesRepairedScore
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, Madagascar13,8190100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, Madagascar19,0110100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, Madagascar15,1780100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, Madagascar13,0810100
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, Madagascar13,6200100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, Madagascar31,1440100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, Madagascar26,5080100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, Madagascar21,5870100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, Madagascar17,7820100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, Madagascar17,6000100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, Madagascar16,7840100
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, Madagascar15,3190100
Mahafaly1095
Madagascar1095
Africa_Water_Towers7095
EAC_MZQ_ForestProgramme_Countries8095
flr_99095
polygons11095
Biodiversity Hotspots12095
FLRi Countries13095
FLRi Countries13095
Operational Land/Seascape701095
Operational Land/Seascape701095
Operational Landscape791395
Africa_WWF_Priority_202104_Operational_Landscapes_Seascape961695
Fibre Cable Landing Stations126095
Join_Features_to_Countries_RFP152095
Rivers228095
Administration (Level 2)495195
Administration (Level 2)495195
Power Plants (Power output MW)642095
AfricaPriority_River857095
Small airport1,979095
Dams2,586095
Districts6,0991395
World Database on Protected Areas7,438195
Electricity Transmission Network9,759095
Divisions17,649995
Irrigated Areas23,095195
Agro-Ecological Zones25,7911795
Carbon projects: Madagascar8090
Seagrass (UNEP-WCMC): Madagascar25090
Salt marsh (UNEP-WCMC): Madagascar4090
Community and nature projects (UNDP): Madagascar13090

Recommendations

High 10 of 9 themes have no data yet
Atlas holds no records for: Coastal Forests, Blue Carbon, Restoration Sites, Land Use & Land Cover, People & Settlements, Wildlife & Habitats, Fire & Climate, Farming & Livelihoods, Mining, Oil & Licences, Surveys & Field Data. Seagrass and salt marsh would come from UNEP-WCMC global datasets; carbon projects from the Verra and Gold Standard registries; community projects from partner programmes.
Action: Ingest the planned sources listed in the Source Catalogue, starting with Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC seagrass and salt marsh, and the carbon registries.
High Net loss of mangrove since 1996
Global Mangrove Watch maps 287,462 ha of mangrove in Madagascar in 1996 and 267,501 ha in 2025: a net loss of 19,961 ha (-6.9%), about 688 ha per year. This is the net balance of total mapped area; gains and losses inside the country can cancel out, so real loss may be larger.
Action: Overlay consecutive epochs to locate where the losses occurred and check them against pressures such as clearing, ports and aquaculture.
High Licence terms to be confirmed for 28 datasets
Licence terms are being confirmed with the publisher. Atlas holds the data for scientific and internal use and shows the original attribution, but cannot grant bulk redistribution rights.
Action: Request written permission from WWF Kenya, KMFRI and KFS for redistribution and derivative products.
Medium Most polygons are very small, but most area sits in large stands
40.9% of the 26,508 mapped polygons are under 0.1 ha, yet patches of 10 ha or more hold 93.6% of all mangrove area. Management and monitoring effort should focus on the large stands, while the small-patch tail needs checking against satellite imagery.
Action: Prioritise field verification of large stands; review the sub-0.1 ha tail for mapping artefacts.

Datasets & sources

DatasetPublisherFeatures
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)13,819
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)19,011
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)15,178
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)13,081
Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)13,620
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)31,144
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)26,508
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)21,587
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)17,782
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)17,600
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)16,784
Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, MadagascarGlobal Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA)15,319
MahafalyWWF Kenya1
MadagascarWWF Kenya1
Africa_Water_TowersWWF Kenya7
EAC_MZQ_ForestProgramme_CountriesWWF Kenya8
flr_9WWF Kenya9
polygonsWWF Kenya11
Biodiversity HotspotsWWF Kenya12
FLRi CountriesWWF Kenya13
FLRi CountriesWWF Kenya13
Operational Land/SeascapeWWF Kenya70
Operational Land/SeascapeWWF Kenya70
Operational LandscapeWWF Kenya79
Africa_WWF_Priority_202104_Operational_Landscapes_SeascapeWWF Kenya96
Fibre Cable Landing StationsWWF Kenya126
Join_Features_to_Countries_RFPWWF Kenya152
RiversWWF Kenya228
Administration (Level 2)WWF Kenya495
Administration (Level 2)WWF Kenya495
Power Plants (Power output MW)WWF Kenya642
AfricaPriority_RiverWWF Kenya857
Small airportWWF Kenya1,979
DamsWWF Kenya2,586
DistrictsWWF Kenya6,099
World Database on Protected AreasWWF Kenya7,438
Electricity Transmission NetworkWWF Kenya9,759
DivisionsWWF Kenya17,649
Irrigated AreasWWF Kenya23,095
Agro-Ecological ZonesWWF Kenya25,791
Carbon projects: MadagascarBerkeley Carbon Trading Project, University of California, Berkeley8
Seagrass (UNEP-WCMC): MadagascarUN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Short FT25
Salt marsh (UNEP-WCMC): MadagascarUN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Short FT4
Community and nature projects (UNDP): MadagascarUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)13

Methods & limits

Areas and lengths are recomputed on the WGS 84 ellipsoid; units are harmonised (ha, m, %, UTC). The mapping is a single 2019 epoch; the source publishes no licence; field plots are a sample; scenario figures are illustrative assumptions. Cite the original publishers listed above. Full methods: Methodologies page.
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