You've made some important points. I haven't focused much on the government because, in my opinion, it is the role of climate change in this circumstance that should be highlighted more. However, I have implied political incompetence via the paragraph regarding poor forestry practices and by mentioning the poor rankings held by the country in various key indices.

As for the other 28 million people - the nation as a whole is quite poor, lacking in resources and lacking in the relevant education. The nation is trying, but there's only so much it can do. It would be the equivalent of asking as to what the remaining states in the US are doing about California's wildfires. If the richest most technically advanced country in history is struggling to control them then the challenges facing Madagascar are, to put it lightly, daunting.

And yes, the COVID-19 pandemic was a major accelerator of the issue. As a nation with a budding tourism industry, COVID-19 decimated a lot of primary (and alternative) income sources for entire families, reducing their ability to make the relevant agricultural investments.