Staking out the future MAURITIUS - United Nations ETTING OVER THE STAKES 236 I NDEX OF K EY D...

Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit

MAURITIUSStaking out the future

2005

Ministry of EnvironmentKen Lee TowerCorner of Line Barracks & St Georges StreetsPort LouisRepublic of MauritiusTelephone: (230) 212 8327Fax: +(230) 212 9407Email: [email protected]: http://environment.gov.mu

© Copyright 2005 by Government of Mauritius

3

M A U R I T I U S - S T A K I N G O U T T H E F U T U R E

CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES 6

LIST OF TABLES 6

LIST OF BOXES 7

FOREWORD 12

PREFACE 1144

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS 16

MAURITIUS AT A GLANCE 21

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 26

INTRODUCTION 37

CHAPTER 1CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA-LEVE RISE 43

CHAPTER 2NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS 53

CHAPTER 3LAND RESOURCES 63

CHAPTER 4BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES 75

CHAPTER 5COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES 87

CHAPTER 6TOURISM RESOURCES 107

CHAPTER 7FRESHWATER MANAGEMENT 117

4

CHAPTER 8ENERGY RESOURCES 131

CHAPTER 9MANAGEMENT OF WASTES 143

CHAPTER 10 HEALTH 159

CHAPTER 11TRADE AND INVESTMENT 171

CHAPTER 12.TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS 183

CHAPTER 13INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION 195

CHAPTER14EDUCATION 203

CHAPTER 15TRAINING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 211

CHAPTER 16REFORM OF THE STATE 219

CHAPTER 17RODRIGUES AND THE OUTER ISLANDS 229

CHAPTER 18GETTING OVER THE STAKES 236

INDEX OF KEY DOCUMENTS 245

Partnership for

Sustainable Development

6

Figure 1.1 Mauritius and comparative CO2 emissionFigure 1.2 Total emissions of greenhouse gases, 1995-2003Figure 1.3 Sectoral carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel, 1995-2003Figure 3.1 Land use in MauritiusFigure 5.1 Tourist arrivals and receipt 1994-2003Figure 6.1 Tourist arrivals and receipts 1990, Mauritius and other African SIDSFigure 7.1 Water Balance, 1998-2003Figure 7.2 Water stressFigure 8.1 Trend of local energy sources and imported Petroleum products (1994-2003)Figure 8.2 Relative use of energy by various sectors of the economy (1994-2003) and

Energy consumption in various sectors of the economy in 2003Figure 8.3 Number of registered vehicles (1991-2003)Figure 8.4 Number of vehicles and CO2 emissions (1990-1998)Figure 9.1 Waste conveyed to Mare Chicose Sanitary Landfill (1999-2003)Figure 9.2 Forecast for the generation of municipal solid wasteFigure 10.1 Safe water and child healthFigure 10.2 Mauritius: Infant mortalityFigure 10.3 Mauritius: No. of Maternal deathFigure 10.4 Number of HIV cases and death reported, 1987-2003Figure 11.1 Mauritius EPZ businesses, 1993-2003Figure 11.2 Growth rate (%) for employment in the EPZ sector, 1993-2003Figure 12.1 Mauritius: Growth in Registered vehicles 1993-2003Figure 12.2 Mauritius:The vehicle Fleet 2003Figure 12.3 Mauritius: Road Accident 1993-2003Figure 13.1 Mauritius: in the regional and global contextFigure 14.1 Mauritius: Education-Literacy and EnrolmentFigure 18.1 SIDS and the GDP per capita at Purchasing Power Parity

Table 4.1 The medicinal value of plant resources in MauritiusTable 5.1 Information on the coastal zone of MauritiusTable 7.1 Water UtilizationTable 7.2 Distribution of drinking waterTable 7.3 Harness water resources in a sustainable mannerTable 18.1 Enhancing resilienceTable 18.2 Greening Mauritius

List of Figures

List of Tables

7


Box 1.1 Policy and planning under the UNFCCCBox 1.2 Detailed action under the UNFCCCBox 1.3 A worse case scenario; a sea-level rise of 1 meter in Flic-en-FlacBox 1.4 Changes in energy consumption to reduce GHGsBox 2.1 Public early warnings of cyclonesBox 2.2 Potential sources of oil spills in MauritiusBox 3.1 Land development permitsBox 4.1 Flora conservationBox 4.2 Management of biodiversity initiativesBox 4.3 BiotechnologyBox 4.4 Legal framework for biodiversityBox 4.5 Intervention and Regional Conventions and agreementBox 5.1 Integrated Coastal Management, an evidence based approach,The Principal

elements of coastal zone management in MauritiusBox 5.2 Action on water quality in coastal watersBox 5.3 Objectives of the Mauritius Oceanographic InstituteBox 5.4 Projects initiated by Mauritius Oceanographic InstituteBox 5.5 Action to improve management of marine resources, progress madeBox 5.6 Action to conserve the isletsBox 5.7 Action to create a Conservation Zone at VirginiaBox 5.8 Functions of the ICZM DivisionBox 5.9 Objectives of ICZM CommitteeBox 6.1 Resilience in tourism facts under pressure from global threats (2003/4)Box 6.2 Tourism vision for 2020Box 6.3 Tourism development PlanBox 6.4 Sustainable development for a tourist resortBox 6.5 Trou D’eau Douce Community Action Plan, enhancing natural resources for

tourismBox 6.6 Tourism Environment CharterBox 6.7 Chamarel Integrated Development ProjectBox 7.1 Water resourcesBox 7.2 Progress in water managementBox 7.3 Sources of contamination of water resourcesBox 8.1 Progress with renewable energy resourcesBox 8.2 Bagasse Energy Development PlanBox 9.1 Studies on waste management carried out from 1989-2003Box 9.2 National Solid Waste Management Strategy

List of Boxes

8

Box 9.3 Institutional and legal frameworkBox 9.4 Waste management systemBox 9.5 Waste recycling and treatmentBox 9.6 Hazardous waste managementBox 9.7 National sanitary landfill, Mare ChicoseBox 10.1 Clinical services deliveryBox 10.2 Health sector targetsBox 10.3 Partnership to contain HIV/AIDSBox 10.4 LegislationBox 10.5 High Technology ServicesBox 11.1 Challenges in the textile and clothing sectorBox 12.1 The Integrated Transport Sector StrategyBox 12.2 Light Rail TransitBox 13.1 ICT Law and Institutional ReformBox 14.1 Key facilities in progress of education Box 14.2 Reform of the scope and content of educationBox 14.3 Further developments for education Box 15.1 Training and skills development responding to the marketBox 16.1 Cutting the size of the stateBox 16.2 Reform within the statBox 17.1 Rodrigues and the outer islandsBox 18.1 Achieving greater transparency in public life, the realityBox 18.2 MDG Goals and Targets already achieved in MauritiusBox 18.3 Targets achievable by 2015 in Mauritius Box 18.4 Mauritius moving towards targetBox 18.5 Mauritius moving away from target

9


Map 1 : Map of Mauritius

10

Map 2 : Indian Ocean Area

11


Tv~ÇÉãÄxwzxÅxÇàá

The Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit (NDU) would like to express its appreciation to all Ministries and Organisations which have

contributed to the preparation of this report

13


to enable Mauritius to meet the challenges

ahead. The situation in Rodrigues and the

Outer Islands have also been addressed in

this report.

The document highlights in particular the

sustained efforts made by Mauritius to build

resilience to adapt to unfavourable national,

regional and international conjectures as well

as to the effects of climatic changes including

cyclones, seasonal droughts and coastal

erosion. These challenges have called for

innovative approaches and this report gives

us an indication of the strategies and actions

taken to enhance our resilience in the face of

these natural calamities.

Overall, it is to be noted that 2004 has not

been favourable to Small Islands Developing

States, many of whom have been struck by

cyclones of extreme violence. The Small

Island Developing States of the African,

Pacific and Caribbean group have also been

traumatized by the proposed 37% reduction

in the price of sugar under the ACP/EU Sugar

Protocol. There is no doubt that this

proposed reduction will adversely affect

their economies and result in job losses and

increased pauperisation.

The International Meeting on Sustainable

Development of Small Island Developing

States to be held in Mauritius provides a

timely opportunity for the international

community to rededicate themselves to the

cause of the sustainable development of

these States and to establish a new agenda

with full support for the effective

implementation of its outcome.

Hon. Paul Raymond Bérenger,

Prime Minister

of the Republic of Mauritius

12

The Government of Mauritius is pleased

to publish this report on the occasion

of the International Meeting on the

comprehensive review of the BARBADOS

PROGRAMME OF ACTION for the

sustainable development of Small Island

Developing States (SIDS) to be held in

Mauritius in January 2005.

This report maps out the road travelled by

Mauritius in the quest for sustainable

development and highlights the efforts made,

the resources deployed and the constraints

met. It gives an excellent overview of the

various initiatives taken and being

implemented, including by the private sector,

within the ambit of a holistic approach to

meet the goals of Sustainable Development.

The report addresses all the major issues

contained in the Barbados Programme of

Action as well as new and emerging issues

which are very pertinent to Mauritius. On

account of the changing international

economic order and the rapid permutations

affecting global trade and commerce, major

reforms in a number of critical sectors

including education and training, agriculture

and the financial sector are being undertaken

YÉÜxãÉÜw

The Honourable Paul Raymond Bérenger, GCSK,Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius

14

The International Meeting on the

comprehensive review of the

BARBADOS PROGRAMME OF ACTION

for the sustainable development of Small

Island Developing States to be held in

Mauritius from 10 to 14 January 2005 is

being organised following a resolution of the

UN General Assembly as a result of a call

from the Johannesburg World Summit on

Sustainable Development in 2002. It will

undertake a full and comprehensive review

of the implementation of the Barbados

Programme of Action (BPoA) for the

Sustainable Development of SIDS adopted at

the Global Conference on the Sustainable

Development of SIDS in 1994.

As an essential preparatory exercise for the

International Meeting, Mauritius, like all SIDS,

has itself undertaken a review of its

implementation of the BPoA and has

produced this Assessment Report. It

highlights the successes and failures, the

achievements and lessons learnt, the

constraints and contributory factors, the

challenges and opportunities, and the vision

of the future. Our policies, programmes and

projects are guided by national strategies in

practically all major areas and link in a

cÜxytvx

The Honourable Rajesh Anand Bhagwan, Minister ofEnvironment & National Development Unit

15


holistic manner economic, social and

environmental considerations. The main

theme running through the Report is

Resilience.

There is no doubt that some remarkable

progress has been achieved by SIDS during

the last decade in many spheres, but at the

same time, it must be conceded that there

has also been a worsening of the situation in

many others. The regional and inter-regional

preparatory meetings of SIDS have identified

those achievements as well as the constraints

and the failures. There are also the new and

emerging issues which have a significant

influence on the sustainable development of

SIDS and which cannot therefore be ignored

in the further implementation of the BPoA.

Having undertaken the assessment review

process, we are now in a position to submit

concrete, practical and pragmatic proposals

for consideration by the International

Meeting. This will naturally involve the active

participation of the whole international

community and institutions. Indeed, without

international cooperation, SIDS will not be

able to successfully implement the BPoA, as

already pointed out in the BPoA itself and

confirmed in the Johannesburg Plan of

Implementation.

As so aptly pointed out by the United

Nations Secretary General, “Brighter

horizons for Small Islands can mean brighter

horizons for the World”. The International

Meeting will therefore be a unique forum to

renew, at the highest political level, the

commitments to honour promises already

made at Rio, Barbados and Johannesburg. It

will thus be, not just another international

meeting but a meeting of hope for all SIDS

and for the whole World.

Hon. Rajesh Anand Bhagwan,

Minister of Environment & National

Development Unit

16

ACP African Caribbean PacificACT African Computing and Telecommunications SummitADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber LineAEWA African Eurasian Waterbird AgreementAGOA Africa Growth and Opportunity ActAHRIM Association des Hôteliers et Restaurateurs de L’Ile MauriceAIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeARDA Association Reunionaise de Développement de L’AquacultureBADEA Banque Arab de Dévelopment Économic en Afrique:ABEDA - Arab Bank

for Economic Development in AfricaBEDP Bagasse Energy Development ProgrammeBOI Board of InvestmentBOO Build-Own-OperateBPML Business Parks of Mauritius LimitedBPO Business Process OutsourcingBPoA Barbados Programme of ActionB-T Build-transferCAPAM Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and ManagementCAS Computerized Attendance SystemCBD Convention on Biological DiversityCEB Central Electricity BoardCFC ChlorofluorocarbonsCFL Compact Fluorescent LampCIB Central Informatics BureauCISD Central Information Systems DivisionCITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered SpeciesCMA Conservation Management AreasCNS/ATM Communication and Surveillance / Air Traffic ManagementCOMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern AfricaCRHCS Commonwealth Regional Health Community SecretariatCSO Central Statistical OfficeCWA Central Water AuthorityDAI Digital Access IndexDBM Development Bank of MauritiusDEOL Distance Education and Open LearningDoE Department of EnvironmentEDI Electronic Data Interchange

List of abbreviations and acronyms

17


EEZ Exclusive Economic ZoneEIA Environmental Impact AssessmentEIP Environmental Investment ProgrammeEPA Environment Protection ActEPZ Export Processing ZoneEU European UnionFDI Foreign Direct InvestmentGDP Gross Domestic ProductGEF Global Environment FacilityGHG Greenhouse GasGII Global Information InfrastructureGINS Government Intranet SystemsGMO Genetically Modified OrganismsGNP Gross National ProductGOC Government Online CentreGRR Gross Reproduction RateGWh Gigawatt hourha HectareHDI Human Development IndexHDPE High Density Poly EthyleneHIV Human Immunodeficiency VirusHSC Higher School CertificateHWM High Water MarkICAC Independent Commission Against CorruptionICAO International Civil Aviation OrganisationICBP International Council for Bird ConservationICT Information and Communication TechnologyICTA Information and Communications Technologies AuthorityICZM Integrated Coastal Zone ManagementIM International MeetingINTSS Integrated National Transport Sector StrategyIOC Indian Ocean CommissionIOC Intergovernmental Oceanographic CommissionIO-GOOS Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observation SystemIOR-ARC Indian Ocean Rim – Association for Regional CooperationIPPs Independent Power ProducersISO International Standard Organisation

IT Information TechnologyITES Information Technology Enabled ServicesITU International Telecommunications UnionIUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural ResourcesIVTB Industrial and Vocational Training BoardKWh Kilowatt hourLDCs Least Developed CountriesLPG Liquefied Petroleum GasLRT Light Rail TransitMA Masters in AdministrationMCA Mauritius College of the AirMCML Multi Carrier Mauritius LimitedMCSA & RA Ministry of Civil Service Affairs and Administrative ReformsMDGs Millennium Development GoalsMEF Mauritius Employers’ FederationMFA Multi-Fibre ArrangementMIE Mauritius Institute of EducationMITIA Mauritius IT Industry AssociationMITT Ministry of Information Technology and TelecommunicationsMOBAA Mauritius Offshore Business Activities AuthorityMOHQL Ministry of Health and Quality of LifeMOI Mauritius Oceanography InstituteMPA Mauritius Ports AuthorityMPA Marine Protected AreaMPL Mauritius Posts LimitedMQA Mauritius Qualifications AuthorityMQI Mauritian Quality InstituteMRC Mauritius Research CouncilMSB Mauritius Standards BureauMSIRI Mauritius Sugar Industry Research InstituteMSTQ Metrology, standards, testing and qualityMT Mauritius TelecomMTSDP Ministry of Training, Skills Development and ProductivityMUR Mauritian RupeeMWF Mauritius Wildlife FoundationMWh Megawatt hourNBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy and Action PlanNCB National Computer BoardNCC National Climate CommitteeNCD Non Communicable Diseases18

NCG National Coast GuardNDU National Development UnitNEAP National Environmental Action PlanNEF National Environment FundNEPAD New Partnership for Africa’s DevelopmentNGO Non-Governmental OrganisationNITSP National IT Strategic PlanNOSCP National Oil Spill Contingency PlanNPCC National Productivity and Competitiveness CouncilNPCS National Parks and Conservation ServicesNPDP National Physical Development PlanNQF National Qualifications FrameworkNSMP National Sewerage Master PlanNSWMP National Solid Waste Management PlanNTA National Transport AuthorityNTP National Telecommunications PolicyOECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentOLIM Open Learning Institute of MauritiusOTEC Ocean Thermal Energy ConversionPC Personal ComputerPC Productivity CommitteePER Preliminary Environmental ReportPET Polyethylene TerephthalatePGR Plant Genetic ResourcesPKI Public Key InfrastructurePMO Prime Minister’s OfficePV Photo VoltaicR & D Research & DevelopmentRSA Revenue Sharing ArrangementsSADC Southern African Development CommunitySAFE South Africa Far EastSAMU Service Aide Medicale UrgenceSARS Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeSC School CertificateSCP Sustainable Production and Consumption PatternsSIDS Small Island Developing StatesSIL State Informatics LimitedSIT State Investment TrustSITP School Information and Communications Technology ProjectSME Small and Medium Enterprise 19


SMIDO Small and Medium Industries Development OrganisationSSR Sir Seewoosagur RamgoolamSTAM Societé de Traitement et d’Assainissement des Mascareignes Ltée.STC State Trading CorporationTAC Technical Advisory CommitteeTB TuberculosisTDP Technology Development ProjectTE Teacher EducationUN United NationsUNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and DevelopmentUNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaUNCTAD United Nations Commission for Trade and DevelopmentUNDP United National Development ProgrammeUNEP United Nations Environment ProgrammeUNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganisationUNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeUNFPA United Nations Fund for Population ActivitiesUNICEF United Nations Children’s FundUoM University of MauritiusUS United StatesUT Universal TimeUTM University of Technology, MauritiusVMS Vessel Monitoring SystemVRS Voluntary Retirement SchemeWHO World Health OrganisationWMA Wastewater Management AuthorityWRU Water Resources UnitWTO World Trade Organisation

20 21


`tâÜ|à|âá tà t zÄtÇvxPOVERTY and SOCIAL Mauritius Sub-

SaharanAfrica

Upper-middleincome

2003

Population, mid-year (millions) 1.2 703 335GNI per capita (Atlas method, US$) 4,090 490 5,340GNI (Atlas method, US$ billions) 5.0 347 1,788

Average annual growth, 1997-03

Population (%) 1.1 2.3 1.2Labor force (%) 1.4 2.4 1.8

Most recent estimate (latest year available, 1997-03)

Poverty (% of population below national poverty line) -- -- --Urban population (% of total population) 43 36 76Life expectancy at birth (years) 73 46 73Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births) 17 103 19Child malnutrition (% of children under 5) -- -- --Access to an improved water source (% of population) 100 58 89Illiteracy (% of population age 15+) 16 35 9Gross primary enrollment (% of school-age population) 106 87 104

Male 106 94 104Female 106 80 104

22

KEY ECONOMIC RATIOS and LONG-TERM TRENDS

1983 1993 2002 2003

GDP (US$ billions) 1.1 3.3 4.5 5.2

Gross domestic investment/GDP 17.6 30.0 21.4 22.9

Exports of goods and services/GDP 46.5 58.7 60.7 59.7

Gross domestic savings/GDP 16.1 25.2 25.2 25.3

Gross national savings/GDP 14.9 28.5 26.5 26.8

Current account balance/GDP -5.0 -1.3 5.2 2.7

Interest payments/GDP 2.8 1.4 0.8 0.7

Total debt/GDP 51.6 31.1 38.9 35.4

Total debt service/exports 21.3 7.4 7.0 6.5

1983-93 1993-03 2002 2003 2003-07

(average annual growth)

GDP 6.6 5.1 4.4 3.2 4.6

GDP per capita 5.7 4.0 3.3 2.2 3.6

Exports of goods and services 10.6 5.2 9.5 -6.4 3.1

23


STRUCTURE of the ECONOMY 1983 1993 2002 2003

(% of GDP)

Agriculture 15.5 11.2 7.0 6.1

Industry 24.9 33.0 31.1 30.6

Manufacturing 16.3 23.5 22.9 22.0

Services 59.6 55.8 61.9 63.3

Private consumption 69.5 62.1 62.0 61.7

General government consumption 14.4 12.7 12.8 13.0

Imports of goods and services 48.0 63.5 56.9 57.3

1983-93 1993-03 2002 2003

(average annual growth)

Agriculture 1.0 0.4 6.6 -12.2

Industry 9.9 5.2 2.9 1.1

Manufacturing 10.0 4.9 2.3 -1.1

Services 6.1 6.1 5.6 6.2

Private consumption 6.8 5.6 3.1 3.2

General government consumption 4.4 4.8 4.5 5.4

Gross domestic investment 13.5 3.2 -3.3 12.5

Imports of goods and services 13.3 4.8 5.2 -3.0

Note: Data are for fiscal year.* The diamonds show four key indicators in the country (in bold) compared with its income-group average. If data aremissing, the diamond will be incomplete.

