What happens when the soil that sustains agriculture also becomes the foundation for building cities?
When I arrived in Madagascar three years ago, I was struck by an unexpected sight—piles of red bricks scattered across rice fields near Antananarivo. Curiosity led us to farmers and brick-makers, where we observed, interviewed, and pieced together a complex story—one of adaptation, resilience, and trade-offs.
Here’s what we discovered:
- For many farmers, soil extraction for brick-making is a short-term adaptation strategy in the face of climate change and economic pressures.
- But beyond individual choices, the entire landscape is transforming. As soil extraction intensifies, the floodplains lose their natural ability to regulate floods.
- Where rice paddies once dominated, new forms of agriculture are emerging. Farmers are manually backfilling the remaining soil to create raised gardens, which are better adapted to floods, droughts, and increasing land scarcity.
We invite decision-makers and urban planners to design sustainable soil extraction policies – ones that protect vulnerable lowlands from excessive flooding while identifying areas where soil extraction could bring co-benefits.
Read the full paper here:
external page https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2025.2469853