Building community resilience to climate change: the role of a Population-Health-Environment programme in supporting the community response to cyclone Haruna in Madagascar

Abstract

Tropical cyclone Haruna made landfall in southwest Madagascar in February 2013; it was a powerful Category 2 storm with heavy rain and wind speeds of 150 km/h, making it the largest cyclone that this region had experienced in more than 35 years. Houses, schools, government buildings and health clinics throughout the communes of Befandefa and Morombe (home to approximately 15 000 people) were damaged, with many completely destroyed.