24

PRICES and GOVERNMENT FINANCE 1983 1993 2002 2003

Domestic prices(% change)Consumer prices 7.5 8.9 6.3 5.1Implicit GDP deflator 8.5 8.0 5.0 5.6

Government finance(% of GDP, includes current grants)Current revenue 22.9 21.2 18.5 20.3Current budget balance -3.2 2.8 -1.9 -0.8Overall surplus/deficit -9.4 -1.9 -6.1 -6.2

TRADE 1983 1993 2002 2003

(US$ millions)Total exports (fob) 345 1,343 1,569 1,871

Sugar 212 363 283 267Manufactures 107 861 1,101 1,240

Total imports (cif) 453 1,670 1,923 2,162Food 127 219 316 345Fuel and energy 82 126 184 195Capital goods 45 378 456 512

Export price index (1995=100) .. 93 84 88Import price index (1995=100) .. 95 89 93Terms of trade (1995=100) .. 98 94 95

BALANCE of PAYMENTS 1983 1993 2002 2003

(US$ millions)Exports of goods and services 474 1,914 2,749 3,065Imports of goods and services 516 2,068 2,577 3,005Resource balance -42 -153 172 60

Net income -45 12 5 -2Net current transfers 31 96 61 81

Current account balance -56 -44 238 139

Financing items (net) 49 -11 5 180Changes in net reserves 7 56 -243 -319

Memo:Reserves including gold (US$ millions) 39 823 1,018 1,398Conversion rate (DEC, local/US$) 11.2 16.3 30.1 28.6

25


EXTERNAL DEBT and 1983 1993 2002 2003RESOURCE FLOWS

(US$ millions)Total debt outstanding and disbursed 572 1,029 1,766 1,847

IBRD 61 150 83 90IDA 20 18 13 12

Total debt service 108 156 211 215IBRD 9 33 20 19IDA 0 1 1 1

Composition of net resource flowsOfficial grants 0 -1 -1 -2Official creditors 23 -6 5 16Private creditors -14 17 -49 -27Foreign direct investment 1 -36 48 57Portfolio equity 0 0 -19 -21

World Bank programCommitments 39 18 40 0Disbursements 7 12 45 0Principal repayments 4 22 17 18Net flows 3 -9 28 -18Interest payments 5 12 4 2Net transfers -2 -21 24 -20

Executive summary

The Challenges for SIDS

Background

In 1994, the Global Conference on thesustainable development of Small islandDeveloping States (SIDS) adopted the

Program of Action for the sustainabledevelopment of small island states. TheDeclaration of Barbados affirms that SIDSare particularly vulnerable to natural andenvironmental disasters and have limitedcapacity to respond to and recover fromsuch disasters.

Many Small Island Developing States (SIDS),consist of not one but a number of smallislands. This fragmentation increases theirvulnerability which principally arises fromtheir isolation, their small size, smallpopulation, ecological fragility, topography,narrow resource base, limited local capitalfor productive investment, and excessivedependence on imports. As island societiesdevelop, raising living standards for growingnumbers of people, so they are prone todeplete the fragile natural resources whichare among their most valuable assets.

Policy Development

During the past ten years, there has been anincreasing awareness of these problemscommon to island nations They were

accepted formally in UNCED in 1992, theBarbados Programme of Action (BPoA) in1994, and at the WSSD in 2002. One of therecommendations of the Johannesburg Planof Implementation was that “a full andcomprehensive review of the implementationof the BPoA for the Sustainable developmentof Small Island Developing States takes placein 2004, in accordance with the provisionsset forth in General Assembly resolution S-22/2”.

Mauritius is hosting the International Meeting(IM) in January 2005 to seek a renewedpolitical commitment by all countries for thefurther implementation of the Programme ofAction, thereby endorsing its validity. Thereview of the BPoA has provided SIDS withan opportunity to set out the challenges thatthey face, the progress made and the wayahead. This report provides a frank accountof the Mauritius experience as a means ofpromoting discussion and exchange of ideas.

Building Resilience

Mauritius has developed rapidly atconsiderable cost to the quality of its naturalresources. It has found ways to adjust tomany external economic and environmentalshocks. But the imminent major changes inglobal markets for sugar and textiles and the

26

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

projected impacts of climate change on itscoastal and marine resources, present majorrisks to its continued prosperity. Confrontedwith these threats, Mauritius has beensteadily establishing its defences and buildingresilience. The review shows that Mauritiushas made more progress with designingpolicies and plans but has more to do onimplementation. The process requires newlevels of commitment throughout thesociety. It is also technically complex.Time isrequired for laws to be devised, scientificassessment to be made and detailed pilotstudies, across a wide range of problems tobear fruit before investment in nationalprogrammes can be justified.

The Republic of Mauritius consists of a mainisland, Mauritius, and a group of smallerislands and islets that make up to a total landarea of 2040 km2. The Exclusive EconomicZone(EEZ) is a marine area of approximately1.9 million km2 which is nearly a thousandtimes the size of the land area itself. Themarine area has been largely unexploitedexcept for the lagoon which has sufferedseverely from unsustainable fishing and landbased pollution. One of the major concernsof land use planning in the country is to buildon rather than to deplete the richness of thenatural resources, resolving conflicts andreconciling present pressures with futureneeds.

Mauritius has diversified from a mono cropeconomy dependent on sugar cane bydeveloping a textile industry, tourism,

financial services and more recently aburgeoning ICT capacity. From 1970, theeconomy has grown by an average of morethan 5% a year. Recent progress withachievement of the MDGs has been steady.But concern remains for the increasing trendin HIV/AIDS and the lack of progress in keyareas of environmental improvement such asforest cover and reduction of CO2

emissions.

National Strategy

Over the past two decades, the economicstructure of Mauritius has been transformedfrom one based almost exclusively on sugarproduction for export to a broadly basedindustrial and serviced oriented economy.Industry, in particular, clothing and textilemanufacture, no longer forms the cornerstone of the economy, while rapid growth oftourism and financial services sectors duringthe past decades have helped to consolidatethe country’s economy.

Furthermore, Government is now giving highpriority to the development of theInformation and Communication Technology(ICT) sector, to transform the country into acyber island. Indeed, the country hassuccessfully sustained its economic growthwith gross national product per capitaestimated at US Dollar 3, 900 in 2003.

27


Security

As a remote island with a large EEZ,Mauritius is at risk from external threatssuch as money laundering, transnationalorganized crimes and illegal trade in wildlife.It could be an easy target for terrorists or asafe haven for terrorist funds. Government isaware of this threat and is well prepared toconfront with any emergency situation.

Institutional Reform

Progress with the BPoA depends greatly onestablishing new statutory duties and powerswithin a new institutional framework ofpublic participation and ultimately theenforcement of law. But promoting social andeconomic change and even passing vitallegislation requires commitment and time. InMauritius, the Environment Protection Act,2002 has enhanced the coordinating role ofthe MoE and established the NationalNetwork for Sustainable Development, ahigh powered consultative body of the publicand private sectors and civil society. Thispromotes the involvement of the whole ofthe country in the pursuit of sustainabledevelopment.

Relationship with development partners

As Mauritius has progressed, it has over theyears experience a significant decline inOverseas Development Assistance (ODA)from all sources. However a number ofbilateral and multilateral development

partners are involved in the environmentsector (France, Germany, and UK, EuropeanInvestment Bank.) China and India fundprojects in the transport, agriculture andhealth sectors and the Cyber City. TheUNDP has a program aimed at povertyalleviation.

Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise

Geographical and topographicalcharacteristics of small island states limittheir capacity to mitigate and adapt to futureclimate change and sea level rise. Suchpressures in Mauritius already affect beachtourism, strategic infrastructure includinghotels and restaurants, roads, power lines,water systems, sanitation and bridges,especially during cyclones and sea surges.

The National Climate Action Plan defines thesystem to monitor the progress of globalwarming and to prepare for measures foradaptation in line with the UNFCCC and theKyoto Protocol. The MauritiusMeteorological Service has highlighted theneed for further investigation, research andanalysis as well as technical training andtransfer of environmentally friendlytechnologies from developed countries toimplement the UNFCCC. Training is beingdeveloped in specific fields such as photovoltaictechnology and predictive computer modellingas well as in beach and lagoon protection. Newguidelines have been prepared and enforcementhas begun on coastal planning and coastalprecautions against flooding.28


More remains to be done for betteradaptation to climate change and sea levelrise, including comprehensive beachprotection, withdrawal of facilities fromexposed locations and the implementation ofintegrated coastline management schemes.Further adaptation will be necessary forprotection of agriculture, including moregreen areas to absorb carbon dioxide.Fisheries are to be adapted to support thedevelopment of Mauritius as a regional seafood hub making the country more resilientto local losses of habitat and making betteruse of the large EEZ. SIDS partnerships inthese activities are already an important partin sustaining social and technical progress.

Natural and Environmental Disasters

Mauritius is situated in the western IndianOcean tropical cyclone belt and is thereforeunder the threat of tropical depressionswhich can build up into violent stormsaccompanied by heavy winds and rain withflooding of low lying areas. These causephysical damage to buildings, crops andlivestock, especially in the more exposedparts of the country. Mauritius is wellprotected by an increasingly effective earlywarning and protective response system andby the robustness of the modern buildingsconstructed in stone blocks and concrete.But, global climate change can generate morefrequent extreme weather conditions inMauritius and bring about greater damagefrom more turbulent cyclones. Continued

monitoring of global warming and preparingmeasures to adapt to its consequences is apriority.

Mauritius is on a main sea route and its onlyharbour in Port Louis assumed growinginternational importance in terms of trade.The airport now has services to 26 countriesin four continents Precautionary measuresand response to the risks of oil spills, fires,explosions, wrecks, air plane crashes andother security aspects, are the subject todetailed planning and emergency exercises.The increasing number of high rise buildingspresent new challenges for safety and fire-fighting. A National Disaster Committeecoordinates preparedness and response inthe event of any natural or environmentaldisaster.

Land Resources

Land degradation, increasing urbanisation andcompetition for land, are the principalconcerns that are being addressed. Majorprogress has been made in wider ownershipof land and in the provision of housing for allpeople. Over 85% of families live in homeswhich they own and which arepredominantly robust and proof againstcyclones. All homes are serviced by mainswater and electricity.

The Land and Development Act 2004provides an updated framework for land useplanning and decision making at national andlocal level.The extension of national parks 29


has been a feature of development.The builtup areas in towns and along roadsides arebeing landscaped with trees and shrubs thatprovide shade and a greener environmenttowards a future garden island. A newawareness is emerging for the value ofarchitectural style, removing eyesores andpromoting a built environment that is inharmony with the natural environment of thecountry. But much more needs to be done interms of good planning and urbanisation.

Biodiversity Resources

Mauritius is high on the world’s list ofcountries for plant and bird speciesthreatened with extinction. In fact some 900species of indigenous plants occur inMauiritius. Out of which 300 are endemicand a further 100 or more are shared withother islands of the Mascarenes, Réunion andRodrigues.A high proportion of native plantsare threatened or endangered mainly due tointroduced exotic plants which are outcompeting them in their natural habitat. Overthe last decade there has been growingawareness for the conservation of theindigenous flora of Mauritius andtremendous progress has been achieved inthis field.

Coastal and Marine Resources

Mauritius has a rich but vulnerable coastaland marine biodiversity including coral reefs,mangroves and wetlands. The establishmentof the 200-mile exclusive economic marine

zone has vastly extended the fisheries andother marine resources available. Its effectivemanagement is, however, a large and complextask demanding new forms of collaborationbetween the public and the private sectors aswell as regional cooperaton. It includesbuilding up industrial fishing skills andequipment, controlling fish stocks andexercising surveillance against illegal local andforeign fishing companies. But experience inthis is growing.

Major initiatives to protect the coastal zonehave been undertaken as part of integratedcoastal zone management (ICZM), includingthe banning of sand mining, the developmentof methods for beach nourishment, a nationalsewerage programme and daily beachcleaning.

Further action is needed to increase trainingof professional and technical specialists andfield workers and to improve qualitystandards and surveillance. Closer attentionis being given to the many small uninhabitedislets, popular with fishermen and tourists,whose quality has been depleted throughuncontrolled waste and alien trees andshrubs and animals such as rats.

Tourism

Mauritius is a well established high classtourist resort. Tourism is the third pillar ofthe Mauritian economy and accounted forabout 6% of the GDP in 2002. It is also animportant source of employment and a30


major earner of foreign exchange. Themajority of tourists come from Europe(about 66% of arrivals in 2002) andparticularly France, followed by RéunionIsland and South Asia.

The Government’s policy has been toemphasise low-impact, high spending tourismso as to maintain the island’s up-marketprofile.

Tourism depends on quality in the naturalenvironment. It makes heavy demands onenergy, water and coastal facilities. Nationalguidelines are being developed to regulateleisure craft, water sports, water use andsanitation. Fortunately, the sector hasresponded positively to the demandcomplying with its environmental charter ofguidance for visitors. Future plans includepromoting more eco-tourism and activitieswith a low impact on the environment.Training for the hotel and restaurant tradeshas been long established in Mauritius.

Freshwater Management

Despite shortage of water for the growingpopulation, safe water and sanitation for allhas been a principal feature of developmentin Mauritius. Future plans include improvingintegrated management to ensure bettersupply and more effective use of water,especially in agriculture and in industry, theheaviest users. Steps have been made inrecent years to increase supply, reduce watercuts, improved water quality, metre based

charges and reducing pollution of watersources.

Energy Resources

Mauritius has stable electricity supplythrough a national grid system but with noscope for inter-country back-up. Keepingpace with an expanding demand from allsectors is a major challenge. Renewableenergy sources contribute 23% of totalproduction. Review is to be made of thepotential for harnessing sea wave energyOcean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).More use could be made of solar energy byincorporating such requirements in planningguidelines and EIA assessments. The cost ofthe environmental impact of fossil fuelsshould be used in future economicevaluations of energy options.

Transport is one of the heaviest producers ofcarbon dioxide emissions. With risingnumbers of vehicles and increasing roadcongestion pollution is becoming a growingproblem, partially off-set by the introductionof lead-free petrol and effective compulsorytesting of older vehicles. Resolving roadcongestion is a high priority for future urbanplanning. Technical support is needed toextend energy audit in the public and privatesectors and to promote design of buildingswith low energy-use.

31


Management of Wastes

The steady economic and socialdevelopment of the country has increasedthe level of consumption and production ofwaste. The provision of a national purposebuilt landfill waste disposal centre, withperipheral transit facilities, has eased theproblem and reduced the pollution from theprevious uncontrolled waste dumps. Thecontinued increase in waste, however, willexceed the capacity of the landfill earlier thanwas anticipated.

Mauritius has now a Solid WastesManagement Strategy and future plansinclude the development of separation ofwastes, composting, re-cycling, reduction ofwaste at source and the possible use ofwaste for energy production. Publicawareness programmes and education havereduced the extent of litter.The nation-wideprovision of waste collection and the freedistribution of standard waste-bins haveproved popular and effective in reducinglitter around commercial and residentialproperty. Legislation provides for licensingwaste collection services, penalties forlittering and dumping. Enforcement hasbecome more effective through theintroduction of environmental police.Outstanding problems arise with disposal ofmotor vehicles and spare parts, engines,batteries, fridges, washing machines andcomputer components, all currently sent tothe national landfill site.

Health

Mauritius provides free state health servicesthroughout the country to all its people.Thegeneral state of health of the population ofMauritius is good and is improving steadilywith the implementation of a series ofreforms aiming at providing better health toall. From 1970 to date, life expentancy hasincreased from 63 years to 72 years andinfant mortality fallen from 55 to 14 deathsin the first year of life for every 1000 livebirths. Another component of Governmentreform agenda is the improvement of healthfacilities to the rapidly aeging population andgrowing number of non-communicablediseases.

Promoting a healthier way of life in Mauritiusinvolves programmes directed at both theproduction of healthier goods and servicesand changes in consumption and lifestyle.Fiscal policy has a role in this field regulatingthe price of tobacco and alcohol andpromoting a healthier diet including morefresh fruit and vegetables.

The health services in Mauritius depend on aclose partnership between the public andprivate sectors and joint collaboration withNGOs. Family planning, joint use of hightechnology services and tackling the smallbut growing problem of HIV/AIDS have beenexamples of such collaboration. Plans for theintroduction of a family doctor service recognizethe importance of strengthening primary careand the growing need for community servicesfor disabled and elderly people.32


Trade and Investment

From a mono crop economy, predominantlydependent on sugar, Mauritius has diversifiedits economic activities by developing a textileindustry, tourism, financial services andICTsector. The strong growth in theeconomy measured in traditional terms hasbeen offset by increasing use of fossil fuels,increasing emissions of CO2 and serious lossof forest and woodland cover andbiodiversity. National accounts have notincluded economic estimates of this loss ofnatural capital. Environmental accounting isan underdeveloped aspect of national tradestatistics.

Sustaining economic growth and reconcilingit with the requirements of a high qualityenvironment has become an emergingpriority as the impact of development on theecology has become more evident.. Makingthe shift to an integrated strategy is not easy.Conflicting interests have to be resolved.

Small size and insularity combine to makeisland economies highly dependent onexternal markets for imports. Agriculturaland manufacturing activities are based on avery narrow range of goods intended mainlyfor export for revenue generation. Smalleconomies have little influence over globalmarkets, nor do they have a buffer against theeffect of fluctuations in the price of keyexports such as sugar and textiles, neither onthe price of imports such as energy and food.The erosion of trade preferences and the

rules of the WTO Agreement on Subsidiesand Countervailing Measures are majorchallenges.The country has taken a number of boldmeasures to build up resilience. Theseinclude increasing its export capacity,improving productivity in textiles and incontainer cargo handling, providing incentivesfor inward investment and for the localproduction of many high volume householdconsumer goods for local consumption.Encouragement is also being given to theformation of internationally competitiveSMEs. ICT is a priority field for developmentin all industries. Mauritius is positioning itselfto become a hub for trade and industrialdevelopment in the region.

Transport and Communication

Mauritius has overcome its problems ofisolation by expanding its sea and air links.The sea port at Port Louis is now fullyadapted to container systems and the airlinesusing the national airport provide regulardirect services to 26 countries in fourcontinents. This has increased its capacityfor, as well as, provides a boost for itstourism industry. Better links abroad has alsobeen a vital aspect of professional andtechnical development. The process ofdeveloping the sea and airport serviceshowever increases the pressure on thefragile ecology. This will become a moresensitive issue as access is opened up to thesmaller islands of the country.

33


The steady rise in internal road transport hasbecome a major problem with its impact onland use, traffic congestion, air pollution andinjury. A strategy is being developed torespond to the heavy environmental,commercial and social costs of road traffic.

Information and Communicationtechnologies

Mauritius has invested heavily in ICT and isconsidered to be ahead of most other uppermiddle income countries in terms of thenetwork of mainline telephones, the use ofmobile phones and the links of business,schools and families to the internet. But still,it has far to go to reach the levels commonin the more developed countries of theworld. Progress has been stimulated by theincentives offered to ICT firms to set upbusiness. It has benefited also from qualitytechnical support services including asubmarine fibre optic cable link to SouthAfrica, giving Mauritius access to the GlobalInformation Infrastructure.The aim is to havea PC in every school and every home. Thisnational programme is supported through abold national ICT venture, ‘The Cyber City,’which has strong international financial andtechnical backing.

The environmental impact of the surge intoICT is evident across the country inoverhead power and telephone cables,mobile phone relay structures in every town,satellite dishes and the growing problem ofcomputer waste. This is part of the new

agenda arising from what is being seen as anew pillar of the future economy and sociallife of the country.

Education

The Education system has been reformedrecently with the abolition of the Certificateof Primary Education (CPE) ranking and itsreplacement by the grading system which haseliminated in some way the excessivecompetition engendered by the rankingsystem.The merit of this reform aims at

● Providing an appropriate assessmentmechanism,

● Introducing of the universal eleven years ofcompulsory education,

● Increasing access to quality education,● upgrading of school curriculum with

special focus on Information andCommunication Technology (ICT) as asubject in primary schools in order tomake pupils computer literate at an earlyage, and

● Increasing access to and enhance quality oftertiary education.

The knowledge-based economycommissioned by Government will require acritical mass of professionals at all times tosupport key economic sectors in this faststabilized era.The educational reforms whichGovernment has embarked upon also makesprovision that new entrance into the labourmarket possess the skills, knowledge andexpertise that employers require.34


Training and Skills Development

Training is one of the principal tools fordevelopment. Mauritius now has a variety ofvocational courses to meet the needs ofbusiness, industry, commerce and the publicservices. These facilities are accessible toother islands in the region and having limitedcapacities in this field.Training for new careerpathways for adults, ICT training, and re-skilling are new ways for responding to majorchange in the economy. Fresh emphasis isbeing put on remedial training for earlyschool leavers, new businesses and otherpublic services. Public-private partnership isat the heart of the process and a computerbased labour market information systemhelps both applicants and employers.

Improvement in productivity come bothfrom market pressures and from nationalprogrammes on quality management, onefficiency at work, ISO programmes, thework of the Mauritian Quality Institute andthe National Productivity andCompetitiveness Council.These multi-sectorpartnerships build on the best ideas from thebest companies and best practice world-wide.They aim to re-mould local enterpriseand get quality products and services at theright price and the right time. The process istransforming management, customersatisfaction and promoting a greater pride inworking well.

Reform of the State

One of the essential priorities to consider inpursuing sustainable development is astrengthening of national institutions andadministrative capacities.This need is clearlyspelt out in the Programme of Action for thesustainable development of SIDS. Mauritius,in spite of its limited means, has addressed allthe above issue remarkably well.

