Protecting Madagascar: Earthen Embankments and the Miyawaki Method
Sustainable Disaster Prevention and Community Revitalization: Protecting Madagascar with Earthworks and the Miyawaki Method
Madagascar, an island nation in southeastern Africa, is highly vulnerable to natural disasters like cyclones, floods, droughts, and earthquakes. Cyclones, in particular, are a serious threat, causing widespread destruction of homes and endangering lives and livelihoods every year.
In this context, a practical and sustainable disaster countermeasure that local residents can implement themselves is gaining attention: the combination of earthworks and the Miyawaki method of afforestation.
Earthworks: Simple, Powerful Barriers to Protect Communities
Historically, people have built earthworks and walls to defend their communities from both enemies and natural disasters. The same logic can be applied in Madagascar. By building tall earthen mounds to encircle a community, they can achieve several key effects:
Wind speed reduction: The mounds can absorb the intense force of cyclone winds, reducing their impact on the community behind them.
Debris protection: Earthworks can block flying debris such as broken roof tiles or tree branches.
Flood and storm surge mitigation: When built to suit the local topography, they can act as dikes, protecting residents from flooding.
Above all, the greatest advantage is the use of the cheapest and most readily available local material—soil. This eliminates the need for special infrastructure or imported materials and fully utilizes local labor.
Overcoming the Challenges of Earthworks with the Miyawaki Method
However, earthworks are susceptible to erosion from wind and rain. This is where the "Miyawaki method" of afforestation, proposed by Japanese ecologist Dr. Akira Miyawaki, comes in.
Key Features of the Miyawaki Method:
It recreates the area's native vegetation (potential natural vegetation).
It involves planting multiple species of saplings in high density.
After only about three years of initial care, the forest becomes self-sustaining and maintenance-free.
By applying this method to the slopes of the earthworks, the plant roots firmly bind the soil, preventing erosion and collapse. The dense forest also acts as a windbreak, enabling "natural reinforcement and defense."
Self-Sufficient Disaster Prevention Using Only Local Resources
The "earthworks + Miyawaki method" approach requires no heavy machinery or expensive equipment. Its greatest appeal is that it can be built by the hands of local people.
Materials: "Soil" and "local plants"
Construction: Manual labor
Maintenance: Only for the first few years, after which nature takes over
This process also creates local employment and builds technical skills within the community. It's more than just a disaster prevention infrastructure; it's an initiative that directly enriches lives by providing a "protective force," "work opportunities," and a sense of "pride."
Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Poverty and Disaster in Madagascar
Around 80% of Madagascar's population lives on less than $2 a day, with an average annual income of about $500. Cyclones repeatedly destroy homes and farms, forcing people to rebuild from scratch and perpetuating a vicious cycle of poverty.
However, if earthworks and forests begin to protect communities:
Damage to homes and farmland will decrease.
Reconstruction costs will be reduced.
People can live with a greater sense of security.
Income from labor will stabilize.
This can create a virtuous cycle where people "can save because they are protected" and "can become prosperous because they are protected."
Protecting Their Future with Their Own Hands
True self-reliance and community revitalization come not from waiting for external aid but from building a future with one's own resources and strength. The earthworks and the Miyawaki-method forests are not just pieces of disaster equipment; they are the hope of the community itself.
"Protecting what is precious with their own hands"—this will undoubtedly become the most powerful asset for the people of Madagascar.
