When exposure, vulnerability and hazard converge: Cyclone Gezani hits the Tamatave hub. Your help is needed to rebuild it
The ALBATROSS Tamatave hub in Toamasina, Madagascar, has been severely impacted by Cyclone Gezani. The city that many consortium members visited last September has suffered extensive destruction across neighbourhoods and infrastructure. While all our team members at Bôndy are safe, several close colleagues and partners have lost their homes and belongings, swept away by the cyclone. They have launched afundraiser campaign to collect funds for immediate, practical aid in the region.
The disaster has left deep marks not only on the urban landscape but also on the lives of the local community. The research centre has also suffered significant damage. The nursery facilities were hit, severely affecting the 200,000 seedlings in production.
Beyond the shock and loss, this event has underscored with striking clarity the relevance of ALBATROSS. The East Coast of Madagascar is acutely exposed to climate hazards, and Cyclone Gezani is a stark reminder of the urgency of strengthening local resilience and adaptive capacity. The realities faced by the Tamatave hub reflect precisely why climate services, risk awareness, and locally grounded adaptation strategies are essential. Supporting communities in understanding, anticipating and adapting to a changing climate that is no longer a distant scenario, but a lived reality.
Immediate efforts are focused on ensuring staff safety, securing remaining assets, conducting a rapid inventory of losses, and re-planning activities to resume implementation as soon as conditions allow. Reconstruction and emergency relief are now the priority, particularly as the community awaits the scaling-up of international assistance to prevent further hardship in the weeks ahead.
The team in Tamatave has made a clear commitment to stand back up and rebuild what has been damaged. However, they need people’s help to support affected colleagues, cover urgent essentials and begin the rebuilding process (including providing basic equipment, shelter items and meeting immediate needs). They have launched a GoFundMe fundraiser campaign, which seeks private, exceptional and voluntary donations. Contributions will be used exclusively to address the immediate humanitarian needs of affected colleagues and their families.