Rodrigues and Outer Islands

The Government has been decentralized forRodrigues, the largest of the smaller islandsin Mauritius. It now has its own electedassembly and parliamentary procedure. It isstill in the process of setting its ownstrategies for development and managementof its domestic policies. It is gradually openingup to eco-tourism and future plans includedirect international flights, extension ofindustrial fishing and strengthening its socialservices, business and commercial base.

The Way Ahead

Much of the past sustained progress inMauritius has been built around basiceducation, improved health, the benefit ofbilateral and multilateral trading agreements,the driving force of skilled entrepreneurswith capital to invest, stable democraticgovernment and peace. Times are changingand so are policies and plans. Globalisationdemands faster adaptation. The country isbuilding new trading partnerships. It is 35


planning better and faster supply linksabroad, and within the country. Skills arebeing updated. Jobs are no longer for life.New skills have to be more rapidly acquired.New products and services have to beprovided to meet tomorrow’s even tougherstandards in the international market and thegrowing aspirations of the local people for abetter way of life. No longer can Mauritiuscompete by using its spare capacity of semi-skilled labour. Neither can it survive bycontinually depleting its natural resources.

As a Small Island Developing State, Mauritiusrecognises the dominating factor that theway ahead requires an educational systembased on problem solving and projectlearning. Quality and productivity must beincreasingly at the heart of every enterpriseboth in the private and the public sector.Human capital and the natural quality of thecountry are the ultimate resources.

The report shows that much progress inMauritius has been made since the BPoA inreforming policy and creating a newframework of law and institutions to takeforward fundamental changes. Mauritiusparticipates in many regional andinternational organisations and is a memberof a number of regional grouping includingthe Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), SADC,COMESA and the Indian Ocean RIMAssociation (IOC-ARC). In addition, it hasadhered to the Economic PartnershipsAgreement (EPA) for the purpose ofincreased trade and revenue generation. Itsees all such regional cooperation andintegration initiative as a powerfuldevelopment strategy, to allow the countriesto expand its economic space.

36


Introduction

Introduction

Since UNCED in 1992, SIDS, and islandssupporting small communities, havebeen considered “a special case both

for environment and development".The firstGlobal Conference on SustainableDevelopment of SIDS in 1994, adopted theBarbados Programme of Action (BPoA) Thishas been an important blueprint for thesustainable development of SIDS recognising,the uniqueness of small islands, theirvulnerability and specificity.

The World Summit on SustainableDevelopment in 2002 further reasserted thespecial challenges of Small Island DevelopingStates and the relevance of the “specialneeds” of SIDS, was again stressed in theMillennium Development Goals. One of therecommendations of the Johannesburg Planof Implementation was that “a full andcomprehensive review of the implementationof the BPoA for the SustainableDevelopment of Small Island DevelopingStates takes place in 2004, in accordance withthe provisions set forth in General Assemblyresolution S-22/2.”

All SIDS are characterized by inescapablelimitations: small domestic markets, isolation,narrow resource base and dependence onexternal trade. Mauritius has overcome manyof these obstacles. But the advantages onwhich it has built its economic and social

progress now constitute threats to its futureprosperity. Its development has seriouslydepleted the natural environmentalresources on which its future depends. Thisreview presents the challenges that thecountry has addressed the progress that ithas made and the way ahead on the pathwayfor sustainable development.

Mauritius is one of the Mascarene group ofislands comprising of Mauritius, Rodriguesand Reunion; the latter being a FrenchOverseas Department (See Map 1-2).Mauritius is a tropical island located atlatitude 20° south and longitude 58° east,some 800 km from the south-east ofMadagascar.The highest peak is 817 metres.It was formed through a series of basaltic lavaflows. Before its discovery and colonization itwas uninhabited. It has many areas of fertileland formerly heavily wooded and rich inendemic species. The main island has nocontinental shelf, the ocean depth reaching3000 metres within 20 km of the coastline.The coastline of Mauritius island is almostcompletely surrounded by coral reefs,enclosing a lagoon area of 243 km2. It hasmany sandy beaches, protected bays and calmlagoons. These natural resources haveallowed for agricultural development, lagoonfishing and intensive capital development intourism.

38

i n t r o d u c t i o n

The Mauritian economy has done remarkablywell over the past three decades. Sinceindependence in 1968, it has experiencedsignificant transformation from an economythat was almost entirely dependent on sugarcane cultivation and manufacturing to onethat has benefited from an export ledstrategy. Industry, in particular, clothing andtextile manufacture, constituted acornerstone of the economy until recently.

The sugar sector has long benefited fromguaranteed prices and preferential accessinto European markets under the SugarProtocol, the Lome Convention and theCotonu Agreement. However, with thephase-out of the protocol, Mauritius mustnow negotiate new agreements under theACP/ EU partnership.

Despite its impressive performance, theMauritian economy, like other SIDS, isconfronted to a number of short andmedium term challenges, in both the internaland external fronts. The main challenge ofsustainability facing Mauritius today is toadapt to increasingly free trade in the globalmarkets. In the wake of increased globalcompetition from low-wage countries andlimited future opportunities throughpreferential arrangements, the Mauritianeconomy becomes even more vulnerable.Atthe same time , the Government is faced withthe rising costs of social obligations,unemployment and environmental pressurefrom conflicting demand for land use.

Since the Global conference, Mauritius hastaken important initiatives to strengthennational institutions and administrativecapacity covering environment policy, landuse, legislation, education, transport andbiodiversity. For example, in Mauritius aNational Environmental Commission was setup chaired by the Prime Minister, with abroad membership including Ministriesresponsible for economic planning, finance,education, science, technology, naturalresources, tourism, industry, health andjustice. A key mandate of the commission isto ensure coordination and cooperationbetween public departments, localauthorities and other governmentalorganizations engaged in environmentprotection policies.

In addition to the above, Mauritius has takena number of measures aiming at interactingenvironment protection and development.These include:

● Adoption of new legislation to provide asound and updated legal framework forthe pursuit of sustainable development,

● Formulation of a National EnvironmentalStrategy (NES) that provides a blue printfor sustainable development.

No country is an island

Since the events of 11 September 2001,security has had to be taken more seriously.Resolution 1373 of the United Nations 39


Security Council imposes heavyresponsibilities on all States to fight againstterrorism. Security surveillance of the EEZ isa major challenge now as it was in the earlydays of development where Mauritiusbecame a haven for pirates plundering themerchant ships passing from Asia round theCape of Good Hope to Europe. Mauritiushas passed new laws on terrorism, increasedsecurity in the sea and air ports andreinforced the National Coast Guard andPolice surveillance within the country tocombat these threats.

Despite their own efforts in taking action to

secure their long term future, SIDS workingalone will remain vulnerable to externalpressures. If they are to survive, they need touse their collective strength for the benefit oftheir region. This new archipelago of SIDSacross the world need not be trapped inisolation.With a total population of over 50million it has trading and negotiating strengthso far largely untested. This review sets outthe story of one of these states in transition.The intention is to provide timely evidencethat global thinking can be translated intolocal action in one of this new worldassociation of small island developing states.

40


Figure 1 Mauritius: Demographic transition: Since 1994 the crude death rate, infant mortlityand the crude birth rate have declined; the population has continued to grow but rate ofincrease has declined to about 1% a year.

41


Figure 2 Mauritius: the Epidemiological transition.The pattern of disease has changed; deathsfrom infections and involving the digestive system have declined; non communicable diseasesincluding heart disease, cancers and injuries have increased.

Figure 3 Mauritius: Expectation of life at birth.The very rapid increase in expectation of lifeat birth from 33 years in 1944 to over 60 years in 1968, has now changed to a slower butsteady increase, reaching 72 years in 2003, with a substantial gap emerging between males andfemales, the latter living longer.

42


Figure 4 The agricultural transition in MauritiusThe percent contribution of agriculture to the GDP of Mauritius in the period 1970-2000came to a peak of thirty percent and has fallen to 6%, whilst in the region of Sub-SaharanAfrica in the same period the contribution of Agriculture has remained relatively constant.

Climate Change and

Sea-Level Rise

The Challenges

Climate change and sea-level rise areissues of major concern for all smallisland developing States. Although

SIDS emit only a very small proportion of thegreenhouse gases that cause global warming,yet, these states are the ones that are themost vulnerable to sea-level rise andextremes of climate change.

Because of their small size, the whole of eachsmall island developing state can beconsidered as a coastal entity and anylocalised consequences of a rise in sea levelwould be significant for the whole country.The coastlines provide the natural resourceson which many livelihoods depend.Coastlines are at the core of much economicand social development in fisheries, tourism,agriculture, transport and communications.

For Mauritius climate change will havemultiple adverse impacts:

● Climate change may increase the intensityof tropical cyclones,

● The rise in global temperatures will alsohave an effect on seawater temperaturesand ocean circulation,

● Changes in ocean circulation will affectmigratory paths of pelagic fish, disruptingthe fishing industry,

● Rise in temperature will cause variability inrainfall among other impacts and will havesevere social and economic consequences,

● Sea Level rise due to global warming willaffect freshwater resources due to salineintrusion and further erosion of beachesand damage to coral reefs, and

● Higher sea-level, storm surges and highertides will cause extensive coastal floodingand damage to vital coastal infrastructureon which tourism, transport andcommunications depend such as sea ports,bridges and roads.

Progress

The United Nations Framework forClimate Change ConventionMauritius signed the United NationsFramework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) during the UNCED conferenceat Rio and was the first member state toratify it. Mauritius also ratified the KyotoProtocol in 2001. Mauritius is reducing itsemissions of greenhouse gases byimplementing a number of projects onenergy efficiency, alternative energyprogrammes and regular inventories ofgreenhouse gases. But Mauritius depends oninternational action to combat the problems

44

C H A P T E R 1

of climate change and sea level rise and mustrely on others to support the provisions ofthe Kyoto Protocol. The continuedvulnerability of SIDS depends on thecommitments, policies and programmes ofindustrialised nations. The recent supportfor the Kyoto protocol from Russia is awelcome step in reducing the global threat ofirreversible damage to SIDS in all regions.

Action in Mauritius on Climate Change isshown in Boxes 1.1 and 1.2 and includesinstitutional, technical and regulatoryinterventions. Faced with the potentialimpacts of Climate Change on the economy,Mauritius is developing strategies and policiesto address the problem of climate changeand sea level rise in all related sectors,namely energy planning, agriculture, coastalzone management, transportation, fisheries,forestry, waste management and waterresources. The successful implementation ofthe Action Plan will involve a multi-disciplineand multi-sectoral team including the privateand public sectors.

Box 1.1Policy and planning under the

UNFCCC

● 1991: The Prime Minister set up amulti-sectoral National ClimateCommittee (NCC) actively to involveall stakeholders in combating climatechange,

● 1998: The Meteorological Services ofMauritius on behalf of the NationalClimate Committee, prepared theNational Climate Change Action Planwith the financial assistance of the USCountry Studies program,

● The Ministry of the Environment wasdesignated the focal point for action topromote and coordinate climatechange activities,

● 1995: Submission of a nationalinventory of sources and sinks ofgreenhouse gases, updated each year,

● List of programmes to reduce thenegative impacts of climate changecovering adverse impacts,measures forabatement and enhancing sinks forgreenhouse gases, policy options formonitoring systems and for strategiesfor responding to the impact of climatechange, and policy frameworks forimplementing adaptation measures andresponse strategies,

● 2004: Preparation of a report onTechnology Needs Assessment forClimate Change issues, and

● Mauritius is now considering thepreparation of its second nationalcommunication report.

45


Box 1.2Detailed Action under the UNFCCC

Ozone Depleting Substances

Since 1992, the Government has takena number of policy decisions aiming atreducing the consumption of CFCs.Fluorocarbon emissions have declinedby 69%.

Coastal Erosion

Since 1995, the Ministry of Environmenthas carried out some 3500 metres ofcoastal protection works using semi-hard structures in the form of gabionsand groynes.A number of public beachsites have been earmarked as highpriority for remedial actions. A pilotbeach fill project along 600m of thepublic beach of Flic en Flac has alreadystarted. Plans for replenishment ofother beaches are also being prepared(See Chapter 5).

Protection of Coral Reefs

Monitoring of the coral ecosystem isbeing done at selected sites to studythe effect of increase in temperature oncoral bleaching. Water samples fromlagoons are also being collected atsensitive points for analysis.Data on circulation changes in thelagoons as well as for fish stockassessment and sustainable yielddepletion are being collected to assessadverse effects and results of remedialaction.

Reforestation Programme

The Ministry of Agriculture isimplementing a reforestationprogramme to increase green areas toabsorb carbon dioxide.

Agriculture

The MSIRI is actively engaged inresearch on the impacts of climatechange on sugar cane cultivation, onvarieties of sugar cane tolerant todrought and to salt, and the length ofgrowing season and optimal time forharvesting.

Energy Efficiency

Action to improve energy efficiency includes energy conservation, switch tolow carbon content fuels, use ofrenewable energy sources, and theintroduction of non-conventionalenergy technologies.

Capacity Building

Mauritius is preparing to implement theUNFCCC on Agriculture, Forestry andLand Use and is producing a newnational greenhouse gas inventory. TheNational Climate Change Committeeand NGOs organise awarenesscampaigns regularly to sensitise thepopulation about the impacts of globalwarming.

46

C H A P T E R 1

Mauritius contributes a very small level of GHG emissions per head of population, bycomparison with other countries (see Figure 1.1).The rate of increase since 1995 has beenlow and for Carbon Monoxide it is declining (see Figure 1.2).The levels of Carbon Dioxide,however, are increasing, the principal contributions being from electricity production usingcoal and oil and from transport (Figure 1.3).

47


Box 1.3A worst case scenario:A sea-level

rise of 1 metre in Flic en Flac

● It has been estimated that 26,000m2 ofbeaches can be flooded,

● About 12725 m of main coastal roadand 24475 m of secondary coast roadwould be affected by flooding,overtopping, cracking of pavement, andeventually submergence,

● Plantations, including several hectaresof sugar cane and cash crops would beinundated and have to be abandoned,and

● Houses near the coast would beflooded.Sources : Climate Change Action Plan, 1997

To reduce emission of local sources ofgreenhouse gases, Mauritius has aprogramme to diversify to renewablesources of energy to comply withcommitments under the UNFCCC and theKyoto Protocol. These measures alsorespond to the need to encouragesustainable consumption and productionpatterns (See Chapter 8, Energy Resources).Some progress is being made. But this hasnot kept pace with the substantial increasesin energy consumption arising from thesustained rapid rate of development of thecountry as a whole.

Impacts of Climate Change in the Coastal ZoneThe impacts of climate change and sea-levelrise on coastal resources in Mauritius havebeen studied within the framework ofassistance to Mauritius provided by the USCountry Studies Program. Sea-level rise will

48

C H A P T E R 1

however, have a big impact on coastalecosystems in the Republic of Mauritius andthe ecosystems which will be particularly atrisk include sandy beaches, coral reefs,mangrove ecosystems and coastal wetlands.A scenario has been worked out to projectthe possible impact of climate change on thecoastal zone.

Use of Energy and Greenhouse GasEmission

Mauritius relies predominantly on importedpetroleum to meet its energy needs. But coalfired boilers, using imported coal from Africaand Europe, are also used because they arecheap methods of producing energy forindustrial purposes. Replacement of coal by acleaner fuel would significantly reduceemissions and future EIA assessments willtake this factor into consideration.

Renewable sources of energy such as hydro,solar, wind and bagasse account for 23% of

the electricity produced. Feasibility studiesare being made, with technical assistancefrom Japan, to develop Ocean ThermalEnergy Conversion (OTEC) technology forharnessing sea wave energy.

Mauritius has taken steps to promotechanges in local energy consumptionpatterns (see Box 1.4).

Box 1.4 Changes in energy consumption to

reduce GHGs

Introduction of Low EnergyConsumption Bulbs

The Ministry of Environment togetherwith the Ministry of Public Utilities ispromoting the use of compactfluorescent lamp (CFL) in the ruralareas and villages. In line with Type IIpartnership initiatives, Climate Care,an NGO based in the United Kingdom,has offered batches of such lamps fordistribution in villages in Mauritius.

Use of Solar Energy andPhotovoltaic lighting

Solar panels have been installed in theGovernment Centre on a pilot basisfor lighting and air conditioning in thebuildings. Photovoltaic lighting is also

49


Beach erosion can be aggravated by sea level rise

used on a pilot scale for street lightingin some places in Mauritius, Rodriguesand Agalega.The units can be installedanywhere easily as they need not beclose to the CEB grid; hence, remoteun-electrified area may be providedwith street lighting.

Introduction of Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded petrol has been introducedsince September 2002 for cars. Thisenables the use of catalytic converters,which reduce noxious gases includingGreen House Gases emissions by about90%.

Use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG)

LPG produces less air pollution andemits less GHG emissions and its useas alternative fuel in cars is beingpromoted in Mauritius. The DBM isproviding a loan of up to Rs 25 000(US$ 870) to enable car owners to buya kit so as to use LPG in cars.

The Way Ahead

The Government of Mauritius is takingaction for adaptation to the impact of climatechange and to evaluate the results because itfears that the impacts could harm thecountry and the prospects of developmentfor many generations. It cannot succeedalone. The vulnerability of SIDS to theserisks and the related impact thereof is mademore serious by the fragile ecology of theislands, their low adaptive capacity and theneed for greater investment. In the firstNational Communication, a number ofstrategies were identified for PublicAwareness, Education and Outreach. Theseinclude mounting of courses includingClimate Change modules across thecurriculum at the University of Mauritius.Further training is planned to build up localexpertise in climate change issues as well asin-country projections and computermodelling of hazards.The need for a “ClimateChange Officer” or “Climate ChangeCoordinator” in the appropriate institutionsto coordinate activities and to prepare futurenational communications was underscored.This programme is now being prepared forimplementation.

50

C H A P T E R 1

51


The way aheadProgress madeChallenges addressed

1. Climate Change and Sea Level RiseA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Preparation of National ClimateChange Action Plan

● Annual submission of nationalinventory of sources and sinks ofGreenhouse Gases

● Reduction of Greenhouse Gasemissions through theimplementation of energy efficiency,alternative energy programmes andinventory of Greenhouse Gases.

● Training and improvement of skills of

technical staff.

● Strengthening capacity for proper

coordination and preparation of

national assessment communications.

● Implementation oUNFCCC andKyoto Protocol.

● Pilot Projects for beach

Improvement

● Monitoring of the coral ecosystem

● Monitoring of circulation changes in

the lagoon and fish stock

assessment and sustainable yield

depletion.

● Further investment for beach

improvement and lagoon monitoring● Assessment of

Coastalvulnerability andimpact of sea-levelrise

● Reforestation Programme to

increase green areas to absorb

carbon dioxide

● Research on impacts of climate

change on sugar cultivation

● Setting up of food laboratory

● Investment in research

● Setting up of a Seafood hub.

● Impact of ClimateChange onagriculture andFisheries.

● Measures to enhance disaster

preparedness through early warning

system

● Develop SIDS-SIDS partnership to

benefit from regional expertise and

experiences

● Effect of ClimateChange on NaturalDisasters

C H A P T E R 1

Progress

Natural Disasters: Cyclones and TorrentialRainsMauritius has adapted itself to cyclones withprecautionary measures, early warningsystems and disaster system programmes.Computer plotting of cyclones and theirtrajectories, early warning systems, andimmediate and long term precautions, havetransformed the capacity of the country tosurvive and continue working effectively.

Early warning and preparedness are of crucialimportance for natural disaster management.Mauritius has made good progress in bothfields.Overcoming the risk of cyclones hasbeen a high priority for Mauritius in the pastthree decades. Government started bysetting up a National Cyclone and NaturalDisasters Committee, under the aegis of thePrime Minister’s Office which also coversfloods due to torrential rains or prolongeddrought.

Precautions Against Cyclones

The objective of cyclone precautions is toreduce the risk of death, damage to propertyand infrastructure and social loss. Themeasures taken include generalenvironmental protection, early detection ofthe direction, speed, expected intensity andduration of the cyclone, response and rescueservices, selective environmental controlsand public advice and information (See Box2.1). The essential features of success in

Mauritius are sustained government andregional financial support. This has insuredthe provision of high technology equipmentand the recruitment and maintenance of professional, technical and administrativeteams to implement the programme.The Central Cyclone Committee meets eachyear to review and make necessaryamendments to the Cyclone EmergencyScheme. This Scheme requires allorganizations, including bus companies andother large employers, to have their owncyclone contingency plans. The Committeemeets after the passage of each cyclone toassess the impact of the disaster and todecide upon prompt remedial actions. Allrelevant Governmental Organizations arecalled upon immediately after a cyclone toassess the action necessary to get thecountry back to normal as quickly aspossible.

55


Natural and Environmental

Disasters

The Challenges

Natural Disasters

SIDS by the nature of their size andisolation are exposed to extremeweather conditions and are particularly

vulnerable to the threat of natural andenvironmental disasters and have verylimited capacity to respond to and recoverfrom such disasters. Some are in addition bytheir geology at risk from other naturaldisasters such as earthquakes. The volcano,however, that influenced much of thetopography of Mauritius is now dormant.

