The locality of Antolojanahary in southern Madagascar is in the midst of restoring its degraded land thanks to a reforestation operation launched by Sogea-Satom, the subsidiary of the French group Vinci specialising in public works. This initiative, which is part of its CSR (corporate social responsibility) approach, is in line with the reforestation policy launched by the island's authorities in January 2022.
In 2017, Madagascar lost 510,000 hectares of forest, or 6% of its forest cover. In order to contribute to the restoration of this forest cover, Sogea-Satom, the subsidiary of the French group Vinci specialising in public works, initiated a reforestation operation in the locality of Antolojanahary, with the collaboration of the humanitarian association Akamasoa based in the capital Antananarivo.
This reforestation initiative has enabled employees of the French company and their families to plant more than 3,000 fruit trees (mango, avocado, orange), aromatic trees (ravintsara used for the extraction of essential oils, editor’s note) and other reforestation trees, notably pine and acacia.
Sogea-Satom has been operating for 30 years in the archipelago, notably through its installations in agricultural areas, electrical works in port, maritime and river structures. For example, the company has rehabilitated the road between the rural council of Mahambo, with 26,000 inhabitants, and the district of Ambalavao, renowned for its wine and wild silk production. Also present in 20 countries, the company, which employs more than 15,000 people, specialises in hydraulics, civil engineering, construction, roads and earthworks. Sogea-Satom is active in environmental preservation, particularly through awareness-raising and reforestation.
Restoration of forest cover
According to the Global Forest Watch platform, Madagascar is the 4th most deforested country in the world, with an impact on both ecosystems and the population whose livelihoods depend on them. Most Malagasy people, especially in rural areas, use wood for energy and construction, while others use non-timber forest products (game, fruit, nuts, honey, medicinal plants, etc.) to feed themselves between two harvest seasons.
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In January 2022, the Madagascan Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development launched a vast campaign to “green Madagascar”. Since then, reforestation sessions have been planned in all 23 regions of the island with the participation of citizens, administrations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The district of Sambava in the Sava region inaugurated the national campaign on 22 January 2022 by planting 10,000 trees in the council of Farahalana.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi
