Formal Heritage-Making and Imaginary Heritage: Traditional Irrigation Systems of the Vakinankaratra Mountains, Between Identity and the Challenges of Climate Change

Traditional irrigation systems in the mountains of Vakinankaratra, at the heart of the Malagasy Highlands, play a central role in terraced rice cultivation. These ancestral practices go beyond their agricultural function, embodying cultural, spiritual, and community values such as fihavanana (solidarity) and rituals linked to ancestors. However, these systems are now facing multiple challenges: agricultural modernization, climate change, deforestation, and demographic pressure, which threaten their sustainability.

This research explores the circular relationship between culture and environment: a preserved natural environment supports cultural practices, while these practices, in turn, reinforce the sustainable management of resources. It aims to analyze the interactions between these irrigation systems and their environmental, cultural, and political dimensions in order to propose appropriate preservation strategies.

Through an interdisciplinary approach combining geography and anthropology, this project examines water governance, the social imaginary, and the impacts of socio-environmental transformations. The results will contribute to the conservation of the cultural and ecological heritage of Vakinankaratra, while integrating local values and needs into sustainable development policies.