Mauritius is situated in the inter tropicalconvergence zone and is thereby highlyexposed to cyclones. On average onecyclone passes within 100 km of Mauritiuseach year. The official cyclone season coversthe period between the 1st November andthe 15th May. Wind gusts of 118 km perhour or more can then be experienced.Withsuch strong winds and accompanying heavyrainfall, cyclones can cause flooding, and havea potential to produce physical damage witha serious impact on the environment andeconomy. The adverse effects of cyclones ofthis magnitude for island economies, ifrecurrent, are even greater. This results inreducing the country’s capacity to re-activatethe development process after the passage ofthe disaster.

The cyclone Gervaise in 1975 in Mauritiuscaused conditions for resurgence of malaria,which had been declared officially eradicatedin 1973. Before the epidemic was finallycontrolled, there were over 2,500 reportedmalaria cases. Such cyclones of the past alsocaused extensive physical damage toproperty and vital infrastructure such asroads, bridges and power lines. Personalinjury, deaths and homelessness werecommon, and recovery slow and costly inlabour and materials.

The threat of climate change and sea levelrise present new challenges demanding a newlevel of response. Mauritius also needs toextend its capacity for surviving cyclones toeven the remotest and least inhabited partsof the country, including Rodrigues and theouter islands, as these parts become moredeveloped with industry and tourism.54

C H A P T E R 2

After the passage of a cyclone

Flooding after torrential rain

Drought

Water is scarce in Mauritius. 15% of thepopulation has discontinuous supply due toshortages (See Chapter 7). Drought cancreate a critical situation. During 1998-1999,Mauritius experienced the most severedrought since 1904 recording only 538mm ofrain which represents 38 % of the long termmean. Water scarcity was identified as apriority issue in the first NationalEnvironmental Action Plan (NEAP I) and inthe second Action Plan (NEAP II). Investmentin dams, reservoirs, irrigation systems andreforestation has been the key to success incombating drought. Climate change can leadto more severe droughts. Further steps inintegrated management of water andincreasing use of recycled water foragriculture and industrial use is envisaged.

Environmental Disasters

ChallengesOil Spills

Mauritius is constantly faced with the risk ofan oil spill as the Indian Ocean is one of themajor oil tanker routes. Environmentalresources are at risk including coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, beaches, shorelinesand seabirds. Economic activities includingtourism, commercial fishing, and portoperations can be severely affected.

The principal potential sources of oil-spill areset out in Box 2.2.

Box 2.2Potential sources of oil spills in

Mauritius

Oil-related ActivitiesOn-loading, offloading, and bunkeringactivities in the Port-Louis harbour,pipeline leak or rupture, overlandtransportation, and indiscriminatedisposal of used lubricating oil

Marine Sources

● Discharge of oil during operations inPort Louis Harbour and of residuesfrom tank cleaning,

● Improper operational proceduresduring bunkering of large fishing andother vessels in Port-Louis harbour,

● Increasing pleasure boat activities intourist areas like Grand Baiecontribute to minor accidental oilspills as well as to high concentrationsof oil in lagoon waters, 57


Airport of Mauritius Limited chairs theAirport Cyclone Crisis Committee at the SirSeewoosagar Ramgoolam (SSRIA) andimplements the airport cyclone proceduresin preparedness for forecast cycloneconditions and subsequently in managing theimpacts on airport operations.

Enhancing Resilience

Mauritius participates actively in the IndianOcean Global Ocean Observation System,which provides for a permanent system ofsystematic, routine and long term oceanobservation and forecasts climate variabilityand change. New tools include sensors onsatellites, automated instruments that probethe depths of the ocean, powerful computersand the electronic distribution of data andinformation worldwide.

Government offers economic incentives to

people to build cyclone-proof houses inconcrete. In 2000, 87 % of houses were inconcrete or stone blocks, power lines arecarried on concrete and steel supports.Planning regulations for all buildings requirerobust structures against extreme weatherconditions.

One benefit of accurate and rapidlytransmitted forecasts is the capacity forreducing unnecessary implementation andduration of the maximum level ofprecautionary measures, which can paralyse socialand commercial activity of a population by confiningthem to their homes or to specially provided refuges.

Mauritius has developed capacity to reconstruct andrepair basic infrastructure to ensure that theeconomic machinery gets back on cruise as quickly aspossible after a cyclone.

56

C H A P T E R 2

Box 2.1

Action advisedCriteriaClass

Public Early warnings of cyclones

36-48 hours before the populationis likely to be affected

36-48 hours before the populationis likely to be affected

I

11

III

IV

Aftermath

As far as practicable, a lead time of 6daylight hours before the advent of gusts of120 km per hour

Gusts of the order of 120 km per hour haveoccurred and are expected to continue

Following storm damage, flooding,dislocation of public services and energysystems, etc.

Take preliminary precautions; checking food supplies,emergency lighting and fuel, security of moveable objects.Preparation of safe refuges and rescue services are put on stand-by.

Closure of schools; securing of houses and otherbuildings, opening of refuges, advice to population ontheir location.Mobilization of rescue services.

Closure of workplaces, public transport, restrictionson private transport.

Closure of all public places; public advised to remain indoors in safe buildings.

Identification of priorities for action, mobilization ofservices; special rehabilitation programmes with publicand private mobilization of resources.

Note:These warning system classes are in use in the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues

‘ Roberts J L (2004) Cyclone early warning systems in the Western Indian Ocean; and Malaria control in Mauritius; Chapters 11 and 12,in African Environmental Outlook,Vol. II, Case Studies, UNEP.

Drill operation for oil spill

Capacity Building

Under the NOSCP, regular training programsand exercises for personnel likely to beinvolved in a response are carried out. In-house training is also carried out by therelevant organisations. These trainingprograms are designed to enable Mauritiusto have sufficient numbers of trainedpersonnel to mount a credible and effectiveresponse to an oil spill accident. Regular drillsare also organised every year to test thecontingency plan.

Regional Cooperation

Mauritius is also party to the Regional OilSpill Contingency Planning Project whose aimis to put in place a Regional Contingency Planfor ongoing collaboration amongstparticipating Nations to intervene jointly incases of major spills, either in territorialwaters of a single nation or in case of a transboundary spill affecting more than oneparty state. The beneficiary countries areComoros, Madagascar, Mauritius andSeychelles.

Fire Outbreaks and Other EnvironmentalDisasters

Risks of other Environmental Disastersinclude fire, explosion from supplies of oiland chemicals used in industry, airline crashesand terrorist attack. The increasing numberof high rise buildings presents problems forsafe evacuation in the event of fire and

difficulties in fire fighting because of accessand limitations of local fire-fightingequipment.

The risk of fire and damage can be associatedwith the following sites and situations inMauritius:

● Town and village areas made up of oldbuildings such as the China Town of thecapital city, Port-Louis,

● High buildings,

● Old wooden “colonial” style houses,

● Areas which are crossed by high voltagelines,

● Petrol stations,

● Transportation of petroleum productsand Liquefied Petroleum Gas,

● The airport due to the nature ofoperational activities is also a potentialsite for fires, and

● Burning of sugar cane and its risk tohouses and hotels.

The Fire Services ensure adequate firefighting services in cases of fire outbreaks.The Jet A1 Aviation fuel tank farm at SSRInternational Airport is surrounded by abund wall that has sufficient holding capacityto allow emergency response procedures tobe implemented. Airports of MauritiusLimited (AML), Airport Rescue and FireFighting Service comply with the standard setby the International Civil AviationOrganisation and are supported in the eventof an emergency by the Government FireServices. Regular exercises of the AirportEmergency Plan are conducted, the most 59


● Margina weather conditions couldresult in collisions at sea, a leadingcoast of Oil Spills worldwide, and

● Severe weather conditions during thecyclone season raise the possibility ofshipwreck close to the island withresulting spills in the medium or majorcategory. Pipeline rupture could alsoresult in large spills.

Airport Fuel Spills

● Fuel spillage during aircraft refuellingand fuel escaping from inland air crashor air crash in the lagoon duringapproach or take off from the airport.

Land Sources

● Oil storage tanks in Fort Williams,Port-Louis near the harbour and atPlaisance Airport. Both the tanks andassociated pipelines are a potentialsource of spills. Improper disposal ofoily wastes from tank cleaning is also asource of oil pollution at the tankfarms,

● Indiscriminate disposal of usedlubricating oil in filling stations, motormechanic workshops, and variousindustrial plants, and

● Road accidents during inlandtransportation of petroleum products.

Progress

Oil Spills Mauritius has strengthened its institutionaland legislative framework to control oilpollution.The Department of Environment isresponsible for oil pollution preparednessand response. It is also the focal point forreceipt and transmission of oil pollutionreports.In line with the provisions of theEnvironment Protection Act 2002, Mauritiushas prepared a Contingency Plan withsupport of the Indian Ocean Commission torespond to oil spills.The Plan applies to all oilspills, whether inland, on the adjoiningshorelines or within the maritime zone. Itensures a national integrated Governmentand industry response capable of effectiveand prompt action. The Plan includes a datadirectory and a Coastal Sensitivity Atlas ofMauritius.

58

C H A P T E R 2

Oil spill caused by road accident

Strengthening is needed in public andcommercial awareness of fire risk and theimplementation of more rigorousprecautions for fire safety, prevention, fire-fighting and rescue systems. Legislation on

terrorist attack has been introduced amidstconcern to protect civil liberties and topreserve the country’s record of opennessand its friendly welcome to all visitors.

61


60

C H A P T E R 2


2. Natural and environmental DisastersA Policy and Programme Progress sheet

● Regional satellite early warningsystem

● Public precautions● Building standards

● Cyclones andfloods

● Oil spills

● Fires andexplosions

● Airline crashes

● Terrorist threats

● Monitoring climate change and sea levelrise

● Local precautions● International negotiations

● Development of technical capacity● Improvement in law enforcement● Training exercises

● Multi-sector planning● Review of special risk areas (high rise

buildings, sugar cane burning, dangerouschemicals)

● Further development of technicalcapacity

● Learning from international experience

● Responding to international guidelinesand experience whilst protecting civilliberties and the welcoming culture ofMauritius.

● Risk analysis● Contingency plans● Airline regulations

● Legal provisions● Security monitoring

● Fire safety regulations and inspections● Fire fighting capacity and equipment● Special risk contingency plans

(chemical fires, Port Louis oilcontainer risks)

● Risk analysis● Contingency plans

recent full crash exercise being held inOctober 2004 involve all airport and civilemergency services in simultaneous land andsea simulated accidents.

Government is furthermore putting in placestrategies as precautionary measures namely:

● Underground cabling of electrical wiresin high risks areas such as tall buildings,passage of high voltage lines,

● All buildings need to have fire sensors,hydrants and circuit breakers,

● All residential buildings need to havecircuit breakers installed (Such has notbeen the case until now),

● Setting up of Petrol Stations is controlledby a Preliminary Environmental Report(PER) which controls the storage andhandling of fuel. Furthermore, it is now apolicy not to allow for the siting of PetrolStations in the midst of residential areas,

● Presently, trained and skilled manpowerare preferred to “amateurs” for electricalinstallations at all level including forindividual household installations, and

● Safe transportation of LPG and fuel isalso an issue that need to be addressedand Government is preparing guidelines.

The large size of the Exclusive EconomicZone of the country increases its

vulnerability in so far as security aspects suchas terrorist threats are concerned. Therelevant authorities are initiating andenhancing existing logistics and facilities toeffect surveillance and control to ensuresecurity. However, the country needsfinancial and technical assistance from theinternational community to meet itsobligations towards the implementation ofthe new international Maritime SecurityRegime and the Security Council Resolution1373.

The Way Ahead

Precautions and contingency plans againstoil-spills, fires, airplane crashes and civildisasters are increasingly moving from thedrawing board to meet the practical test offield trials. The continuing threat of climatechange and sea level rise warrants furtherinvestment in local precautionary measuresand more intensive advocacy andinternational negotiation to reduce the globalrisk through the implementation of theKyoto protocol.

Precautionary measures against airplane crashes

62

C H A P T E R 2

65


LAND RESOURCES

The Challenges

The land

Land is a scarce resource in SIDS, oftenfragmented across many widelyseparated islands with few modern

transport links. Human development andnatural forces put land under pressure.Thesepressures derive from size and isolation, frompollution from industry, from agriculturalchemicals seeping into fresh waters and soils,from urban development, from traffic andfrom the domestic use of energy andservices. The pressures are intensified byconflicting demands for access and use andalso become critical with the impact ofextreme natural events.

Like most SIDS, Mauritius has little land anda fragile ecology. The main islands Mauritiusand Rodrigues and a group of outer islandsand islets have a total area of about 2,040km2. The main island of Mauritius is 1,865km2 in area, volcanic in origin.

The coastline of Mauritius is 322 km long andalmost entirely surrounded by a fringing coralreef enclosing a lagoon area totalling 243km2.The freshwater bodies on the mainlandcomprise approximately 2000 ha ofreservoirs, rivers, streams and creeks.

On the main island 43% of the land is used

for agriculture, with 39% under sugar cane.30% is forest and scrub land, 26% is built onwith roads, houses and other buildings, and1% is used for permanent grazing. Most landin Mauritius is privately owned, except forthe coastal areas and other land which is heldby the Government.

Mauritius was uninhabited until as late as1598 and has been successively a Dutch,French and British colony, becomingindependent in 1968. It is now, one of themost densely populated islands in the worldwith a density of 591 inhabitants per squarekm.

High quality land, particularly in prime coastalareas, is scarce and is sought after by avariety of competing users. Land planningfailures in the past coupled with inadequate

control of development have led to theadmixture of incompatible developments,encroachment into environmentally sensitiveareas and conversion of prime agriculturalland.

Changes in Land Use

In Mauritius, a high population density andthe spatial impact of multiple economicactivities, including human settlements havegiven rise to major changes in land use.

These changes historically included, clearingthe natural forests for their timber, for fueland for agriculture, selling off the ebony,importing new species such as sugar, tea andtobacco. This provided wealth to the landowners and colonists, and food andemployment to the growing population. Butat the same time they caused muchirreversible environmental damage, includingsoil erosion and land degradation, depletionin biodiversity and an increase in the built

environment of roads, bridges, housing,factories, shops and offices, bridges, powercables, water and sanitary systems.

Agriculture

The agriulture sector constitutes essentiallyof sugar production and has been thebackbone of the Mauritian economy for longuntil the establishment of the ExportProcessing Zone (EPZ). Arable land devotedto sugar plantation is gradually decreasing. In2002, its contribution to GDP was estimatedat 6.4 % and in terms of export earnings,total sugar exports constituted 20 % of totaldomestic exports compared to about 70 %to decades ago.

The sugar industry has long benefited fromguaranteed prices and preferential accessinto the european markets under the SugarProtocol and the Lome Convention and nowthe COTONOU agreement. However, the

64

C H A P T E R 3

Urban sprawl in Mauritius

protocol expires in 2006, and with duty -freeaccess to the EU market for least deveopedcountries’ (Including SIDS) sugar taking effectfrom July 2009, the price Mauritius obtainsfor its sugar will fall significantly, thisimpacting negatively in the country’seconomy.

In anticipation of the unfavourabledevelopments on the international scene, theSugar Industry Efficiency Act 2001 waspassed which provides for the conversion offormer sugar land for urban development. Inthe same year, the implementation of theSugar Sector Strategic Plan (2001-2005) thatwas embedded in the Act started. In parallelto reducing labour costs through a VoluntaryRetirement Scheme (VRS) for the sugarcompanies, the centralisation of sugarfactories is also being pursued to achieveeconomic scale. Goverment has madeprovision in the Act that such landconversion be properly planned and not adhoc and to that effect, the Act makesprovision for “land swaps” to facilitate thesensible location of development.The abovechanges has inevitably led to a decrease inland use for agriculture by approximately 5,500 ha. This shift is likely to continue overthe next two decades as 6,200 hectares willbe needed to accommodate the increase inpopulation and expansion of the touristindustry.

The human impact in small islands ispervasive unless deliberate measures forprotection of sensitive areas such aswetlands, forests and woodlands, lagoons,

corals, sand dunes, beaches and mountains.

Mauritius has about 57,000 ha of forest, 60%of which is privately owned. Only 6,000 haof the private lands are protected by law asmountain or river reserves. All native state-owned forests have been converted intoNational Park and nature reserves, butprivate forest lands are gradually being lostto other land uses.

Sixteen Nature Reserves have been declaredsince 1951. The reserves cover 2.5% of theisland and range in size from the 1.5 haPerrier Nature Reserve to the 3,611 haMaccabé– Bel Ombre Nature Reserve. Thefirst National Park was established in 1994 –the Black River Gorges National Park.Despite these initiatives native biodiversity isnow mainly confined to the south-westernregion of the island together with a fewother remote areas on mountain ridges andon offshore islets. Three key land use trendshave been identified:-

(i) The continued urbanisation of the conurbation by growth of housing,retail, commercial and industrialdevelopment

(ii) The dispersal and decentralisation of building to the urban fringe and toother countryside locations where newhousing is being developed through thevarious land conversion schemes

66

C H A P T E R 3

(iii)The continued expansion of tourismand hotel resorts mainly on the coast

Land degradation is one of the majorenvironmental problems of Mauritius. Only1.5% of the original native vegetation coversremains today. The many mountains, nolonger covered by trees, aid the process ofsoil erosion leaving barren gullies on themountain slopes. The problem is furthercompounded by long periods of droughtswhich hinder re-forestation.

The demand for housing is the single largestpressure on the future use of land and couldinvolve conversion of 5,000 ha by 2020. 800ha of land could be needed for new businessparks and industry including SMEs. 400 hamay be needed for new schools, colleges anduniversities and other institutions, in additionto the current major school constructionprogramme.To this should be added, currentproposals and possible growth in demand forintegrated resorts, leisure complexes, publictransport, highways and utilities including theLRT and new dams.

Some 66% of industry in Mauritius is locatedin the central urban zone. Almost half isconfined to industrial zones, but in somecases, poor initial planning and expansion ofresidential and industrial sites has led to amixture of housing and industry.

In many coastal areas, rapid development ofhousing and commerce has outstripped therate of provision of environmental services

and community facilities especially wastemanagement and sewerage. Many coastalsettlements do not conform to the planningguidelines for set back, sea defences, accessto the beach and height of buildings.This canbe seen at Flic en Flac in the west and inGrand Baie in the north.

The effects include a reduction in scenicattractiveness and amenity value of thecoastline, restricted public access to thebeach, pollution of coastal waters withsewage and solid wastes and beach erosioninhibiting better development of the beachresource, without large-scale reconstruction.The Tourism Development Plan for Mauritius(2002) predicts that provision for touristswill expand from around 9,000 rooms in2000 to 20,000 in 2020, hence theconstruction of more hotels. Currentproposals received by the Ministry ofHousing and Lands for Integrated ResortSchemes (IRS) may require around 2000 haof land.

Estimates made by the Department ofEnvironment indicate that some 20% ofwetlands have been filled in the Northerntourist zone, 50% in the western area of Flicen Flac and 50% of the remainder are underpressure, including the new Belle Maretourist zone on the east coast (NES , 1998)

The principal effects of building on wetlandsinclude a reduction of the biological habitatand of the amenity value of natural areas.Building has increased pollution of the lagoon 67


by affecting the important functions of thewetlands such as reducing nutrient loads andretaining sediment.

The concentration of business, industry andresidences in the Port Louis and central areaof Plaines Wilhems has put acute stress onboth infrastructure and resources. Land usepatterns have a direct impact on the trafficintensity.These heavily built up areas, coupledwith a lack of adequate planning, give rise toserious problems of traffic congestion,concentrated along the main routes to thecapital city. The impact includes localisedepisodes of poor air quality and its effects onthe health of the urban population and delaysin travelling around the island andconsequent higher transport and operatingcosts for business.

The main challenge facing the land resourcesin Mauritius is to ensure that land is readilyavailable for the economic developmentobjectives of the nation, while taking intoaccount environmental concerns and socialneeds.

One solution is to concentrate future majordevelopment in and around strategic growthclusters in the conurbation including CyberCity, and in existing major settlementselsewhere, where a critical activity mass hasalready been built up or can shortly beenvisaged.

This could include promoting an urbanrenaissance, particularly in key town centres

in the conurbation and enabling ruralregeneration and tourism development inand around other settlements and in thecountryside and on the coast.

Development should be planned so thatwherever possible, it minimises the need totravel and facilitates safe and convenientmovement on foot, by cycle and by publictransport. Development that generates largenumbers of passenger movements should belocated close to sites including Urbanrenaissance Zones which provide or have the68

C H A P T E R 3

Old retail shop

New shopping complex

potential to provide for convenient access bypublic transport, by cycle and on foot.Thereshould also be proper planning so as to makebest use of existing transportation networksand have regard to strategic priorities. Thiswill all require more attention fromprofessionals, skilled in land development andurban planning, which the country lacks atpresent. The aim would be to managedevelopment in ways which enhance andprotect the environment and provide betterquality of life for the people.

Progress

PoliciesThe Government has developed new lawsand new institutional arrangements to planand manage better use of land.The objectivehas been to strike a new balance betweenthe national interest and competingcommercial interests, to reach decisionsmore quickly and to apply agreed strategicprinciples for a better future.This has meantsweeping away old laws and procedures andestablishing a new framework formanagement.

