Ongoing drought conditions in Madagascar
The Copernicus Emergency Management Service Global Drought Observatory recently published an Analytical Report on the situation in Madagascar. It shows drought conditions have been affecting the country in the first half of 2026, especially the southern and western regions of the island. The drought is the result of the combined effect of low rainfall and above-average temperatures that led to severe dry conditions across most of the country.
This data visualisation shows the evolution of the Soil Moisture Index Anomaly (SMIA) and compares the situation for the first ten days of March, April, May and June 2026, for which the trend is most noticeable. SMIA is one of the indicators produced by the GDO to monitor drought conditions. Brown and orange shades indicate areas affected by below-normal soil moisture conditions, while lighter tones show areas with soil moisture closer to the seasonal average. Dry conditions first appeared in March, intensified throughout April and May, and expanded more widely across the island in June.
The Copernicus Global Drought Observatory provides indicators, analyses, and reports to monitor drought conditions globally and their evolution over time. More information on the report is available here.
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