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How eCooking can Preserve Madagascar’s Unique Biodiversity

By Isabel Risby, GeCCo Communications Officer in collaboration with CLEANaction WWF

Introduction

Madagascar holds a unique ecosystem of biodiversity. It’s a treasure that is worth protecting, with approximately 95 percent of Madagascar’s reptiles, 89 percent of its plant life, and 92 percent of its mammals existing nowhere else on Earth. It secures a position as one of the most unique ecosystems in the world. However, it is also one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world, and one of the culprits is the burning of wood and charcoal biomass for household cooking, and it’s damaging repercussions.

The problem: Traditional Cooking Methods and Biodiversity Loss


In Madagascar there is a unifying factor in which more than 97% of households use wood fuel (charcoal and firewood) as a source of cooking energy. This is not only damaging to human health but also is leading to deforestation of nearby forest with ninety thousand hectares lost annually, a vast amount of forest. ‌

Figure1: Madagascar Deforestation Map, Global Forest Watch
As seen above, the Global Forest Watch has analysed that:‘In 2020, Madagascar had 15.6 Mha (megahectares) of natural forest, extending over 26% of its land area. In 2024, it lost 226 kha (kilohectare) of natural forest, equivalent to 115 Mt (metric tonne) of CO₂ emissions – A serious devastation.

Charcoal production is a major driver of deforestation in Madagascar, and as prices continue to rise, it is becoming increasingly unsustainable and demand is increased, propagating increased damage to the environment.
The effects to the loss of forest are driving climate change, biodiversity loss, water and soil disruptions. The loss of forest also specifically endangers species such as the Silky Sifaka, a lemur, which is one of the rarest animals on earth.


Madagascar’s silky sifaka lemurs are nicknamed ‘angels of the forest’ for their ecological importance and arboreal behaviour. They have become increasingly threatened through habitat loss driven by widespread deforestation. Therefore, the current cooking practices cannot carry on if we want to protect Madagascar’s biodiversity and continue to protect both people and the planet.

As shown below, a Silky Sifaka carrying its infant, a remarkable creature that’s unique to Madagascar.

Fig 2: The Silky Sifaka with it’s infant   – WWF Madagascar, Nick Garbutt

Further flora and fauna of Madagascar also have a critical need of protection.

Figure 3: Olive Bee-Eater perched on a branch   – WWF Madagascar, Jenny Young

Figure 4: Hibiscus Vohipahensis, A species of tree known only from the Ankarabolava-Angnakatrika forests World Land Trust (Credit: MBG – Madagascar)

Figure 5: Coquerel Sifaka lemur carrying its infants  – WWF Madagascar, Jenny Young

The Solution of eCooking

However, there is a solution – this is where the practice of ‘Cooking with care’ can be utilised through the practice of eCooking. Electric cooking can preserve the biodiversity of Madagascar through habitat preservation, as well as protect and support the people of Madagascar too. eCooking reduces the reliance on biomass fuels, which saves time and drudgery, especially for women. In Madagascar people currently rely upon wood, agricultural residue and animal waste, especially the south which has the highest volume of biomass. These materials accelerate the rate of deforestation and combust GHG emissions (Greenhouse Gas Emissions), accelerating climate change and severely impacting public health and household air quality.


According to the World Bank, over 18 million people currently lack reliable electricity access in Madagascar, energy access is key to a successful eCooking transition. Until we can fully implement eCooking and renewable energy access we cannot fulfil the statement of ‘Cooking with Care’.


This transition is critical to Madagascar the SDG Fund evidences this: ‘Without urgent action, Madagascar’s carbon emissions could reach twenty-two million tons of CO₂ by 2030’. The time to action this is now, and with growing technologies and the presence of renewable energy we can transition to eCooking – protecting biodiversity, reducing emissions, protecting public health and expanding clean energy access.


Initiatives such as CLEANaction founded by the WWF, (a coalition linking energy and nature for action) can support Madagascar, especially as the partnership has a specific focus on protecting nature during the energy transition. The coalition ‘aims to highlight the need for new renewable generation, to be carefully assessed for their impacts on biodiversity’. Whether the biodiversity be on land, at sea or in freshwater ecosystems, CLEANaction aims to factor biodiversity as a required element of any proposed energy initiative.

Conclusion


In conclusion, ‘Cooking with Care ‘is not just based upon providing access to cooking technologies that make cooking easier. It’s been described as a ‘win-win-win-win’: it’s a win for the finance lender, for utilities, the government, and the consumer. However, in the case of Madagascar, eCooking also signifies an additional ‘win’ for the unique ecosystem Madagascar’s biodiversity supports; there are few – if any – places on earth which can make such a claim.


Embracing eCooking is the future, with key potential to empower communities and reduce the long-term effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and public health. The time to act is now – to empower Madagascar in safeguarding their priceless biodiversity and providing people with safer, clean energy access for all.

Bibliography:

  • ‌ Garcia, K. and Raji, A.K. (2020). Access to Efficient and Sustainable Energy: Case of Madagascar. 2022 IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica, [online] 7, pp.1–5. doi:https://doi.org/10.1109/powerafrica49420.2020.9219881.

 WWF (2024), CLEANaction. [online] Available at: https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/climate_and_energy_practice/what_we_do/changing_energy_use/cleanaction/  [Accessed 2 Jul. 2025].