From August 17 to 30, the Director and Deputy Director of the Laboratoire de Radio-Isotopes (LRI) at the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar—Mr. RAZAFIMBELO Tantely Maminiaina (Director) and Mr. RAZAKAMANARIVO Herintsitohaina (Deputy Director)—visited Japan and the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) as part of the SATREPS VaryAla Project.

The purpose of the visit was to enhance technical capacity in water quality and soil property analysis, to acquire measurement techniques for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, to conduct field observations in forest hydrology, and to deepen understanding of Task 4 of the project. During their stay, the visitors engaged in discussions with researchers at JIRCAS, observed methane measurement experiments at the National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAS), and participated in hydrological field surveys at the Kyoto University Forest Research Station. They also toured state-of-the-art laboratory facilities.

In addition, the delegation attended the IRRI Director General’s Meeting and TICAD-related events, where they exchanged information on the latest technologies and international initiatives in the fields of agriculture and the environment.

This visit significantly contributed to strengthening collaboration among JIRCAS, the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, and Kyoto University, and expanded opportunities for future cooperation in diverse research areas, including hydrology, GHG studies, and mangrove ecosystems.