| Title | Madagascar climate change briefing |
| Publication Type | Miscellaneous |
| Year of Publication | 2010 |
| Authors | Heath, T |
| Pagination | 4 p. : 2 fig., 2 tab. |
| Date Published | 2010-01-01 |
| Publisher | Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor, WSUP |
| Place Published | London, UK |
| Keywords | climate, madagascar, sanitation, sdiafr, sdiwrm, water resources conservation, water resources management, water supply, water use |
| Abstract | Madagascar’s climate and terrain is highly varied- the South West is semi-arid while the East coast is tropical and humid. The average temperature varies between 23-27 in the coastal areas and 16-19 in the upland plateaux, the annual variation being around 3 in the North and 7.5 in the South West region. The rainfall varies from 3700 mm in the East (hot and humid) to 400 mm in the West and South West (hot and semi arid). The Highlands, the Western region and the South have two very distinct seasons - the rainy season from November to April and the dry season from May to October - while in the Eastern region it rains practically all year round and a dry season is hardly perceptible. Rainfall on the East coast is driven by the Easterly trade winds meeting the uplands, while rain in the central uplands and West is mainly due to convective activity and thunderstorms linked to the Inter-Tropical Convergence. The North and North East are affected by tropical cyclones (forming over warm waters in the South Indian Ocean) and floods, resulting in heavy rain and strong winds (the cyclone season is November to May). [Author's abstract] |
| Notes | 11 key ref. |
| Custom 1 | 210, 824 |
