EECentre

Mission Report

UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit Mission Report – 2007 Madagascar Cyclone Indiala

This mission report describes the findings of a team of experts deployed by the United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination (UNDAC) and the UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit (JEU) in Madagascar after Cyclone Indiala.

Madagascar experienced an exceptional number of cyclones and tropical storms during the 2006-2007 cyclone season. Seven tropical cyclones either made direct landfall and/or influenced precipitation levels and patterns on the island. In response to a request of the Malagasy government, a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team was deployed to the country in April 2007. The JEU conducted a Hazard Identification Tool (HIT) to identify any secondary environmental risks arising from Cyclone Indiala and shared it with the UNDAC team. Because of concerns about potential environmental impacts of the cyclones and associated floods, the JEU provided an environmental expert as a member to the UNDAC team. This expert carried out a rapid environmental assessment to identify any urgent and life-threatening secondary environmental impacts and risks. The assessment did not identify such impacts. The report recommended that urgent attention be paid to the issue of polluted drinking water wells aggravated by the disaster and made several other recommendations for consideration in the recovery phase.

Consult the report here.

Back
to top
icon-close-alt icon-bookmark icons / login