Madagascar to Build First Water Desalination Plant

 Madagascar's Minister of Water Resources, Sanitation and Hygiene and a representative of Aureate Resources have signed an agreement to build a seawater desalination plant in the south of the country, where the population suffers from severe drought, L'Express de Madagascar reports, citing the administration of Madagascar's transitional president, Mikael Randrianirina.

"This is the first project of its kind in the country's history," the head of state said after the signing ceremony. The project will complement existing water supply facilities, including pumping stations on the Mandrare River.

The main goal of the desalination plant is to diversify water sources and address the prolonged drought threatening the lives of more than 2 million people in southern Madagascar.

According to Randrianirina's office, the plant will produce approximately 1,500 cubic meters of drinking water per day. The equipment is expected to arrive in the region by the end of August, with the first cubic meters of desalinated water planned for January 2027.

In April, Madagascar's new government announced plans to strengthen cooperation with Russia in seawater desalination due to the severe humanitarian situation in the south of the country.