The National Physical Development Planand the National Development Strategy

The National Physical Development Plan(NPDP) approved in 1994 has been replacedby a new National Development Strategyapproved in 2003.The NES makes provisionsfor a series of planning guidance, which will

be enforced by the local authorities with thesupport of Ministry of Housing and Lands.They are important instruments forenvironmental protection. These designguidance on sectoral development have beenfinalised and outline schemes have also beenrevised.

Institutional Reform- The EnvironmentProtection Act (EPA)

The EPA was passed in 1991 has beenrepealed and replaced by EPA 2002 whichprovides for more vigorous control over landuse planning and development by:-

(i)Institutional Strengthening

● Environmental Police for theenforcement of environmental laws,

● National Network for SustainableDevelopment as a consultative forumincluding the public sector, private sectorand NGOs chaired by the Minister ofEnvironment,

● ICZM Committee involving the publicsector, private sector and NGOs incoastal management,

● New procedures for processingschemes,

(ii) Strengthening of the existingenforcement mechanism, including ‘stoporders’ and fixed penalties

(iii) Establishment of standards orguidelines for builtup environment andlandscape. 69


New Planning Law

Strategic plans to fulfil these aims and theNational Environmental Action Plan havebeen incorporated within a cohesive legalframework.A key component is the Planningand Development Act 2004.This follows theprinciples of Agenda 21 and the BPoA.Formerly, the focus was on developmentcontrol.The new Planning and Developmentlegislation of 2004 paves the way forintegrated planning of land use. It moves fromenvironmental protection to sustainabledevelopment.The new 2004 law provides forintegrated physical and land use planning andmanagement. It seeks to minimise conflictsand achieve efficient trade offs, linking socialand economic development withenvironmental protection. (See Box 3.1).

Box 3.1Land Development Permits

The main permits/clearances requiredfor the land development permittingprocesses are as follows:

● The Development Permit under theTown and Country Planning Act,

● The Building Permit under the BuildingAct,

● The Land Conversion Certificateunder the Sugar Industry EfficiencyAct,

● The Morcellement Permit under theMorcellement Act,

● Modification of zoning when the areaintended to be developed is not zonedfor such either in a Scheme that isapproved or under preparation underthe Town and Country Planning Act, and

● EIA licence under the EnvironmentProtection Act.

Each of the above laws operates under different legislative policy and intent.The Town and Country Planning Actsets out the principle of development - i.e. it provides, through technicaldocuments that are transmittedthrough appropriate safeguardingprocedures set out by the law, zoninginformation (and other relevantcriteria) as to what land use may beallowed and under what conditions atany given time.

The main policy intent behind theBuilding Act is to provide for structuralsafety.The Building Act overlaps with theTown and Country Planning Act onmatters like setback and parkingstandards.

The main policy intent behind theSugar Industry Efficiency Act is thenecessity to ensure that sugarproduction level is sufficient to meet 70

C H A P T E R 3

the commitments of the country,preserving agricultural land andoptimising in agricultural land.

The policy intent behind theMorcellement Act is to ensure that noland is subdivided and sold for anydevelopment purpose unless therequirements of relevant authoritiesare satisfied e.g. proper planningincluding issues like communitydevelopment criteria, traffic safety, norisk of flooding and all infrastructuralrequirements such as roads, drains,waste disposal, and electricity are met.

The purpose of the EIA licence underthe Environment Protection Act is toensure that specific undertakings (asset out in the Schedule to the Act)which fail to comply withenvironmental requirements cannot goahead and that those, which areapproved comply with specificmitigative measures.

On top of the above licences underthe above Acts, there are otherlegislation controlling the use of land,like the Pas Geometriques Act and theState Lands Act (which control the useof State land), the Finance Act (whichprovides special provisions for HDCprojects); some of the permits wouldalso be dependent on clearances fromother Authorities like CWA, CEB andthe Ministry of Energy.

Professional Development

The Professional and technical skillsneeded to operate the new planningsystem are in short supply. This capacityneeds to be built up for:

● Land use planning,

● Enactment and enforcement of laws,

● Establishment of guidelines,

● Environmental Impact Assessment andEIA monitoring,

● Environmental protection ofEnvironmentally Sensitive Areas, and

● Strategic planning for transportnetworks and outlines schemes.

Dealing With Sensitive issues

One aim of the planning system is to dealwith the many sensitive issues that arise inland use management. These include landrights; tourist carrying capacity and theprotection of the interest of local residents;the extension and improvement in basicinfrastructure of roads, bridges, power,lighting and sewerage systems; sustainablemobility; and the promotion of style andaesthetic values in environmental planning.

Land ownership is a critical aspect of policy forsustainable development and social cohesion. Itis also closely linked to poverty relief andconservation of land quality. Decent housingfor all is a priority for social and economic 71


progress and for maintaining environmentalvalue. Public housing schemes have notsucceeded in reaching the poorest people.There is a backlog of around 20,000 on the listfor new housing. Whilst over 85% of familieslive in owner occupied property in Mauritius,and most of that is cyclone proof, poverty reliefthrough decent housing for poor peopleremains a continuing challenge.The recent structural changes in the sugarindustry, which have led to the release of landsfor other purposes, will have potentially far-reaching effects on the future disposition ofland use in the countryside. 4 600 ha ofsugarcane land has so far been committed byGovernment for conversion,mainly for housingin private plots.Over the next 20 years or so, afurther 24 000 ha of sugarcane land could bereleased for other agricultural and non-agricultural purposes. The new planninglegislation allows the Government to promotestyles of development that match the scenicbeauty of the island and avoid eye-sores thathave blighted the building practice andinfrastructure development of earlier times.

The Way Ahead

Mauritius is characterised by the inherentenvironmental vulnerabilities of Small IslandDeveloping States. Environmentaldegradation can become a seriousimpediment to economic and social progressif appropriate measures are not taken toreconcile current pace of economic growthwith sustainable management of theenvironment.

In the next phase of development, there willbe increased demands on land in line witheconomic and social change. IT and businessparks will require more land. Tourismdevelopment will require more land incoastal areas with high risks ofencroachment on environmentally sensitiveareas. New housing however will dominatethe picture. This is necessary to meet theneeds of a still growing population, to meetthe needs of poor people for decent housing,and the changing patterns of family life. Tooperate the new planning system newtechnical tools have to be developed. Theseinclude:

● Guidelines and the means to enforcethem,

● Technical skills at local level,

● Better information system including basicdata and monitoring to translate planningpolicies into detailed schemes,particularly to protect environmentallyand ecologically sensitive areas,

● Clearer Institutional Responsibility, and

● Adequate public awareness andparticipation to enable them tocontribute effectively.

Management of land resources in Mauritius ispresently at the cross-roads. The aim is toestablish a comprehensive plan of landmanagement.The 2004 legislation is a starting point.Judicious management will be needed to

72

C H A P T E R 3

73


ensure that this scale of change in land useprojected can be accomplished within thespirit of the new planning framework. Oneanswer may be to include the principle of thegarden city within the guidelines for thefuture. Mauritius cannot be returned to itsformer pristine state, before the imprint ofman has irreversibly transformed it. But thefuture could include the promotion ofMauritius as cultivated garden state in whichevery built development plays its role inpromoting and protecting the quality of thehabitat.


No national land development programmecan be sustainable unless it incorporates astrong element of social justice andredistribution.There is a need to ensure thatthe housing programme remains sustainableand there are appropriate and accompanyingmeasures of social integration.There is also aneed to ensure that the lower middle incomegroups who do not benefit from directGovernment subsidy are not priced out.Food security can only be achieved throughincreased, planned and efficient agriculturalproduction. As transport costs increase, somore attention has to be given to local foodproduction. This is a new area for regionalco-operation and technical exchange. Thesize of SIDS and their topography make thema special case for agricultural developmentespecially in market gardening.

Sale of locally produced vegetables in covered market

74

C H A P T E R 3


3. Land ResourcesA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Environmental protection Acts1991 and 2002

● National Development Strategy2003 and design guidance forsectoral development

● Environment Impact Assessment ● lanning and Development Act 2004● Institutional strengthening● Strengthening of existing

enforcement mechanism● Environmental policies● Identification of sensitive hot spots

for management● Reducing soil erosion

● Strict enforcement of laws and

guidelines

● capacity building of local staff

● Adequate coordination and information

exchange between ministries in planning

activities

● Adequate basis data and monitoring

● Public participation

● Clear institutional responsibility

Land degradation

● Environmental protection Acts1991 and 2002

● National Development Strategy2003 and design guidance forsectoral development

● Environment Impact Assessment ● Planning and Development Act

2004

● Judicious land management under the

new planning framework

● Enforcement of new legislation

Urbanisation andindustrialisation

● ICZM Committee● Environmental protection Acts

1991 and 2002● National Development Strategy

2003 ● Environment Impact Assessment

● Capacity building

● Adequate basis data and monitoring

● Clear institutional responsibility

Rapidly increasingcoastal developmentwith expansion oftourism and hotelresorts

● National Development Strategy2003

● Closer integration of land use and

transport planningTraffic congestion

● Conservation● Reforestation programmes● National parks● Education and awareness

programme

● Promoting the garden island principle

● Safeguarding scenic attractiveness and

amenity value of natural areas

● Reforestation

Deforestation andreduction ofbiological habita

● Planning and development Act 2004● Environmental protection Acts

1991 and 2002● National Development Strategy

2003 ● Environment Impact Assessment

● Resolving conflicting use of land

resourcesConflicting uses

Biodiversity resources

The Challenges

The islands of Mauritius and Rodrigueswere uninhabited until the 16thcentury. The climatic, geological and

topographical regimes resulted in theevolution of diverse biota with a high degreeof endemism, further promoted by the ageand isolation of the islands. But withdevelopment, this biodiversity has beenadversely affected, especially by humanhabitation, direct exploitation and theinvasion of alien plant and animal species.

Some of the damage such as the speciesextinction (most famously the dodo), thedestruction of vital habitats and the impact ofinvasive alien species, is irreversible.Nevertheless both islands have been the hostto significant international and localprogrammes of conservation to help protectindigenous biodiversity resources. These arebeing recognised as making importantcontributions to world heritage, to theattraction of eco-tourism and for medicinaland other uses.

Fortunately Agalega and St Brandon arealmost pristine and are very important formarine diversity and tropical seabirds. StBrandon has had little formal development,and according to a recent World Bankreport, it should be kept this way to allownature to remain untouched.The principal challenges being addressed by

Mauritius are to protect and restore thewealth of biodiversity being lost for futuregenerations, to promote valuable economicand social uses for these natural resources,and to strengthen regional and internationalcollaboration essential to the success of suchspecialist activities in SIDS.

Invasive alien species arrived in Mauritius andRodrigues with the first boats landing on theislands. Rats, deer, pigs, monkeys, cats,mongooses all destroy the native fauna of theisland, and eat seedlings and seeds of thenative flora. Many exotic plant species arenaturalised and dominate areas that shouldbe native forest. These pose an enormousproblem for the survival of the forest – theplants out-compete the natives by stealingspace, nutrients and sunlight.

There are 49 islets present around Mauritiuswith area ranging from 253m2 to 253hectares. Some of them are highly degradedwhile others have been actively restored toprotect their unique biodiversity. Because theislets were less badly affected by IAS, theystill contain fragments of the nativebiodiversity now extinct on the mainlandMauritius and its islands harbour a relativelywide variety of endemic plant species thatare used in traditional medicines. Many ofthese plants,have been classified as endangered.

76

C H A P T E R 4

Plants

As with many isolated islands Rodrigues andMauritius harbour a unique collection ofsome of the rarest plants and animals on theplanet. Mauritius has about 680 nativespecies of plant remaining – of which about70 are already thought to be extinct. About300 of these species are endemic toMauritius.Almost all of the remaining speciesare threatened to some extent throughhabitat loss, invasive alien species andexploitation. In Mauritius 79 species arerepresented by less than 10 individuals in thewild, and several of these by a singleindividual.

Although conservation activities began some25 years ago, the World Conservation Union(IUCN) has rated Mauritius as the thirdcountry in the world after Hawaii andCanary islands to have the most threatenedplant species

Birds

The bird life on the islands is equallythreatened, although species recoveryprogrammes for Mauritius kestrel, pinkpigeon and echo parakeet, have saved manyspecies on the brink of extinction. TheInternational Council for Bird Conservation(ICBP) has classified Mauritius as first amongthe 75 forests of major importance forthreatened birds in the African Region.

Native Forests:

Native forests cover less than 2% ofMauritius, and are restricted to the southwest area where much is protected withinthe Black River Gorges National Park, thesouth eastern Bambous mountains (mostlyprivately owned or leased) and isolatedmountain ridges (e.g. Le Morne, Port LouisRange, Corps de Garde) and islets such asRound Island and Ile aux Aigrettes.

Conservation of the forests involvesintensive management of criticallyendangered species in specialist nurseries,restoration of forests by weeding predatorcontrol and replanting.

Progress

● National Biodiversity Strategy andAction Plan (NBSAP): Mauritius has alreadyproduced a draft National BiodiversityStrategy Plan which includes the followingthematic sectors: Forest biodiversity; 77


Trochetia boutoniana, endemic and National flower

● Setting up of a Tree Seed Centre forplantation species under the SADCRegional Cooperation

● Producing one million seedlings ofplantation species annually in the sixforest nurseries of Forestry Service tosupport the reforestation and NationalTree Planting Campaign.

● Recording System

A computer based plant recording systemhas been set up for recording information onmonitoring plants in the wild and innurseries.

● Herbarium Collection

A herbarium located in the Mauritius SugarIndustry Research Institute, has been set upcontaining over 25,000 specimens withspecies from the Mascerene islands andislets.

● Botanical Gardens for Conservationand Tourism

The SSR national Botanical Gardens have anarea of 60 acres planted with 500 plantspecies and a national collection of nativeplants of Mauritius. It is the most visitedtourist site of the country. It also includes amedicinal plant garden

● Wetland reserve

In 1999 a wetland reserve was establishedand designated as a Ramsar site in 2001. It

occupies an area of 26 ha, near the capitalcity of Port Louis, and consists of mud flatsand muddy sand, with over 1000 migratorybirds and some vagrant species. –

● Marine Diversity

Marine parks and aquatic biodiversityprojects are being promoted includingprojects on coral spawning and a field guideon coral species was published in 2001. Amangrove propagation project has recordeda success rate of 85% from seedlings plantedin the 1990s.

Two marine parks have been set up havebeen set up in Mauritius, one of 350 ha atBlue Bay and the other of 480 ha in Balaclava.

To prevent poaching in the Blue Bay MarinePark and protect the rich biodiversity thereina special unit, the Blue Bay Marine ParkPatrol, has been set up in 2004.

● Fish Reserves

Six fish reserves have been designated toprotect and preserve habitats which serve asnurseries for juvenile fish.

● Fauna Diversity:

The Mauritian Kestrel, the Echo Parakeet andthe Pink Pigeon are the three threatenedendemic birds that have been saved fromextinction due to extensive conservationwork have been carried out in captivity andin the wild by internationally funded NGOs

79


Terrestrial Biodiversity; Agro Biodiversity;Freshwater, Coastal and Marine AquaticBiodiversity; Biotechnology and Sustainableecotourism. Furthermore, the Ministry ofAgriculture has produced a Non-SugarSector Strategic Plan 2003- 2007 and one ofits objectives is to promote the conservationof natural biodiversity and fosteringsustainable utilization of natural resources.Progress in conservation of native flora hasbeen made with support from NGOS andGovernment and with external funding.

● Flora Conservation

Flora conservation works:

● Plant prospection to increase knowledgeof distribution and abundance ofthreatened species

● Update of the IUCN red data list

● Propagation of critically endangeredplants and ferns through specialistnurseries

● Conservation of plant genetic resourcesthrough field genebanks

● Trial of different methods of forestrestoration

● Proclamation of Black River GorgesNational Park in 1994

● Development and maintenance ofconservation management areas –

intensively weeded and fenced areaswithin the National Park to allow thenative forest to regenerate.

● Restoration of offshore islets such as Ileaux Aigrettes and Round Island

● Inventory and Study of Medicinal andAromatic Plants

Funding has come from the Government andNGO's and others including the World BankGlobal Equity Fund, UNDP Global EquityFund Small Grants Project, and privatedonors

● Conservation Management Areas:Setting up of conservation managementareas by the NPCs for the protection ofendangered bird species including echoparakeets and pink pigeons.- to date 10CMAs cover a total area of 40 hectares.

● Forests Management:

The State owned forestlands are governed bythe Wildlife and National Parks Act 1993 butthe privately owned forestlands have no legalprotection. With a view to cope with thechallenges of forest management, a numberof actions were taken. These are:

● Setting Up of a Biodiversity Unit at theForestry Service Department in 1997

● Creation of a Greenhouse Unit in 1999 tosupport the Biodiversity Unit78

C H A P T E R 4

Microchipping of the Round Island boais being carried out in order toestimate the population and to studytheir ecology. As far as the Nactuscompetition between introduced andnative geckos is being studied.

Insects: Under the Darwin Initiativefunding has been obtained to carry outstudies on insect. A post doctoralstudy is being carried out on ants isMauritius, the different species, theirecology and the competitive effects ofintroduced species. At present onlyeight ant species endemic to Mauritiusare known. There are also severalprojects on pollination of nativespecies in the upland forests todetermine whether exotic pollinatorsare preventing successful seed set.

Land snails: It is believed that about 130land snails are native to Mauritius, outof which 30% have become extinct andanother 30% are endangered due tohabitat destruction and predation byintroduced species.

● Islets Biodiversity Management:

In 2001 the Government of Mauritius set upa task force to propose remedial measuresfor the restoration and protection of theislets. The task force has classified the isletsinto the following categories: strict nature

reserves, open nature reserves, tourism andrecreational and passive reserves. One of therecommendations of the task force is thecreation of Islets National Park. On 5 June2004, 8 islets: Rocher des Oiseaux, PigeonRock, Ilot Vacoas, Ile D’Ambre, Ile auxOiseaux, Ile aux Fous, Ile aux Fouquets andIle aux Flamants, were declared as NationalParks.

Round Island which is one of the small isletsclose to Mauritius, harbours eight species ofreptile which are all endemic to theMascarene Islands and four of the abovespecies (including a giant skink, a gecko and asnake) occur only on Round Island andnowhere else in the world. These speciessurvive here because the island never hadany rats. The island has been under activemanagement due to funding by a grant fromthe World Bank GEF to restore the nativevegetation cover, eaten to extinction byintroduced goats and rabbits, and monitorthe reptiles and the sea bird colonies and toprevent any new invasive alien speciesreaching the island through a strictquarantine system.

Ile aux Aigrettes is a Nature Reserve isletwhich has been leased to the MauritiusWildlife Foundation, and considerableconservation activities have been carried outthere.The island contains the last fragment ofcoastal ebony forest and much effort hasbeen put in to control the invasive plantspecies and restore the forest. The island isalso a safe haven for pink pigeons andMauritius fodys. 81


Box 4.1Progress with Promoting Animal

Biodiversity

Kestrel: Out of a population of only 4birds in 1974 including a singlebreeding female, the Kestrelpopulation in 2004 is estimated to beabout 600 to 700. It is thought that thepopulation will stabilise around 800individuals. Low-level monitoring andfurther research work will then berequired to maintain this population.

Echo Parakeet: Of the known 20-25individuals of the Echo Parakeet in1987 the population has beenincreased to about 230 birds at theend of the breeding season 2003-2004.The forecast by the end of thebreeding season 2004-2005 is that thetotal world population may reachabout 300 individuals. The echoparakeet was considered at that timeas the rarest parrot in the world. Infact, the Mauritian echo parakeetrescue programme is perhaps the onlyparrot project where knownmanagement techniques are applied.

Pink Pigeon: From a population of 12-20Pink Pigeon in the late 1970’s thenumber of bird has now reached 380.It is expected that, if additional releasesare conducted, the population shouldreach over 500 within 3 years,

Fruit Bat: Of the three species of fruitbat which existed in Mauritius nowonly one species remains. A captivebreeding programme is under progressto protect the remaining species.

Mauritian Fody: Currently there areabout 120 pairs of the Mauritian fodyin the wild.A trial; release was made in2003 on Ile aux Aigrettes with a highsurvival rate of 50% and there hasbeen one successful breeding andfledging.

Seabirds: Ringing study is being carriedout on sea birds Round Island namelyred-tailed tropic bird, white tailedtropic bird and wedge tailedshearwater. The breeding and nestingsuccess of the Round Island Petrel isbeing studied as well.

