La gestion du risque cyclonique à Madagascar : retour sur l'épisode "Giovanna" (février 2012)

Such a vast tropical island as Madagascar is regularly confronted with natural hazards. Every year, cyclones destroy vast swathes of the country and force populations to relocate. A case in point is cyclone Giovanna which devastated a substantial part of the island in 2012. In the following paper, I shall discuss the methods devised by the country's authorities to manage these natural catastrophes.After a brief description of Giovanna as a meteorological phenomenon, I shall assess the ways in which the Malagasy authorities handled the aftermath of the cyclone. The National Bureau for Natural Hazard & Disaster Management (Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et Catastrophes – BNGRC) is the backbone of the government's effort in this area. Though the country is still dependent on international cooperation to forecast such meteorological events, the analyses undertaken in the wake of the disaster have enabled the authorities to improve the mapping tools upon which they base their decision making processes, as well as their early warning communication facilities. Mobile phones have proved to be particularly useful in this connection, but their implementation still needs to be optimized across the country