Fast paced illegal logging in Madagascar is causing environmental damage and contributing to climate change.

The trafficking and exporting of rosewood and ebony trees is quickly diminishing the forests on this island country. The trees are being harvested primarily in the northern SAVA region in two protected national parks, Masoala and Marojejy. This strongly undermines the sanctity of these protected areas and is having an immediate impact on the local climate.

"During the last two years the rainy season has started as much as two or three months later than is normal," Derek Schuurman, author of a December 2009 report on Madagascar's wood trafficking published in the journal Madagascar Conservation and Development explained to MediaGlobal. "Stronger and more frequent cyclones are expected due to the raising of the sea temperatures. Cyclones first damage forest edges or clearings, and due to the illegal logging activity there are far more clearings now, so more damage can be expected from cyclonic weather."

As the forests are cleared, soil is exposed and the landscape is vulnerable to erosion. Forests are also an essential part of climate management globally. Trees and soil absorb CO2, and when they are cleared green house gasses are released into the atmosphere.

Droughts used to occur around once each decade, but now the rainy seasons are annually delayed and diminished. In the last twenty years average annual rainfall has dropped from 111 ml to 27.5, according to the United Nations Children's Fund. This results in crop failure and food shortages. With food insecurity comes widespread malnutrition, particularly for children. Eighty percent of children in Madagascar are malnourished (UNICEF).

Logging has been a long-term issue in Madagascar, but there has been a sharp increase recently due in part to impunity under unstable governments. The practice also received a boost due to a downturn in the vanilla market. Vanilla is the main export crop in Madagascar, but a bust in the cycle is bankrupting rural farmers and forcing them to seek whatever employment they can.

In the early 2000s vanilla was a precious commodity and the market boomed. Farmers responded by increasing their harvest. However with a three-year maturation period, vanilla products entered the market late, after it had already stabilized. The global market is now inundated with vanilla. Farmer's used to earn hundreds of dollars per kilo, but can now only sell them for US$5 each. Unable to sustain themselves, some farmers are joining the illegal wood market.

There was also an opening in the market for precious woods when Madagascar's government permitted the 13 established timber traders to export 25 containers each between 21 September and 30 November 2009. Hypothetically this was meant to include only wood that had fallen naturally. However this allowed for an activation of the market and encouraged more people to participate. After the end of this period it has proven difficult to terminate the exportation of wood.

Logging is not economically benefiting the community in significant terms. The main beneficiaries of the trade are the logging companies. Between 100 and 200 rare trees are estimated to be felled daily, with an estimated worth between US$88,000 and US$460,000. Local workers, however make around US$5 per day, according to Global Witness.

Although public opinion on logging would seem to undermine the practice, Schuuman said that educating the population about the practice and its impact on Madagascar would be a "long-term solution."

He instead pointed to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen as a potential structure capable of addressing the issue. "We expect and hope that discussions held at this conference could result in a ban on the trade of Malagasy rosewoods. We do not see any other solution to stop this diabolically chaotic situation."