Reptiles: The outer islets of Mauritiusnamely Flat Island, Round Island,Serpent Island , Gunner’s Quoin andIlot Vacoas harbour some of the rareand threatened endemic reptilespecies including the primitive boa, thetelfair skink, the gunther’s gecko andNactus sp. Prospecting surveys arecarried out on a regular basis in orderto make an inventory of species andthis has led to the recent discovery ofa Nactus spp. on Flat Island. Furtherstudies are being carried out on thesereptiles in a view to reintroduce themin certain appropriate places.80

C H A P T E R 4

Box 4.3.Biotechnology

The Objective of present biotechnologyresearch in agriculture in Mauritiusshould be to refine the kinds ofpolicies and strategies that wouldenable biotechnology to contribute tomore efficient approaches to cropprotection and production, forexample drought and pest resistantcash crop and food crop varietiesadapted to the local agro-climaticecosystem, with less environmentalrisk. This programme includes aprocess of product patenting, bio-safety ethics, productcommercialisation and intelligentmarketing targeting a new class ofmodern agricultural farmers producingto meet both local and exportmarkets. The development ofbiotechnology will provide an answerto meet the challenge of the alternateuse for the 7,000 acres of landreleased from sugar cane cultivation.Anew type of fertiliser is being producedby the fertiliser plant of Mauritiuswhich produces better output.

In Mauritius the Animal HealthLaboratory produces vaccines againstNewcastle Disease and Fowl Pox insmall amounts basically to meet theneeds of small and medium breeders.The private sector is involved to a very limited extent in the commercial

propagation of horticultural plantlets.In the field of plant biotechnology thefocus is on the propagation of sugarcane plantlets by tissue culture. Themicro propagation of endangeredendemic plants, confined to someendemic orchids for the time being isalso ongoing. Biotechnology researchdevelopment perspectives for thesugar cane industry are strong asMauritius has an excellentinfrastructure and laboratory facilitiesfor modern biotechnology methodsfor sugarcane improvement, and use ofby-products for commercialisation.

Apart from Genetically ModifiedOrganism Act 2004 there is anabsence of specific legislation coveringBio safety and Bio-ethics. The sameapplies for intellectual property rightswith respect to patented rights in thefield of genetic engineering,biomedicine and animal vaccine.

83


Serpent Island is an important habitat for a

wide range of animal species which include

two lizards species, Nactus serpensisula and

Gongylomorphus bojeri, one undescribed

tarantula spider, centipedes, the only colony

of masked boobies in the Mascarene, very

high densities of common noddies, tesser

noddies and sooty terns.

● Aquatic Biodiversity:

In 2002 a study on ‘ The Inventory of

Freshwater Fish and Macrocrustaceans of the

main rivers of Mauritius’ was carried out by

a group of French Scientists from L’

Association Reunionaise de Développement

de L’Aquaculture (ARDA) in collaboration

with some local counterparts.The study has

established the rich biodiversity of our rivers

namely the presence of 18 species of fresh

water fish and 10 species of crustaceans

respectively. The species were grouped into

three categories: endemic, indigenous and

exotic. Three of the endemic crustacean

species are the Cardina mauritii, Cardina

spathulorostris and Cardina richtersi (petite

chevrette). However, most of those species

are few in number. Presently a management

plan is being drawn for the conservation of

the fresh water fish and macrocrutacean.

Box 4.2Management of biodiversity

Initiatives

● Preparation of a management plan forrivers, canals and streams,

● Further initiatives funded by theMinistry of Environment under thesecond Environment InvestmentProgramme (EIP2),

● Placing of two release cages at BelOmbre and Combo for the PinkPigeons,

● Setting up of two conservationmanagement areas of 4.9 hectareseach at Petrin and Belloguet for theprotection of endemic plant species(such as ….),

● Construction of a captive breedingcentre at Black River for endangeredbirds, and

● Implementation of a National PestControl Strategy in the Black RiverGorges National Park.

● Biotechnology:

Biotechnology is an emerging technology inthe Mauritian previously mainly limited tosugar cane.The power of biotechnology as atool for industry is increasing rapidly with thecreation of a wide range of materials such asbiodegradable plastics, bio pesticides,genetically engineered organisms andbiocatalyst. (See Box 4.3).

82

C H A P T E R 4

The Eco Parakeet Rescue Programme:a successful conservation project

85


84

C H A P T E R 4

● Medicinal Plants:

Preliminary research work conductedat the University of Mauritius on anumber of endemic species has alreadyshown the presence of the under-mentioned classes of compounds. Asurvey on Medicinal and AromaticPlantswas carried out recently under

the aegis of the Indian OceanCommission, a regional associationand funded by the European Union.This study reported on the use ofseveral endemic/indigenous species inthe traditional pharmacopeia. InMauritius and Rodrigues alone, 634species are reported to have beenused traditionally.

Table 4.1 The medicinal value of plant resources in Mauritius

Plant resources Medicinal Properties

● Secondary metabolites

● Terpene derivatives

● Polyphenol compounds

● Antibacterial

● Anti-inflammatory

● Antiviral

● Anti allergic

● Antitumoral

● Antifungal

● Cardioprotective

● Antioxidant

● Free radical scavenging


4. Biodiversity ResourcesA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Implementing treaty obligations● Creating national parks and

protected areas● Tree planting projects● Clearing invasive species● Ex situ conservation projects in

natural and laboratory settings

● trengthen education programmes.● Legal biodiversity protection on private

land.● Empowering ngos in biodiversity

management.● Greater priority for wetlands ● Identification of environmentally

sensitive development● Large scale restoration

● Protect therichness ofbiodiversity of theislands

● Linking projects to tourist andeducational activities (Botanicalgardens, nature reserves, wildlifeprojects)

● Supporting medicinal studies andtherapeutic uses for endemicspecies

● Promoting biotechnologyinnovation

● Guidelines for recreational use ofmarine and coastal areas (watersports, diving, leisure craft,mooring, reef fishing

● Adaptation of EIA and otherprocedures to meet the challengesof development in the most fragileecological sites

● Promotingeconomic andsocial uses of thenatural resources

● Sustaining and extendingcollaborative scientific studies

● Supporting regional andinternational science projects

● Promoting gene banks for security ofconservation of species

● Strengthening regional andinternational networks for researchand teaching.

● Development of professional andtechnical human resources andinstitutions to meet the growingneeds in biodiversity programmes.

● Promoting regionaland internationalco-operation inbiodiversity andscience

C H A P T E R 4

Coastal and Marine Resources

The Challenges

88

C H A P T E R 5

Coastal and Marine resources of small island states are of vital importance to theirsocio- economic development. These resources have suffered from the process ofdevelopment and are at risk from internal and external threats including climate

change and sea level rise.Action to protect these resources is a high priority for current andfuture plans.The coastal zone of Mauritius is defined in the EPA Act 2002 as any area whichis situated within 1 km or such distance as may be prescribed from the high water mark,extending either sides into the sea or the inlands. It includes:

● Coral reefs, reef lagoon, beaches, wetlands, hinterlands and all islets within the territorialwaters of Mauritius and Rodrigues.

● Any estuary or mouth of river

● The islands of Agalega and St Brandon and outer islets

Table 5.1Information on the Coastal Zone of Mauritius

● Length of Coastline ● Marine Exclusive Economic Zone● Continental Shelf Area● Lagoon areas ● Length of coral reefs● Area of coral reef

● 322 Km● ˜1.9 million km2

● 75, 0000 km2

● 243 km2

● 150 km● 300 km2

Coastal ecosystems such as coral reefsprotect the land from the erosive forces ofthe sea providing a calm extensive lagoon.Mangroves, sea grass beds, estuaries andwetlands are essential to SIDS because oftheir many roles for example they serve asnursery ground to commercial fish, birds andother animals, protection of shorelines fromstorms, provide a natural mechanism forsustaining water quality and much more.

In the period 1990-2000 there has been: adecrease in the area under vegetation, and anincrease in the area of hotels, public beaches,grazing on the cliffs and elsewhere, andcoastal roads.

In the past decades, Mauritius dependedheavily on its textile and its sugar caneindustries but the focus is now shifting tocoastal and marine resources and theircontribution to tourism and a rejuvenatedfisheries industry.Tourism, primarily attractedby the white sandy beaches, the lagoons andcoral reef accounts now for 13 % of the totalGDP.The Government is already committedto a target of one million tourist arrivals bythe year 2005. As shown in figure 5.1 andfigure 5.2, the number of tourist continues toincrease but the rate of growth both inarrivals and in receipts is declining. Steps arebeing taken to ensure the natural resourceson which tourism largely depends areproperly conserved and not irreversiblydepleted.

89


Following cabinet decision in October 2001,this practice was stopped.The mining of sandand sand dunes have seriously reduced thesupply of sand on beaches where it serves toprotect the coast from the erosive action ofwaves. Moreover, this may lead to an increasein water turbidity starving the coastal areasof oxygen and creating an inhospitablehabitat for fish, shellfish and most marine life.

Pollution of The Lagoons

Monitoring of the lagoon water was startedin early 90’s by the Ministry of Fisheries andis still ongoing. Reports have indicated thatlagoon water quality is degraded in certainlocalised areas:

● In 1996, five cases of red tides associatedwith high nutrients levels were reportedat Trou aux Biches-Mon Choisy area,

● The beaches at Palmar have beensuffering from bulk accumulation of algaefor many years. This has been mostlyattributed to seepage arising from animalfarming in the region, and

● Industrial pollution at Baie du Tombeau.and Pointe aux Sables.

The National Environment Action Plan(1999) has mainly attributed the reduction inthe lagoon water quality to the four shortsea outfalls, namely Baie du Tom beau, PointeAux Sables, Bain des Dames and PointeMoyenne that release untreated effluent intothe sea, the discharge of industrial andagricultural pollutants directly into the sea orvia surface water and sewage seepage fromthe shore side residences. Raw sewageincluding industrial effluent from Port-Louisand Roche-Bois was being discharged at asewage outfall approximately one metre offthe shoreline at Mer Rouge till the end of2001.

Progress

Restoring beaches Technical studies for evidence basedconservation projects Legislation and guidelines for coastlinedevelopment have had to be revised andstrengthened to increase protection for these 91


Coastal Degradation

The coastal zone is under growing pressurefrom both sea based and land basedactivities. Increasingly over the last thirtyyears, with the development of internationaltourism through long-haul jet airlines, thecoastal zone has experienced very rapiddevelopment and mounting ecologicalpressure. Most of the pristine coastal siteshave been exploited and now hotel plannersare examining areas less touched by theimprint of change.

Beach Erosion

Development associated with the expansionof tourism has resulted in the constructionof a large number of jetties, slipways, piers,breakwaters around the island for fishingboats, pleasure boats and yachts. Numerous

groins and sea walls have been privately builtin front of beachfront hotels and private villasto protect the beaches from erosion. Butevidence suggests that these structurespromote rather than inhibit beach erosion,leaving uprooted trees, exposed roots andvisibly narrowing beaches.

Beach erosion is an increasing problem facedby Mauritius and has led to the loss of beachspace and biological impacts through the lossof habitats.According to the Baird’s Report, astudy commissioned by the M/Environmenton coastal erosion in Mauritius,approximately 7 km of beach is known to besignificantly affected by erosion exacerbatedby hard structures on the beach.

Lagoonal sand mining used to be extracted atthe rate of 800 000 tonnes a year foruse by the local construction industry.

90

C H A P T E R 5

Uprooted trees caused by beach erosion at Flic-en-Flac Seepage contaminations

Actions

● A setback of a minimum distance of 30m from the HWM is set out as one ofthe conditions in the EIA licence forcoastal construction and for all newleases,

● Levelling and removal of sand dunes tobe prohibited and included as part ofthe coastal zone setback policy

● Beach nourishment implemented inpilot project being evaluated (Flic enFlac),

● To restore corals in the lagoon at Flicen Flac, a pilot project consisting ofarrays of concrete blocks fastenedtogether were deposited in the lagoon.It is expected that within six monthscorals will settle on these blocks,

● Outline Policy presently beingamended,

● Development plan for extension oflessons learned from pilot scheme toother beaches, and

● Technical review of experience fromother SIDS.

Further Developments

● Develop schemes for relocation,

● Identifying construction for relocation,

● Guidelines for coastal construction tobe developed,

● Integrated Coastal Zone ManagementPlan,

● Beach Management Plan,

● Plan for coastal erosion Protection,

● Private Sector to be encouraged toremove unnecessary structures orimplement beach fill projects in placeof structural approaches to erosionprotection,

Banning of Sand Extraction.

Following the cessation of lagoon sandmining in 2001, compensation was paid tothose engaged in activity and adequatesubstitute materials are now available for theconstruction industry derived mainly fromrock sand, as rocks are removed from fieldsfor increasing mechanisation of agricultureand in the preparation of building sites.Banning sand extraction from coastal areas isexpected to have a significant beneficiaryimpact in the rehabilitation of the lagoonsand in preventing beach erosion. Monitoringof the ex-sand mining sites is being carriedout by the Ministry of Fisheries and Ministryof Environment. Results show that the ex-sand mining sites are slowly recovering fromthe stress of sand mining. New corals andcolonies of sea grasses have establishedthemselves. 93


ecologically fragile areas of the country. TheMinistry of Environment has implemented inthe past several projects of coastalprotection by placing gabions. However thistechnique has been found ineffective.Consequently, the Ministry of Environmentconducted a study on coastal erosion inMauritius in November 2002.The study wascompleted in September 2003 and theconsultants have made a series ofrecommendations which represent ablueprint for Integrated coastal ZoneManagement. These recommendations wereapproved by the Government on 10 October2003 and will form part of the IntegratedCoastal Zone Management Plan forMauritius. The three pronged strategiescover: (1) Prevention (2) Non-StructuralIntervention and (3) Structural Intervention(See Box 5.1).

Box 5.1The principal elements of coastal

zone management in Mauritius

Policy1. Prevention(i) Setback

● Reduce impact of development,

● Protect the dune-beach-lagoonecosystem,

● Provide an environmental buffer forhabitat and wildlife, and

● Preserve public access to beaches.

(ii) Relocation● Remove and relocate facilities to set

back line or elsewhere

2. Non-structural Intervention(i) Shore and Beach Management

● Controlled access of vehicles andpedestrians,

● Onshore grading,

● Restoration of native coastalvegetation enhancement,

● Dune protection and restoration, and

● Vegetation and bioengineering tostabilize the slope surface.

(ii) Beach Nourishment/ Beach FillArtificial placement of suitable beachmaterial onto an eroding or sedimentdeficient beach area in order toreplenish, maintain / enhance the beachwidth

3 Structural Interventions● Groynes,

● Artificial headlands,

● Detached breakwaters, and

● Shoreline armouring (e.g. revetmentsand seawalls).

92

C H A P T E R 5

New regulations to reinforceframework of WMA have beenmade or are being made andawaiting promulgation

● Standards for discharge of industrialeffluent into the public sewers(expected shortly),

● Effluent Discharge permits under EPA-2002,

● Bill passed in Parliament on 10thAugust 2004, with reference to thefollowing:(a)the disposal of wastewater andeffluent through the public sewer-(Compulsory House Connection,(b) the levying of wastewater fees fromground water users the waiver of fees,surcharge on wastewater claims, and

● Cesspool emptying regulation(expected shortly).

Further Development

● Government to implement regulationsto ensure all coastal development isproperly serviced for wastewater,

● Smaller establishments to have septicsystems and larger developments tohave treatment systems,

● All systems should be inspected

regularly with a requirement to producean annual certificate of worthiness, and

● Continued enforcement andimprovement of controls fromindustry and agriculture.

Establishment of MauritiusOceanography Institute

Mauritius is a party to the United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea whichcommits the country to adhere tointernational policy on conservation of livingresources of the high seas. The coastal andocean territory of Mauritius holds animmense potential for development whichcould play a vital role in the future economicwell being of the country. Recognising theimportance of the marine development,Mauritius called for a strong oceanographicinstitute to capitalize on this developmentpotential. With this objective in mind, theMauritius Oceanography Institute (MOI) wasofficially established in January 2000. One ofthe major responsibilities of the MOI is tomonitor the marine environment aroundMauritius and the Outer Islands and adviseGovernment on policies that will maintainthe health of these coastal and oceanicwaters (See Boxes 5.3 & 5.4).

95


Improving Water Quality in The Lagoons

Action is being taken to implement theNational Environmental Action Plan forredressing the declining lagoon water qualityaffecting certain coastal areas (See Box 5.2).

Box 5.2 Action on water quality in coastal

waters

A broad strategy for improving waterquality of coastal waters is now beingput in place.

Problem

● Discharge of untreated effluent intothe lagoon,

● Discharge of agricultural pollutantsdirectly into the sea or via surfacewater, and

● Major industrial pollutants resultingfrom dyeing, printing, tanning, battery-making and paint manufacture end upin lagoon.

Progress

Set up of Wastewater ManagementAuthority

● Has the responsibility to maintain andmanage all existing public wastewatersystems, regulate construction ofprivate sewers and more importantlyto expand the new sewer network

systems in order to provide houseconnections to all propertiesdomestic, commercial and industrial.

National Sewerage Master Plan

National Sewerage Master Planprepared in 1994 provides a completescheme for the development ofwastewater sector in Mauritius.

● Plan seeks to connect 50 % of thepopulation to the public seweragesystem by 2010/2012

● On completion of the NSMP most ofthe existing effluent will be disposed ofto sewer

● Funding has been secured for severalof the projects namely MontagneJacquot, Grand Baie, Baie du Tombeau,St Martin and Plaines WilhemsSewerage projects comprising of theNSMP

New Sewerage Plant at Baie duTombeau

● In January 2002, the new sewageoutfall came into operation at Baie duTombeau. It caters for wastewaterfrom Port Louis North, Fanfaron,Plaine Verte, Abercrombie, Cite laCure, Cite Roche Bois, Cite MerRouge, Cite Ste Croix, Dockers Flat,Camp Firinga, Camp Florida andCamp Florida. As at June 2003, therewere approximately 3,300 households(including those located in the housingEstates) connected to the Baie duTombeau Wastewater treatment plant.

94

C H A P T E R 5

Continental Shelf so that the Governmentcan submit this claim well before the 2009deadline.

Action taken ● MOI contracted three cruises which

provided the vessels and geophysicalequipment to undertake the bathymetryand geophysical surveys necessary tosubstantiate this claim,

● Already acquired over 12,000 km ofmultibeam bathymetric data on theMascarene Plateau, Chagos Ridge and theCentral Indian Ridge. These data willdefine the foot of slope points uponwhich the claim for an ExtendedContinental Shelf is predicated, and

● Seismic refraction and seismic reflectiondata on the Saya de Malha and NazarethBanks acquired.

Next Steps

● Work is now focussed on the processingand interpretation of the data,

● The National Coast Guard is active inthe surveillance of the EEZ. However,because of the size of the Mauritian EEZ,there is a lack of effective round theclock monitoring, control andsurveillance of the EEZ, and

● A Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) isprojected to be operational in early 2005for surveillance.

Marine Ressources Management

The local fishing industry provides livelihoodfor about 10,000 persons, plus support tothe fishing as an adjunct to tourism. Fishingyielded Rs 4 billions (US$ 139 million) asexport earnings in the year 2003. Theexclusive economic zone, of marine waters,of 200 nautical miles, is to be furtherdeveloped for commercial fishing. It isplanned that this element of the country’snatural resources should play an increasingrole in the economic and social developmentof Mauritius. To respond to this challenge,more resilience is needed to maintain thequality of these resources and to make bestuse of them.

Improving Fisheries Resources

Fish is a traditional part of the local diet anda key element in food security. Fishery catchhas decreased significantly during the last 10years with a catch of 19, 690 tons in 1993 to9, 334 tons in 2002. Catch from the banks hasalso decreased from 4, 707 tons in 1992 to 3, 159 tons in 2003.

The coastal waters have faced a loss inproductivity mostly due to the following:

● Reduction in water quality,

● Overexploitation,

● Physical damage to fish breeding andfeeding grounds (careless anchoring,traps, boat poles, reef walking, damage bydivers and shell collection),

97


Mauritius Claim for an ExtendedContinental Shelf

The continental shelf area is the mostproductive area for fishing and covers 75,000km2. Under the provisions of the UnitedNations Convention Law of the Sea,Mauritius has the opportunity to extend itsmarine jurisdiction beyond the 200 nauticalmile EEZ.This extended zone, known as theExtended Continental Shelf could provideadditional resources for our economy. In this

regard, the MOI has the important task toformulate a claim to the UNCLOSCommission on the Limits of the ContinentalShelf for the extension of the marinejurisdiction of the Republic of Mauritius.

Extension of Marine jurisdiction

The project is on schedule for theformulation of the technical submission tothe UN Commission on the limits of the

96

C H A P T E R 5

Box 5.3: Objectives of MauritiusOceanography Institute

● Formulate, implement andcoordinate of scientific programmesrelating to the protection,exploration and development ofmarine living and non-livingresources in the maritime zones ofthe Republic of Mauritius,

● Provide support services tostakeholders of the fishing industryincluding those involved inaquaculture,

● Provide advice to policy makers onmatters related to the managementand development of marineresources and the conservation ofmarine environment includingcreation of marine parks andreserves in accordance with theprovisions of the Fisheries andMarine Resources Act 1998 & EPA2002, and

● Act as focal point for collaborativeresearch and management as regardto regional and international research.

● Lagoon and Reef Watch Movement,● Bio prospecting Mauritius waters,● Coral Recruitment,● Inventory of the Coral Fauna of Mauritius,● Study of Short Period Sea Level

Oscillations Geo-spatial Informationsystem for Coastal Vulnerability Mappingof Mauritius, and

● Geo-spatial Information system forCoastal Vulnerability Mapping of Mauritius.

