Cyclone Chido Crashing into French Island Territory of Mayotte Shows Power of Globalisation

Hundreds of people are feared dead after Cyclone Chido devastated the French island territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, according to reports. The BBC says that Rescuers are searching for survivors and struggling to restore phone lines, power and water supplies, after the storm brought wind speeds of 140mph (225kmh). This is the equivalent to mid-range Category 4 storm (using the US Saffir-Simpson scale), stronger than both (hurricane) Milton and Helene, when they made landfall earlier this year.   

Several hundred people are already feared dead - Mayotte's prefect warns the final toll could reach "close to a thousand or even several thousand." 

It's the worst cyclone to hit the island in 90 years, with waves up to eight metres high, BBC Weather's Sarah Keith-Lucas writes. 

Mayotte is reportedly one of the poorest parts of France - with many of the 300,000 population living in shanty towns. The news highlights how increasingly severe cyclones are having an outsized impact on areas of the world that are ill equipped to cope with the consequences, which in the case of Mayotte extend beyond the climate exposure to the political consequences of globalisation caused by immigration. 

Climate and Political Connected Risk 

In the case of Mayotte, there is the added connected risk of its location as an ideal hub for immigration into Europe and the promise of a better life, which adds a dimension of political risk. As the BBC reports, about 48 to 50% of people on Mayotte were not born there.  

Most of them came to the island through boat crossings. They come from Comoros - the neighbouring archipelagos - and from Madagascar. They also come from places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. 

The BBC report cites the fact that many of them arrived on Mayotte because “they have been promised Europe, which is a false promise. I’ve spoken to a lot of people who didn’t even know where Mayotte was, or that the island existed. They were trafficked through promises of reaching Europe, and they ended up in Mayotte. A lot of these people are pregnant and hope to get French passports. It used to be the case that you would get birth right citizenship if you delivered a baby on the island.” 

According to the BBC, “once on the island, these people do have access to certain parts of the welfare system. Children can go to school, and they can get some sort of healthcare through the main hospital in Mamoudzou - which we’ve heard has been badly damaged by the cyclone.” 

As this story highlights, climate change events are no longer just about the weather but are intensely political episodes that have ripple effects far beyond the original threat location. As news coverage of the event moves into the mainstream media, we can expect to see the French state respond to the unfolding situation, backed by the EU and other organisations, as what was a local story goes global. 

With a general warming trend of the Indian Ocean, especially between in the strait between Madagascar and Mozambique, it is possible that the people of Mayotte won’t have to wait another 90 years for another ‘Chido’. Russell’s global surveillance of tropical windstorms will continue.