Cyclone resilient landscape : the case of Vatomandry, Madagascar

Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world, has to deal with cyclones every year. The impact of a cyclone can be devastating, leaving areas with houses damaged, floods and damaged crops. The aftermath has an even greater impact.The floods increase the number of people affected by water-borne and related diseases. The NGO CARE, the audience for this thesis, is working with their Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program in Madagascar to diminish these effects and to return inhabitants to their original standard of living. In this thesis we note that, within the DRR program of CARE, the landscape-based design approach,a method commonly used in the field of landscape architecture, has not yet been integrated into this program. An integral approach could, however, improve resiliency and the standard of living. The research question relating to this statement is: What measures related to the landscape-based design approach are needed to establish resiliency in a disaster-prone developing region? The measures should relate to CARE’s methods and to physical activities implementable by the inhabitants of Vatomandry, which is the case study for this thesis.To answer this question, different methods have been used and executed, partly in the Netherlands and partly in Madagascar. Landscape analysis was performed and participatory workshops were organised. By means of the landscape analysis, a full understanding of the landscape processes of the study area was generated. The participatory workshops were important as they provided this research with local knowledge; even more relevant was establishing ownership of the project on the part of the inhabitants. The participatory workshops entailed the proven Green Towns workshop of Duchhart and a photomontage workshop.The Green Towns workshop proved insufficient on its own to proceed towards taking active steps for improvement of the environment; therefore, a photomontage workshop was also organised. This then led to an Action Day, in which one of the measures was carried out. Achieving this first measure will hopefully have a positive effect in terms of carrying out the other measures and interventions suggested in this thesis. The data gathered in Madagascar were analysed and ordered in the Netherlands; they were then used as input for the design aimed at enhancing resiliency. The results from the participative workshops were translated from short-term solutions for the benefit of individuals to a long-term landsc