New projects starting

● Study of the lagoon-beach interactions atspecific sites around Mauritius for a bettercontrol of coastal erosion,

● Modelling and mapping oceanic processesof South West Indian Ocean: a satellite-based approach, and

● Database of marine organisms of theMauritian maritime zone.

Box 5.4: Projects initiated byMauritius Oceanography institute

Protection From Anchor Damage

A pilot project has been started atGrand Baie and Pereybere to protectdive sites from anchor damage throughthe installation of Permanent MooringBuoys. 20 other sites have beenidentified around the island for theproject.

Controls on Fishing Methods

● Use of small-mesh sardine netsis prohibited,● Very tight control on the import,storage and utilization of dynamite toprevent its use in fishing is beingexercised, and● A closed season for net fishinghas been reintroduced.

Surveillance and Protection ofMarine Resources:

Close and effective surveillance isbeing carried out by the NationalCoast Guard and the FisheriesProtection Services.

Alternative Fisheries

A management strategy was developedin 1996 to reduce the number of netsin operationA package of incentives is proposed tonet owners and fishermen to surrender licenses and nets voluntarily

Fishermen are being encouraged tomove out of the lagoon andrestrictions have been imposed such asbanning spear fishing, a closed seasonfor net fishing and restrictions incatching undersized fishOff-lagoon fishing is being encouragedthrough incentives such as loans forpurchase of offshore boats, trainingand technical assistance, trials of newmethods of fishing and waivers ofimport duties on equipment.Fishing practices such as large net andbasket trap fishing should be urgentlyreviewed.

Further Development

● Further guidelines to be developed tocarefully regulate any activities thatdamage or remove lagoon coralsincluding the creation of ski lanes andswimming areas,

● Guidelines to be developed to prohibitremoval of coral unless they arereplaced elsewhere in the lagoon tomaintain sand supply,

● Marine protected areas and marineparks to be established adjacent toplaces where coastal ecosystem has ahigh ranking such as Belle-Mare. Thiswill set a leading example for resourceproduction, and

● Removal of coral rubble from beachesto be stopped. 99


● Alien species, and

● Destruction of wetlands and mangroves.

Whilst the supply of fish from the lagoon hasdecreased consumption of fish is increasing.This has put increasing pressure on fishsuppliers over the past decade to exceedsustainable levels of exploitation of theavailable resources. More and more intensivelagoon fishing has damaged the coastalhabitats through the breaking of coral areasby anchoring and poling of boats anddropping and dragging basket nets. Inaddition to increased fishing pressure,fisheries are directly influenced by pollution.

Mauritius is conscious of the delicate balancenecessary to conserve the marine ecosystemand maintain sustainable fisheries whiletaking into account the interest of the fishingcommunity and stakeholders of the fishingindustry. Transforming this downward spiralof unsustainable practice a new policy isbeing developed. This includes betterenforcement of existing laws, reorientationof local fishing to the deeper waters andrejuvenation of the lagoons as protectedareas to re-establish habitats and breedinggrounds.

Over the past few years, a number ofmeasures to protect the marine ecosystemswith a view to maintain sustained fisherydevelopment have been taken (See Box 5.5).

Box 5.5Action to Improve Management of

Marine Resources

Progress made

Legislation

A new Fisheries and Marine ResourcesAct provides the framework forimplementing national policies andmeasures for sustainable managementand development of fisheries andconservation of marine and livingresources.

Industrial effluents will be treated toconform to published standards beforedischarged into the aquaticenvironment.

Banning of Sand Mining

Sand mining has been banned andthose involved have been compensatedand offered training for other jobsResults of monitoring of ex-sandmining sites carried out by Ministry ofEnvironment and Ministry of Fisherieshave shown that the ex-sand miningsites are slowly recovering.

Mangrove Propagation Program

Mangrove propagation programongoing since 1992 for theenhancement of marine habitats.

98

C H A P T E R 5

Conservation of Islets

Mauritius is surrounded by 49 islets. Somehave very rare flora and fauna while otherssuch as Ile de La Passe and Ile Plate havehistorical importance. Action is being takento conserve them against the increasingthreat of degradation arsing from neglectfuldevelopment. (See Box 5.6)

Box 5.6Action to conserve the islets

The challenge

Prevailing deterioration of biodiversityof several important islets has beenthe focus of new policies and actionsto conserve these important elementsof natural resources which are part ofthe global heritage, scientific researchand have potential for eco-tourism.Pilot work is being carried out onRound Island, Ile aux Aigrettes, Ile auxVacoas, Flat Island, among others. Theprincipal problems arise from invasivealien species and from pollution fromunregulated use of the islets by thelocal population and tourists causingdamage and leaving waste.

ProgressTask force set up 2001:

● Assessed the causes and extent ofdegradation,

● Proposed short and long-termremedial measures for restoration andprotection of the islets,

● Strategic and operational managementplans for 16 islets, and

● Non conflicting multiple uses of someof the islets for conservation,education and research, recreation andecotourism through proper zoning andmanagement plan.

Islets National Park.

● Proclamation of the « Islets NationalPark » comprising of the followingislets : Pigeon Rock, Ile D’Ambre, I’leAux Flammants, Rocher des Oiseaux,Ile aux Fouquets, Ile aux Vacoas and Ileaux Oiseaux on 5th June 2004 (WorldEnvironment Day),

● The Mauritius Wildlife Foundationactively involved in the restoration ofIle Aux Aigrettes and Round Island forconservation research, training andeco-tourism, and

● Regular cleaning of islets effected byNPCS, NCG and Ministry ofEnvironment.

101


Opening of Fisheries Training andExtension Centre.

The Fisheries Training and Extension Centreat Point aux Sables is pivotal to thedevelopment of the fisheries sector whichwill help in capacity building of a newgeneration of fishers with intensiveknowledge in conservation of marineenvironment and sustainable use of theresources.

Proclamation of Two Marine Parks

A major step to safeguard marine ecosystemhas been the proclamation of two marineparks at Balaclava and Blue Bay in October1997 as part of the Environment Investmentprojects and a long term monitoring programis under way for their management. Toprevent poaching in the Blue Bay Marine Parkand protect the rich biodiversity therein aspecial unit, the Blue Bay Marine Park Patrol,has been set up in 2004 consisting of officersof the Ministry of Fisheries, the NationalCoast Guard and the Police deL’Environnement. A Visitor’s centre wasinaugurated on the 5th June 2004 to createawareness and sensitize visitors about theneed for protection of the existing species.

Fishing Reserves

Six fishing reserves have been proclaimed asMarine Protected Areas in June 2000 under

the Fisheries and Marine Resources Act1998. The main objective of setting up theMPA’s is to protect and conserve its habitats,which are ideal nursery ground for juvenilefish.

Coral Reef Monitoring

Coral reefs are among the most importantand extensive ecosystems in SIDS andwithout reefs most of the beaches in thetropics would not exist. Under the IndianOcean Commission (IOC), a Coral reefmonitoring project was initiated and is on-going.The overall objective of the project isto contribute to the conservation andsustainable management of coral reefs in theWestern Ocean Region by providing decisionmakers in the region with reliable data onreefs dynamics and evolution over a periodof time.

Environment Impact Assessment

Environment impact assessment encouragespromoters to take into considerationenvironmental issues at the stage ofconception and planning. It also stimulatesdevelopers to compare alternativetechnologies and adopt pollution preventionand control strategies. Many coastal activitiessuch as hotels, dredging, building of walls andother hard structures are now regulatedthrough the EIA mechanism.

100

C H A P T E R 5

Box 5.7Functions of the ICZM Division

● Develop and implement an integratedcoastal zone management plan,

● Access and monitor coastal resourcesincluding wetlands,

● Control of beach erosion,

● Islets and outer islands management,

● Develop guideline for coastalconstruction, and

● Identification and mapping ofEnvironment Sensitive Areas (ESAs).

The ICZM Committee

Following the creation of the ICZM Division,the ICZM Committee has been set up at theMinistry of Environment in the year 2003under section 50 of the EPA 2002. Thiscommittee involves all the governmentalInstitutions as well as NGO’s, parastatals andprivate organisations which are importantstakeholders of the coastal zone (See Box 5.8).

Box 5.8Objectives of ICZM Committee

● Develop an integrated managementplan,

● Coordinate regional and internationalprojects,

● Monitor coastal water quality andcoastal resources including wetlands,

● Conduct and recommend studies onBeach Erosion and propose measuresfor its control,

● Make recommendations for theupgrading of recreational facilities,

● Coordinate the management of isletsand outer islands,

● Make recommendations on guidelinesfor coastal construction,

● Propose oil spill contingency planningand sensitivity mapping, and

● Generally make recommendations tothe Minister on the Management andprotection of the coastal zone.

103


Conservation Zone at Virginia-First of ItsKind

The coastlines of islands are one of theirfinest natural resources and part of the globalheritage. Economic and social developmentof the past has adversely affected many of thenatural features and as a result many speciesof native flora and fauna have becomeextinct, threatened or endangered.

However for the past decade, there has beena growing awareness and willingness toprotect land and sea habitats. Provisions havebeen made in the National DevelopmentStrategy and the Outline Schemes todesignate conservation zones. The Ministryof Environment and NDU is of the view thatit is urgent to start a conservation project onthe littoral so as to preserve the naturalscenery. A new policy of conservation isbeing established with the demonstrationprojects focused on the areas of specialnatural beauty. The first such zone is in thearea of Virginia found in the southern part ofMauritius.

ICZM Unit within Department ofEnvironment

In order to manage the coastal zone in anintegrated and holistic manner, the Ministryof Environment has recently, in accordancewith the recommendation of the NationalEnvironment Strategy (2000-2010), set up anIntegrated Coastal Zone ManagementDivision within the Department ofEnvironment. It is expected that this bodywill play a key role in coordinating thevarious stakeholders in coastal zone planningand management. To reinforce this divisionthe project for the creation of an ICZMframework has already been initiated (See Box 5.7).

C H A P T E R 5

Stakeholders

Objectives

● Ministry of Environment and NDU● National Park Conservation Service● Beach Authority● Mauritius Wildlife Foundation (NGO)● SIT Land Holdings

● Restoration of the site throughplanting of indigenous and endemicspecies,

● Protection of last remnants ofnatural areas from encroachment bydevelopment projects includingurbanisation,

● To enhance coastal biodiversityconservation, and

● To enhance capacity building andinvolve community participation inhabitat restoration works.

Virginia102

Mauritius being dependent on tourism as animportant source of income is consideringthe implementation of a Blue Flag programfor its beaches.To maintain a privileged placein the highly competitive, luxury tourismmarket, a pristine coastal zone will beessential. A Blue Flag initiative in Mauritiuscould possibly serve as one measure of thesuccess of the overall integrated coastal zonemanagement efforts.

Resolving Conflicting Pressures on theCoastal Zone

Creating a balance in areas of conflictinginterests is a major aspect of the futuredevelopment in policy and management.Different coastal uses often conflict with oradversely affect each other. The two majortypes of conflicts related to coastal resourcesare:

● Conflicts among users over the use ofthe coastal areas, and

● Conflicts among government agenciesthat administer programs related to thecoastal zone.

Some typical manifestations of conflictsamong users of the coastal zone of Mauritiusare:

● Competition for coastal space, and

● Effects of one use such as hoteldevelopment on another use. For

example the conflict between hotel andpublic caused by the reduction of publicbeaches space. In regions where thereare hotels or extensive bungalowdevelopments, people have to walk longdistances to find access to the beach.Theproblem becomes acute when itconcerns the passage of fishermen fromtheir residence to the sea.

105


The Way Ahead

Creating a balance in areas of conflictinginterest is a major aspect of the futuredevelopment in policy and management ofthe coastal zone. The MOE in accordancewith the recommendations of the NES hasset up an ICZM Division within theDepartment of Environment.The DOE has the task of coordinating theactions of different ministries responsible forthe coastal zone. These agencies in thecoastal zone mainly through theEnvironmental Impact Assessment process(Part IV of EPA) pending the preparation ofthe ICZM plan.

Integrated Coastal Zone ManagementPlan

The 1991 State of Environment Reportrecognised the need for a morecomprehensive approach to coastal zoneplanning in Mauritius, in the form of anIntegrated coastal Zone Management Plan toaddress the increasing incidence of coastalproblems, resource use conflicts and theincreased understanding of the intricatenature of the coastal environment.

Professional and Technical Development

Although an ICZM Division has been createdwithin the Department of Environment, thestaff of the ICZM Division need to bereinforced to establish the requiredexpertise.Training needs to be established tosustain the skills and numbers of experts tocover the country as a whole at national leveland local levels.

Foreign technical expertise will continue tobe required and improvements in data and

information systems are essential.

Key Strategies to address the oceans andcoastal management challenges

Government has identified some keystrategies to address the oceans and coastalmanagement challenges namely:

● Land based pollution control and solidwaste management,

● Promotion of sustainable tourism andecotourism,

● Promotion of offshore fishing,● Contingency planning for oil spill,● Enhancement and establishment of

Marine Protected Areas,● Mitigating impacts of climate change,● Mangrove and coral reef management

and protection,● Coastal erosion control and

rehabilitation,● Selective mariculture development,● Strengthening the management,

monitoring, control and surveillancecapacity, and

● Control of motorised boats, particularlywater scooters.

Blue Flag Status

The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches withgood environmental management. Beacheshave to meet 27 criteria covering waterquality, beach management, safety servicesand facilities, environmental education andinformation.With more than 2750 beaches in24 countries participating, the Blue Flag is awell recognised and respected eco-label inEurope. It is a symbol of high environmentalstandards as well as good sanitary and safetyfacilities at the beach.

104

C H A P T E R 5

106

C H A P T E R 5


5. Coastal and Marine ResourcesA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Integrated beach management policy withsetback control on structural intrusion,beach fill and beach cleaning.

● Development of deep sea fishing ● Conservation of lagoon fish stock

protection and promotion of coralgrowth.

● Extending the Exclusive Economic Zoneunder UNCLOS

● Mapping most vulnerable places

● Implementation of EIA as a management

tool

● Ban on sand mining with compensation

and retraining for workers in deep sea

fishing

● Conservation of islets

● Beach nourishment pilot projects

● New conservation areas

● National environmental education and

awareness programme

● Statutory controls on river and marine

pollutants

● External technical assistance for beach

assessment

● Extension of R & D programme for

biodiversity conservation linked with

training and eco-tourism

● Training and development of professional and

technical staff

● Review of carrying capacity for further tourist

development

● Development, surveillance and protection of

marine resources for commercial fishing etc

● Promoting quality standards for existing

developments not subject to EIA

● Implementing set back and coastal

management policy

● Developing professional management systems

● Development of public private partnership for

cost-effective beach conservation building on

results from pilot studies

● SIDS-SIDS partnership in beach management

technology

● Cleaner vessel management programme

● Further development of response to marine

oil spills

● Implementation of national sewerage

programme

● Re-enforcing international network on R & D

through SIDS-SIDS links

● Extension of monitoring and evaluation to

Rodrigues and the outer islands

● Improving ecological models of intervention

● Sustainable use of

lagoon and marine

zones

● Better management of

the coastal zone

● Reducing damage to

natural resources and

promoting

conservation

● Improving water

quality and beach

conservation.

● Promoting monitoring,

evaluation and

research.

Tourism Resources

The Challenges

Tourism has contributed much to thedevelopment of Small Islanddeveloping States and based on the

value of an increasingly scarce naturalresource on global term, if sustained willcontinue to be very important for theirfuture growth. The tourism sector hasevolved as the third pillar of our economyand contributes significantly to the economicgrowth and development, mainly in terms ofemployment and export earnings.Developing tourism as a robust and vibrantindustry has always been a top priority of theGovernment agenda. Much effort is beingdirected by all stakeholders to realise thevision of Mauritius to becoming the top

Tourism Business Hub in the region, offeringhigh quality at a competitive price. But theworld competition is fierce and Mauritius hasto continue to offer world-class services tojustify the long haul flights. The shocks ofglobal terrorism, SARS and the prospects ofclimate change and sea level rise presentmajor challenges to this sector.

The main challenge faced by the Mauritiantourist industry is to avoid excess capacityand degradation of the quality of the touristlabel. The main policy is to promote qualitywithin an agreed carrying capacity andexplore further elements in the touristexperience.

Progress

Enhancing Resilience Despite the unfavourable internationalenvironment characterised by economicsluggishness in major source markets, warsand terrorist attacks and the recent SARSdisease, the Mauritius tourism sector hasshown continued resilience by maintainingpositive growth rate in tourist arrivals andgross receipts in the past decade.

This resilience has been achieved by:

(i) maximising low- impact, high-spendingtourism policy;

(ii) promoting high quality standards for anexclusive destination

(iii) emphasising safety and security of thedestination- the issue thus provides acompetitive edge.

(iv) maintaining low health risks and soundhealth services.

(v) increasing competitive long handairfares from a wide range of countries(e.g. UK, France, Germany, Australia,Emirates, India, Russia, South Africa,USA, etc.)

Box 6.1Resilience in tourism facts under

pressure from global threats(2003/4)

● 35% increase in gross receipts,

● 1.5% increase in employment,

● 3.0% increase in total room capacity,

● No.of bedplaces for year 2003:19,727,and

● Tourist arrivals expected to be 710 000in 2004, compared to 702 000 in 2003

Policies, Plans and Projects

Tourism is holding its growth in Mauritius ata time when price for sugar is falling and ourtextile industry is facing competition withemerging market operators like Bangladesh,Madagascar, China, Kenya and Sri Lanka.However, if not properly planned andmanaged, tourism could significantly degradethe environment through pressures on thecoastal and marine ecosystem on which it isso dependent.

The main challenge faced by the Mauritiantourist industry is to avoid excess capacityand degradation of the quality of the touristlabel. The main policy is to promote qualitywithin an agreed carrying capacity.

Surveys have shown that the main reason forvisiting Mauritius is for beach holidays, so thatthe pressure of this growth is felt almostentirely in the coastal areas. With a view tomaintaining Mauritius as an attractive anddesirable tourist destination and to addressthe above considerations, several policies andstrategic plans for tourism development havebeen prepared (See Box 6.2).

109108

C H A P T E R 6 M A U R I T I U S - S T A K I N G O U T T H E F U T U R E

Box 6.2Tourism Vision for 2020

● A scenario document based on long-term policy, anticipating a continuinggrowth in net tourist receipts, but witha restriction on growth of touristdevelopment, and therefore on thenumber of arrivals.

Strategy● Set sustainable growth rates,

● Focus development in the threetourist zones (East, West and South),while reducing development pressurein the northern tourist zone,

● Minimise further new builtdevelopment on the beaches,

● Protect tourism’s natural environmentresources,

● Prevent overbuilding of hotels andproliferation of informal visitoraccommodation,

● Diversify into ecotourism with thesensitive use of Rodrigues and outerislands, and

● Develop within the region multi stoptourism to attract demand from thosenot warranting only beach tourism.

Moving on from the strategic vision of thelater 1990s a national tourism developmentplan was prepared (See Box 6.3)

Box 6.3Tourism Development Plan

● Provides a twenty year vision which

- foresees growth of tourist industry - ensures that environmental and social

issues are addressed to the benefit ofthe people of Mauritius.

Action Plan● A five-year action programme that will

provide a framework for theimplementation of the first stage of theTourism Development Plan,

● The Plan proposes:

- $700 m of private sector investmentsin tourist accommodation, touristattractions, and ancillary facilities

- $25 m of public sector investment intourism support programmes (e.g.roads, car parking, water and sewageschemes)

- $18m on infrastructure and criticaltourism product improvements,diversification and innovations

- $7m for human resourcedevelopment/social projects andenvironmental management support.

● Trou d'Eau Douce Community ActionPlan

Another approach to development is beingtried in different part of Mauritius with anemphasis on community particpiation (SeeBox 6.5)

Box 6.5Trou D’Eau Douce Community Action plan

Enhancing natural resources for tourism

● Objectives

To create an environment for visitorsand local residents which generates anambiance reflecting the areas existinghistoric,cultural and landscape character

● To enable the local community torealise an income from their naturaland cultural heritage assets throughtourism

Features

● La Pelouse Tourism Centre to providetourist information,

● Facilities for guides/boat trip sales,handicraft market,

● Cafe/restaurant and an area for events,

● Bassin Belle Isle Harbour for a new fishlanding stage,

111110


Two of the priority development projects identified under the TDP are:

● Grand Baie WaterfrontRevitalisation of Grand Baie is one of the major goals of the Government. A continued andconcentrated effort is required to improve and maintain a physical setting which is visuallyinteresting, distinctive, comfortable and inviting for tourists and local residents, to maintainGrand Baie's place on the tourist map, (See Box 6.4).

Box 6.4

Protection of EnvironmentInfrastructureRevitalising Facilities

Sustainable development for a tourist resort

● development of a waterfront

● coastal walkway

● a floating casino

● a marina

● upgrading of road network

● embellishment of the village

● community development

● Links to sugar museum,

botanical garden, ecotourist

islets.

● rehabilitation of the lagoon

Eco-tourism

Eco-tourism, linking areas of high ecologicalvalue to low-impact tourism, may presentimportant and environmentally sustainableopportunities for tourism development inSIDS. Eco tourism includes visits to nationalparks, wildlife refuges, botanical gardens andislets to see ecological projects in progress,diversifying the tourist product and meetingthe educational interests of tourists.

