| Summary: | Madagascar remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The country has endured stubbornly high poverty rates and limited economic growth for decades. Madagascar sustained modest Gross domestic product (GDP) growth between 2013 and 2019, but by 2020, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country's export revenue and private investment plummeted, triggering a GDP contraction of 7.2 percent. That economic deterioration resulted in an all-time high poverty rate of 80.7 percent in 2021. While the island nation struggles with economic poverty, Madagascar is rich in natural resources. With dense forests surrounded by almost 5,000 km of coastline, multiple economic sectors have the potential to grow and contribute to poverty reduction. Tapping into and investing in the development of Madagascar's natural resources offers the country a path toward sustainable economic development. To do so will require careful management to ensure these resources are not degraded or destroyed in the process. The Country Environmental Analysis (CEA) report assesses three areas that are key to promoting Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development in Madagascar: sustainable landscape management, the Blue Economy, and nature-based tourism. Additionally, the CEA highlights the persistent and emerging environmental challenges confronting the country, from air pollution to waste management, and the need to manage these to ensure sustainable development
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