More than a hundred Malagasy civil society organizations have called on the government to halt construction of a major highway after thousands of farmers were affected by unusual flooding linked to the project.
They are calling for compensation for affected communities and inclusive consultations before the project continues.
The highway, intended to link the capital Antananrivo to the port of Toamasina, has also been criticized for threatening ecologically important forests and a significant heritage site.
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ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — The Malagasy government is pushing ahead with a controversial highway linking Antananarivo and the port city of Toamasina, 260 kilometers (162 miles) away. Construction has already begun on the first section, which passes through the ecologically sensitive Anjozorobe Angavo forest corridor as well as near a UNESCO-listed monument to the Merina people, the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga.
This first section, which will cover 80 km (50 mi) from Antananarivo to Anjozorobe, funded by the state, is being built by Egyptian firm Samcrete Holding and is expected to be completed by December. The Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (known by its French acronym, BADEA) will provide $325 million for a second phase of the road project.
Civil society organizations have drawn the attention of BADEA and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has also pledged funding for the highway, to the construction firm’s poor handling of the project, citing the silting up of local rice fields as one example.
More than a hundred environmental and human rights organizations met to discuss the project in November 2024.
“You, the government’s senior civil servants, don’t always have to comply with the demands from above. It is up to you to provide credible arguments to higher authorities. Politicians often believe they have the last word. That is why you are forced to follow their ideas,” Ndranto Razakamanarina told members of ministerial teams present at the meeting.
Razakamanarina is the head of the Voahary Gasy Alliance, a platform of civil society organisations working to establish good environmental governance in Madagascar that has taken a leading role in opposition to the highway.
Severe weather in January and February brought torrents of red mud to the rice paddies and plains. Image courtesy of Corrine Rahoeliarisoa/National Coalition for Environmental Protection (CNPE).
Severe weather in January and February brought torrents of red mud to the rice paddies and plains. Image courtesy of Corrine Rahoeliarisoa/National Coalition for Environmental Protection (CNPE).
On March 5, 2025, the highway’s critics published a press release calling on President Andry Rajoelina to immediately suspend construction to allow for inclusive consultation.
“We, the organisations and representatives of the affected populations, signatories of this press release, hereby express our deep concern at the alarm bells and distress of the rural populations who have been ignored and seriously affected by the motorway construction project linking Antananarivo and Toamasina,” the press release read.
Severe weather in January and February severely impacted part of the new highway. Waterways filled in along the construction route, leading to floodwaters dumping torrents of red mud into rice fields and plains. In the press release, the groups said that thousands of families along the route were facing the loss of their homes and the sudden destruction of their agricultural land.
The organisations called on the government to uphold its commitments to environmental protection and food security by findings ways to preserve both fertile land and rural communities’ livelihoods.
“The project must not be synonymous with brutal land seizures, food insecurity, destruction of citizens’ livelihoods or irreversible degradation of natural ecosystems,” the press release said.
The highway’s critics also pointed out that no official, definitive route for the road had been published. “We do not question the need for infrastructure development. However, we refuse to allow it to be done at the expense of rural populations and the principles of social justice,” they said.
A visit to the motorway construction site by a delegation led by the Public Works Minister Richard Rafidison, Jan. 30, 2025. Image courtesy of Patricia Ramavonirina.
A visit to the motorway construction site by a delegation led by the Public Works Minister Richard Rafidison, Jan. 30, 2025. Image courtesy of Patricia Ramavonirina.
Government intent on continuing
The response to the organizations’ March 5 appeal was immediate. On the same day, Volamiranty Donna Mara, minister of communication and culture, issued a statement affirming the government’s determination to continue its efforts toward inclusive growth that equitably benefits all segments of the population.
The minister said the highway would reduce travel time and open up isolated areas, and she also said it would contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Government officials have said that opponents of the project are undermining development, suggesting the sustained opposition to the highway is politicised. Mara indicated that construction would continue. “This strategic project is essential, not only for economic development but also to ensure sustainable connectivity for the country,” she said.
A rehabilitation plan is already being implemented for the damaged rice fields, the government statement said, specifying that Samcrete is preparing a proposal to offer in-kind compensation to people affected by the silting up of the rice fields, following an approach that respects both the communities and their environment.
Public Works Minister Richard Rafidison said that an environmental and social impact assessment prior to obtaining an environmental permit is a prerequisite for any major project. “All required standards have been met,” he said.
Dobolalina beehives stand on the edge of the primary forest in Anjozorobe Angavo, threatened by the construction of the new motorway. Image by Valisoa Rasolofomboahangy for Mongabay.
Dobolalina beehives stand on the edge of the primary forest in Anjozorobe Angavo, threatened by the construction of the new motorway. Image by Valisoa Rasolofomboahangy for Mongabay.
He said the motorway project is still in the earthworks and backfilling stage and acknowledged what he termed as the accidental silting of rice fields, which affected nearly 500 households. “The ministry and the successful bidder are in constant dialogue with the farmers, and a compensation system has already been implemented to restore their properties,” he said.
“We need to be united,” the works minister said. “It is regrettable to see that our fellow citizens have sent letters to the IMF and MEPs, denouncing the project,” he said, announcing his willingness to engage in further dialogue with farmers and civil society organisations.
Civil society organisations and other stakeholders will be invited to a major consultation around November to determine the route of the next two phases of the highway. Preliminary consultations were held online in January and February.
Increased media attention to the highway project during the global climate summit in Azerbaijan at the end of 2024 prompted 35 members of the European Parliament to send a letter to the IMF’s general management on Dec. 19.
MEPs called on the financial institution to review its support of the project in light of conditions imposed on Madagascar in relation to climate resilience on its territory, recalling that European Union member states hold approximately 31% of the fund’s quotas.
Banner image : Construction of the first section of the motorway. Image courtesy of Corrine Rahoeliarisoa.
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