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Ravaged forest threatens Mayotte's biodiversity, economy and food security

In the wake of Cyclone Chido, the worst natural disaster to hit the Indian Ocean archipelago in 90 years, Mayotte's forests have been devastated – and with them the island's biodiversity, food security and local economy.

This photo provided by the French Ministry of the Interior shows the devastation of the tropical forests of Mayotte, as seen on 17 December, 2024. AP

By: RFI
25/12/2024 


The cyclone destroyed homes and infrastructure, and the death toll is expected to reach the hundreds, if not thousands.

The impact on Mayotte's natural habitat too has been severe, with its tropical forests almost entirely destroyed – which will have serious economic consequences, as in Mayotte the majority of the population make their living farming in the forest. The island, which constitutes France's poorest department, has 15,000 farmers.

'Risk of famine'

Between its large trees, families cultivate small plots and beneath the mango and coconut trees, banana trees grow, and below them, cassava.

These agro-forestry systems are known as the “gardens of Mayotte” and “occupy 90 percent of the island's useful agricultural area, supplying the island with fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers to meet 80 per cent of the population's needs,” according to the French agricultural research centre CIRAD.

After the cyclone, “cassava, bananas, breadfruit, lychees ... everything that makes up the Mayotte garden has disappeared,” said Ali Ambodi, president of the Mayotte livestock farmers' union.

“It's the total destruction of our farms, as well as the tracks and roads. We can't even get to our farms. And this disappearance of our natural environment makes us unhappy, because we are bound together [with it].”

This situation will not improve anytime soon, according to the farmer, who explained that the destruction of these plants means that not only will the islanders struggle to harvest food, they won't be able to collect seeds for replanting either. It will take months or even years for the plants to grow back, he said. “My deepest concern is the risk of famine.”

Ambodi has little faith in the aid promised by the French state. He said the procedures for this are cumbersome, and there are real administrative barriers.

Farmers will have to prove that they own their land, but the majority do not have the right documents. “We're going to be asked for one piece of paper, then another, then another, and in the end farmers won't have access to this aid.”

Impact on biodiversity

In addition to the local economy and food security, the biodiversity of the island has been left in ruins. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): “Mayotte's forests are a treasure trove of vulnerable and little-known biodiversity.” More than 6,150 marine and terrestrial species have been recorded there.

Some are unique to the island, and more than 380 are protected – for example the maki, or Mayotte lemur, which lives off the fruit, flowers and buds it finds in the forest.

The forest is also a veritable water tower, enriching soil and roots, preventing erosion and landslides and retaining water, thus limiting flooding.

Tropical forests are important carbon sinks, and home to animals that are essential to the balance of life on the island. “The island's dry forest is home to the Mayotte souïmanga, which is the main pollinator of the Mayotte aloe, a plant endemic to the island and classified as in danger of extinction,” says the IUCN.

Mayotte cyclone lays bare the fragility of France’s 'forgotten' territory

The organisation adds that the forest is a focal point for local tradition and culture. “In Mahoran society, the Patrosi and the Mugala, spirits from elsewhere, are the most familiar jinn. They relate to nature and come from the forest.”

The fragile environment of Mayotte's forests was already suffering the consequences of pollution and deforestation. The full extent of the further damage wreaked by Cyclone Chido remains to be seen.

This article has been adapted from the French version by Jeanne Richard.