Madagascar Anchors Plastic Waste Solutions into National Dialogue

A Day Rooted in National Purpose

This year’s WED was deeply significant for Madagascar. It marked 10 years of the Population Health Environment (PHE) Network — one of the country's most respected, nationally anchored multi-stakeholder frameworks. The event brought together government ministries, civil society, protected area managers, health actors, and youth leaders from across the country.

It wasn’t a show.

It was a reflection space — one where actors looked back at a decade of PHE progress and asked, together: What next?

It was within this context — rich with national ownership and intersectional purpose — that the IslandPlas Project was introduced.

Beyond an Intervention. A Reinforcement.

IslandPlas was not launched. It was positioned — during a dedicated awareness session on plastic waste, where the message was simple but urgent:

“Plastic pollution is no longer an urban issue. It is a direct threat to biodiversity, to health, and to local livelihoods — especially in coastal and protected areas.”

The call was not to shift direction, but to strengthen what already exists. To integrate plastic waste action into PHE frameworks, protected area strategies, and community health education — not as a separate campaign, but as a complementary force.

And the message landed.

Protected area managers spoke up. Civil society groups leaned in. The campaign was not viewed as foreign — but familiar. Relevant. Timely.

Government Response: Firm and Aligned

Representatives from the Ministry of Environment were present — and vocal. Mr. Rivosoa Rabenandrianina, Director General of Environment, reminded everyone that citizen engagement must be central to national efforts on plastic waste reduction.

 Mr. Rila Alban, Director of Pollution Control, laid out the Ministry’s priorities:

• The development of a National Plastic Waste Strategy

• Strengthening of the Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility framework

• Exploration of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic mitigation

The IslandPlas approach, rooted in community engagement and circular economy thinking, was noted as being strongly aligned with these national directions.

Youth: Where the Message Became Real

But policy alignment wasn’t the only thing that mattered. What sealed the moment was emotion — carried by the youth. 

A group of young Malagasy delegates, part of the PHE network, stepped forward with an artistic performance that pulled the room into silence. Through dance and storytelling, they showed what happens when plastic enters rivers, ecosystems, and homes. The performance was powerful. Stirring. Undeniably real.

“You felt it in your chest,” said one participant later. “They didn’t just perform the problem. They embodied it.” It was a reminder that awareness must reach the heart before it can reach the policy document.

The Outcome: Roots, Not Just Reach

By the end of the event, IslandPlas had accomplished something deeper than visibility:

• It had been formally introduced to one of the most trusted national networks on health and environment.

• It had sparked dialogue with local actors already working in biodiversity hotspots.

• It had secured government recognition as a relevant and aligned campaign.

• And it had found potential partners among youth, CSOs, and PHE champions for long-term collaboration.

Not as an outsider. As an ally.

What’s Next?

IUCN and the IslandPlas team will now work with the PHE Network and other partners to:

• Support the mainstreaming of plastic waste education into community health programs

• Collaborate with protected area institutions on waste mitigation strategies

• Co-design training and awareness tools for youth and community actors

• Align Madagascar’s IslandPlas roadmap with Great Blue Wall goals, especially around governance, circular economy, and nature-based solutions

None of this work is parallel to national efforts. It is here to strengthen and support them.

The IslandPlas Project in Madagascar is implemented under the IUCN ESARO with kind support from The Coca-Cola Foundation.