University of Toamasina (Madagascar) – the new partner of Laverov Center

On December 1, 2023 our Center’s relationship with another foreign organization was formalized.

Our new partner – University of Toamasina (Republic of Madagascar), this is the first partner of our center from the African continent.

The immediate reason for establishing connections in this direction was the interest in the field of research of freshwater invertebrates, primarily freshwater mollusks, their endosymbionts and parasites. Continental drift played a key role in the processes of settlement and evolution of large freshwater bivalves (naiads), so studying the diversity of naiads at the boundaries of lithospheric plates is the key to understanding their distribution across the planet from tropical to polar latitudes.

Madagascar, located between Africa and the Indian subcontinent, in the geological past was a single landmass together with these regions and was an important link in the exchange of faunas between Africa and Hindustan. Studying the evolutionary biogeography of the island's freshwater mollusks will clarify the timing of the divergence between Africa, Madagascar and India, which is important for calibrating geological data on the timing of this event.

The University of Toamasina is Madagascar's leading organization in the field of the island's freshwater ecosystems, with many years of experience working in the specific conditions of the island's rivers and lakes. In accordance with the Agreement, FECIAR employees will be provided with invaluable assistance in obtaining the necessary permits for conducting field work and accessing remote, hard-to-reach rivers.

The latest data on the fauna of naiads in these reservoirs was obtained more than a hundred years ago, and the field work of the Laverov Center staff will provide fresh material for molecular genetic research.

For their part, colleagues from the University of Tuamasina will be given ample opportunities to master advanced approaches in the study of freshwater mollusks and work on scientific equipment at FECIAR

Another prospective area of joint research and development may be determined by the common features of the geographical location of the land territories of the Russian Arctic and Madagascar relative to the polar regions. Both the Russian North and this island state have «sea facades» facing two «weather cuisines» of the world. The Arctic and Antarctic have a decisive influence on coastal processes, climatic and hydrological conditions, and therefore on the conditions of human life and agriculture, and the state of infrastructure.

Currently, Madagascar is a country that, due to the lengthening of the dry season and the increase in the intensity of tropical storms, is faced with the most rapid changes in the species composition of flora and fauna on the planet, the threat of depletion of water supplies and the world's first famine caused by climate change. The Laverov Center has personnel and intellectual potential in a number of sectors, including agriculture, which allows it to provide appropriate scientific and practical assistance to colleagues from Madagascar.

The new agreement fully meets the intention enshrined in the Declaration of the second Russia – Africa summit, held in St. Petersburg in July 2023, namely the course for the comprehensive development of cooperation in the fields of education and joint research projects, to intensify efforts to combat the impacts of climate change in Africa, which is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the impacts of climate change, building the capacity of African states and enhancing their ability to improve resilience and adaptation to climate change.

The Center team sincerely welcomes colleagues from the University of Toamasina as part of its partners, thanks them for their interest in the activities held by FECIAR and looks forward to successful cooperation.