Box 6.7Chamarel Integrated Development

Project

This project was initiated with a viewto involving local people in smalltourism projects that wouldeconomically be beneficial to them.The project comprises training onhandicraft, table d'hôte, nature trail,physical upliftment, embellishment ofthe village, construction of a handicraftcentre and an amphitheatre and eco-tourism activities. So far the projecthas introduced:

● Two restaurants

● A craft shop at Indian Resorts Hotel asa sale outlet for craft workers ofChamarel

● Organic farming and eco-tourismguide projects have been funded bytheUNDP/GEF.

● Private nature trail horse riding andAdventure Park.

Offshore Islets

Many of the islets around Mauritius, aretourist attractions, but also need to bepreserved. It has been observed that thebiodiversity of several important islets havedeteriorated.A task force was set up in 2001under the NPCS to assess the causes andextent of degradation and to propose shortand long-term remedial measures forrestoration and protection of the islets. Thetask force recommended the creation of anIslet national Park comprising of 16 islets anda comprehensive long term planning andmanagement of the islets for their optimalutilisation. Certain islets with high ecologicalvalue would be devoted solely toconservation whereas other could be usedfor eco-tourism and recreational activities.

Green Ceiling

Due to the environmental vulnerability of theisland, the country has to place a “Green”ceiling to restrict the maximum number ofhotels to be constructed on the island andmore particularly, to reduce the number ofhotels near the sea. The TDP proposes thatMauritius should achieve certified "Greendestination" status by the year 2020. This willinvolve, eliminating unsustainableenvironmental practices throughout theisland, in hotels, businesses and the localcommunity.

113


● Main Street Enhancement with newpavements, well designed,

● Street furniture and landscaping, and

● A coastal trail for the linkage of BassinBelle Isle Harbour and La PelouseCentre.

Tourism Environment Charter

To promote high standards in tourist facilitiesand to respond to the changing needs ofclients the Association des Hoteliers etRestaurateurs de L’Ile Maurice (AHRIM) haveproduced a charter partly funded by theNational Environment Fund and UNDP (SeeBox 6.6)

Box 6.6Tourism Environment Charter

Objectives● To make the protection of the

environment an integral part of theday-to-day management of hotels andthe other operations of the tourismindustry,

● To show the commitment of hoteliersand the other stakeholders of thetourism industry to bring aboutsustainable tourism development,

● To create better awareness among thepopulation of the actions initiated inthe tourism industry to minimize theeffects on the environment caused bythe operations of hotels and the othertourism-related activities, and

● To encourage hotels and otherstakeholders in the tourism sector towork towards attaining theappropriate environment certificationstandards.

Golf Development Strategy

To diversify the Mauritian product, a studywas carried out in 2002 on the strategy forfuture golf course development on the island.The study confirmed the potential ofMauritius as a golf destination and hasprovided a golf map for its development.112

C H A P T E R 6

Promoting Eco-tourism

undertaken to assess training needs for thetourism sector. National parks are beingsupported with trained technical guides forvisitors.

Marketing Strategy

The overall aim is to create a 'DestinationMauritius' brand logo and slogan, which mustbe an integral component of competitivepositioning for both destinations andcommercial enterprises. It includes moreoptions for Rodrigues and the outer islandswhich are less developed and offer moreopportunities for eco-tourism and lessdensely populated parts of the country.

The Way Ahead

Future tourism development will have totake account of the limits of carryingcapacity, the demands on infrastructure suchas roads, water, energy and sanitation theimpact on the natural asset of the island thathave made the country a top tourist resort.The direction of policy is towards sustainabledevelopment of the sector integratingenvironmental protection and the addedvalue of a variety of natural, social andcultural assets. Net gains will derive fromincreasing investment in quality.

This will involve:● The continued pursuit of excellence and

resilience to market trends,

● Continued focus on scheduled services,

● Diversify into niche markets for eco-tourism, and educational and culturalactivities involving more the localcommunity,

● Develop Mauritius as a destination forbusiness tourism and to support businessventures in other sectors, and

● Maintaining and continually upgrading thehigh standards achieved (e.g. futuredevelopment of the EU Blue Flagschemes for beaches is beingconsidered).

115


Diversification of Tourist Market

National tourism policy will continue withselective tourism, targeting at niche markets.The marketing strategy has been gearedtowards creating and sustaining an image ofexcellence. Future tourism policy willinclude:

● Focus on scheduled air-links,

● Better land use,

● Integrating of hotel and leisuredevelopment projects, which covertourist activities and environmentalimprovements outside premises,

● Diversifying the tourists to includehistorical, cultural, educational andnature-based activities, celebritymarketing, honeymoons and weddings,golf and diving,

● Improving local recreational needsthrough the provision of public areas inintegrated projects and quality amenitieson public beaches,

● More links with other sectors such ashandicrafts, agricultural products, sports,etc,

● Regulating the informal or non-hotelsector, and

● Maintaining safe health status of thecountry by vigilant health surveillance to

protect against importing or spreadinginfectious diseases (During the SARSepidemic flights from at risk sources toMauritius were cancelled; all visitors arechecked against the risk of importingmalaria and air cabins are sprayed toeliminate any mosquitoes being carried).

Investment Facilities and Incentives

Incentives are given to investors in hotel projects.The Ministry of Tourism also encouragesinvestment in tourism related projects such asleisure parks, aquaparks and aquariums. In 2004private investment mainly in the hotel sector isexpected to be over Rs 5,000 million (US$ 175m)an increase of 6% on the previous year.To attract investment in quality leisureprojects, Government has extended theDevelopment Certificate Scheme to touristprojects. This provides a range of financialincentives such as Corporate tax of 15%instead of 30%; dividends received byshareholders are Income Tax free; remissionof customs duty is granted subject to theapproval of the Ministry of Finance; there isfree repatriation of invested capital, profitand dividends subject to approval by theBank of Mauritius; term loans and overdraftsat preferential rates from Commercial andDevelopment Banks in Mauritius.

Capacity Building

A hotel and catering school operates inMauritius.This provides specialist support tothe tourist industry. A study is being 114

C H A P T E R 6

Promoting Haut de Gamme Hotel

116

C H A P T E R 6


6.TourismA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Focus on quality● Diversifying into new forms of

tourism which build on the naturalassets of the country

● Managing within the carryingcapacity

● Continued pursuit of excellence● Development of Mauritius destination

brand image● Extending the global range of direct

flight airlines serving the country

● Responding toglobal competition

● Increasing security in line withinternational standards

● Reinforcing health surveillance andprecautionary measures

● Long term locational planning toreduce exposure of touristinfrastructure on the coast.

● Maintaining vigilance● Developing epidemiological surveillance● Networking with international expert

centres ● Monitoring and evaluation of health

status● Development of beach health standards;

the Blue Flag scheme

● Responding toglobal threats of:-terrorism-SARS and otherhealth threats-Climate changeand sea level rise

● Development of eco-tourism,education and cultural packages

● Resort and communityimprovement projects

● Further integrated resort development● Regional linked packages● More options with Rodrigues and the

outer-islands

● Expanding thetourist package

● Restriction on further hoteldevelopment

● Safety regulation of water sports● Restriction on air travel

● Capping the level of arrivals● Further development and enforcement

of standards● Promoting tourist environmental

partnership

● Coping within thecarrying capacity ofthe country

● Managed use of national parks● Environmental charter for tourists

● Further development of educationaloptions

● Professional training and accreditationfor technical guides

● Enhancing thenatural resourcesof the countrywith low impacttourism

Freshwater Management

The Challenges

Pressure on Water Resources

Scarcity of freshwater is a commonproblem in SIDS. Water is a vitalelement for development, for

residential use, for agriculture and industry.As SIDS develop demand for water increasesbut the long term supply will be constrainedby external factors such as climate changeand sea level rise placing further pressure onwater management.

Mauritius has a high annual rainfall of 3,900mm3 on average. It has a well developednetwork supply with many river sources,bore holes and aquifers and reservoirs with acapacity of nearly 100 million cubic metres.

Box 7.1Water resources

Mauritius has a well developednetwork of water sources including:

5 main aquifers

25 major river basins

21 minor river basins

350 boreholes (with annual water

mobilization: 514 Mm3 ) of which

● 110 used for potable water,

● 112 for industries, and

● 128 for agriculture11 Man made reservoirs; Grosscapacity: 92.87 Mm3.

But because of its topography and tropicallocation Mauritius suffers from rapid run offand evaporation and there is little naturalwater storage since 90% of the rain water islost (see Figure 7.1) However the rainfall androck formation means that aquifers rechargeeach year.

Access to freshwater is also complicated byseasonal and geographical variability inrainfall and the different climatic areas ofMauritius.There is a wide variation of rainfallacross the island ; 4000 mm in the super-humid zone on the central plateau, about1500 mm on the eastern coastal plain andonly abou 800 mm on the leeward north-western coastal plain. Most of the rainfalloccurs in the upland areas and is heaviest andmost frequent and prolonged during themonths of December to April, after whichMauritius experiences periods of watershortages. These dry spells and periodicdroughts in Mauritius force water rationingespecially in coastal areas, such as the northof the main island which also has aconcentration of heavy users in agricultureand tourism sectors and is furthest from themain reservoirs.

Impact of Climate Change on theHydrological Cycle

SIDS are extremely vulnerable to climatechange. The projected sea level rise willincrease salt water intrusion into landsources of freshwater and climate change isalso expected to reduce water supply. Thehydrological cycle is affected by the climatesystem as changes in climate result inchanges in the basic climate elements, such asrainfall and temperature. This will in turnaffect how much water can be captured.Several models suggest than downpours willbecome more intense. This will increaserunoff while reducing the ability of water to

infiltrate the soil. Climate change willtherefore represent an additional stress onthe availability of freshwater.

Long-term Pressure on Water Resources

The high population density of Mauritius, theheavy use of water for irrigation and theincreasing demands from industry andtourism, place growing stress on waterresources.The total consolidated demand which ispresently of the order of 260, 000 m3 (0.26Mm3 ) per day is forecasted to reach 266,000 m3/day (0.266 Mm3 ) by the end ofFinancial Year 2004/2005 and 307, 500 m3 bythe year 2020. According to NationalEnvironmental Acton Plan (NEAP), if moreeffective management is not introduced,demand threatens to outstrip supply within50 years.

Table 7.1 shows the present water utilization.A large proportion of water (48 %) is usedfor irrigation. Without improvement inagricultural efficiency predicted increasingdemand will place more stress on the waterresources in the short and medium

119118


Hydroelectricity uses 305 Mm3 waterannually without recycling (See Table 2).Twenty years ago, hydropower was a majorcomponent of electricity production inMauritius. In the year 2003, hydroelectricitygenerated about 117.8 GWh or 6 % of thetotal production for the year.The generationof hydroelectricity is competing with otheruses for water..The trade-off in obtaining 305Mm3 of water annually is losing 117.8 GWhof energy needs to be re-assessed.

Mauritius- In Water Stress and WaterScarcity

The present usable freshwater potential hasbeen estimated at 1 300 Mm3 per year,equivalent to 1 083 m3 /person/year, whichputs Mauritius within the class of countriessuffering water stress and water scarcity

(defined as a supply of less than 1 700 m3/person /year and 1000 m3/person/year,respectively(UNDP 19981). By 2040, totaldemand for water is projected at 1 200 Mm3per year. This is in excess of projectedsupplies and close to the utilizable renewablefreshwater potential of 1 300 Mm3 per year.Though the potential yield from existingwater sources is achieved, this would stillleave the country in water stress by UNstandards.

These conditions of water stress and scarcityrestrict economic and social developmentand pose a serious overall challenge forwater management. In addition there remainproblems of uneven distribution for water.Whilst the current water services, inprinciple, cover the whole country, there arecertain existing inequalities in provision,including premises with no piped water inside the premises for drinking and for flush

sanitation and in certain areas, premises withonly intermittent supplies. (See Table 3)There are thus 180, 000 people in Mauritiuswithout drinking water and flush sanitationinside their houses, and 168,000 people whohave problems of interrupted supply. Inaddition there is poor or variable quality ofdrinking water supply in remoter places suchas Rodrigues and the outer islands.

121120


Table 7.1

Surface WaterPurpose

Water Utilisation (Million Cubic Metres per year)

Domestic, Industrial & Tourism 38 (1) 72 114 224 22

1

48

30

100

10

491

305

1030

937

10

24

148

148

97 (2)

174

343

275

370

131

539

514

Agricultural

Hydropower

Overall Utilisation

Total water mobilization

Industrial(Private boreholes)

River run offtakes StorageGroundWater

Total %

Table 7.2

TotalDistribution

Water Utilisation (Million Cubic Metres per year)

1. Includes 25 Mm3 used for power generation at Reduit H.E.P.S (Hydroelectric Power Station)2. Includes 30 Mm3 used for power generation at Tamarind Falls and Magenta H.E. P.S3. Includes 39 Mm3 used twice(14 Mm3 at Le Val and Ferney and 24 Mm3 at Tamarind Falls and Magenta H .E. P. S

Africa Environment Outlook. Past, Present and futureperspectives. UNEP 2002.

● Population having access to piped drinking water within their premises 119 5200(99.6%)

102 0000(85%)

180 000(15%)

1032 000(86%)

168 000(14%)

● Population having piped drinking water inside their houses

● Population having piped drinking water outside their houses

● Population having uninterrupted supply

● Population having interrupted supply

In order to sustain economic developmentand improve quality of life, watermanagement will become an increasingchallenge, made worse by climate change andsea level rise. Moreover, droughts are alreadya continual challenge for the provision ofwater in parts of the country. Inadequate andinsufficient storage facilities, outdatedinfrastructure and leakage, remain asconstraints for the development of thissector.

Although water supply networks have beenextended they are not expected to fully meetthe forecast increasing demands for water.There will be a need for substantialinvestment in the rehabilitation and renewalof old distribution mains in towns and forsome provision of new resources, treatmentcapacity, storage facilities and water mains toprovide an acceptable year round service toall population particularly those at theextremities of the current system, in the eastand west of the island and to properties onhigher ground.

Progress

There has been considerable improvement inwater supply in the last decade and there aremany plans for the future to improve watermanagement.

Progress in Water Management

Increasing Storage1. Construction of run-off diversionschemes and extra storage dams

● The Water Resources Unit worked outan integral plan for harnessing additionalwater resources to meet the waterrequirements of the various sectors ofthe economy up to the year 2040.Development of ground water,construction of run-off-river diversionschemes and a number of storage dams,

● Contrustruction of the Midlands Damwith a capacity of 25.5 Mm completed in2002 and recent extensions to the La Nicoliere Water TreatmentPlant works cater for the water needs inthe North of the island,

● The water needs for development in rhecentral part of the island are expected tobe met with the doubling of the treatment capacity at La Marie Treatment Works, and

● Four other storage dams are planned tobe constructed by 2020 which will caterfor the water needs in different regions of Mauritius.

Maintenance of Network

2. Rehabilitation of existing waterinfrastructure

● Existing as storage dams, feeder canalsetc have been rehabilitated,

● Seven dams are being rehabilitated toenhance their safety and useful life and tominimize seepage losses,

● The largest storage dam for drinkingwater was completely rehabilitated in2000. Rehabilitation of La Nicolierereservoir, the Municipal dyke and Richeen Eau Dam is in progress,

● The Municipal Dyke for water for thecapital city was rehabilitated in 2003 andtwo feeder canals in 2002 to 2003.

3. Replacement of old and obsoletepotable water infrastructure

● Old and obsolete drinking waterinfrastructure is being replaced andprovides more treatment capacity, abetter distribution network and betterwater quality,

● Pipelines less than 30 years old arereplaced . Old ones having low capacityand insufficient cover are replaced iffound necessary, and

● 83 Km of pipelines is being relaid as it isat insufficient depth to withstand thepresent traffic load.

4. Reduction of Unaccounted forwater

● CWA has embarked on an aggressiveproject for the reduction of UFW andaims to reduce the level of non-

revenue water to 25 % of the volumethroughput by 2007.

Research

5. Hydrological Studies are beingundertaken to:

● Increase development of groundwaterpotential,

● Increase the number of boreholes toreduce the problem of areas in waterstress, and

● To ensure the development guidelineswithin the vicinity of boreholes arestrictly adhered so as to harnessgroundwater in a sustainable manner.

6. Hydrographic Survey

● A hydrographic survey has beenundertaken of four storage reservoirs todetermine their effective storage capacityand to make better use of them,

123122


The Midlands dam

In addition, Health Quality and AgriculturalWater Quality Laboratories and the NationalEnvironmental Laboratory which are allinvolved in monitoring of pollutants in waterhave been set up.

An ongoing implementation of a waterquality monitoring programme for surface,ground and wastewater is being carried outby the CWA and WRU since 1993 for severalwater courses and for over hundred differentsampling stations over the island. Althoughthe majority of major watercourses on theisland are routinely monitored, the mainfocus is for watercourses where industrialdischarges are made to those rivers that areharnessed for abstraction for potable water.

Threats to Freshwater Resources

The major areas for environmental andpublic health concern are those of pollutionof the surface water, groundwater andlagoons by industrial waste water, domesticwaste, agricultural and urban runoffs. Therate of application of fertilisers in Mauritius isvery high. Since 57 % of our domestic watercomes from groundwater resources, theimpacts of agrochemical need to be givenserious consideration.

However, several reports from the MSRIindicate that although major herbicides maybe detected in surface waters and groundwaters, they rarely exceed therecommended permissible limits set by theUSEPA. Following a study on “Agrochemicals

in Sugar Cane and their impact on WaterQuality”, MSIRI reported in April 2001 thatagrochemicals used in sugar cane plantationsdo not represent any risk to human healthand that the general perception on pollutioncaused by agrochemicals is totallyunfounded.However, the island of Mauritiusbeing volcanic in nature, its geology ischaracterised by highly fissured lava withrelatively high permeability. Hence leachateseasily find its way into our water bodies incase absorption pits are not well located.

The major sources of water contaminationare summarized in Box 7.3.

Box 7.3Sources of contamination of water

resources

Industrial Effluent and DomesticSewage

● Sewerage systems are confined toparts of Port-Louis and PlainesWilhems districts only,

● Presently only 21 % of the whole islandis sewered.The remaining 79 % eitherdisposed of their liquid waste in theabsorption pits or via septic tanks.Theisland of Mauritius being volcanic innature, its geology is characterised byhighly fissured lava with relatively highpermeability. Hence leachates easilyfind its way into our water bodies incase absorption pits are not welllocated, 125


Increase Supply

7. Elimination of Blackspot Areas

● Prior to 1995, the definition of Blackspotareas, were those localities whichreceived less than four hours supply daily.By 1995 some 110 such localitiesclassified as Blackspot areas had theirsupply improved At present, less than tenhours daily water supply is the exception.But 168,000 people have interruptedwater supply.

Increase Efficiency of Use

8. Better irrigation Techniques

● More efficient methods of irrigation arenow being adopted,

● Area under surface irrigation andoverhead irrigation are being greatlyreduced by using overhead and dripirrigation respectively, and

● The present area under irrigation isabout 21, 000 ha and same is expected toincrease to about 33,000 in 2050.However, the total water requirement isexpected to remain the same as beingpresently utilized with the introductionof more efficient methods of irrigation.

9.Water Metering.

● Metering water has been started in

Mauritius but covers only 50% of thewater in the public sector.Water sourceson private land is not controlledcentrally. A programme to increasewater metering is under way This willspan over five financial years starting2004 through 2008, when non revenuewater will be brought down from thepresent 50% to 25 %.

Water Quality

Treatment of Water

Ground water is chlorinated prior toinjection in the distribution system. Surfaceraw water is treated at six water treatmentplants having a total treatment capacity of248,000 m3day.Treatment capacity whichstood at 168 000 m3 in 1983 has beenextended to 248 000 m3 by end 2003.Withthe commissioning of the La Marie TreatmentPlant by mid 2005, total treatment capacitywill be of the order of 308 000 m3.

Monitoring of Water Quality

Two water quality laboratories have been setup to monitor drinking water samples toensure compliance with the national andinternational standards and to monitor thequality of raw water resources and tradeeffluents discharged into aquifers andwatercourses.A map polluting industries hasbeen produced and action taken to protectwater quality.124

C H A P T E R 7

● Where sewerage systems exist, illegalconnections between the storm andsewerage systems and direct leakagecause contamination of adjacentwatercourses, and

● Un-sewered industries dischargeeffluent directly to surface water oftenwith little or no wastewatertreatment. The sectors most pollutingare the sugar industries and animalfood processing industries.

Spills

In case of spills, under section 29 of the EPAAct, it is stated that the pollutant mustprevent, eliminate or reduce the adverseeffects of the spill and restore theenvironment to the state it was prior to thespill and under section 33 of the EPA Act, thepollutant must also bear all cost andexpenses incurred as a result of any clean upor removal operation. A case of diesel oildischarge was reported at Ebene Riverwhere the polluter was instructed to restorethe river at his own expense.

Waste Water Systems

Since the original sewerage systems wereinstalled in Port-Louis, Curepipe, Beau Bassinand Rose-Hill at the beginning of the 1900,there has been little expansion, developmentor maintenance of the infrastructure. Thelack of progress is reflected in the Censusresults that show that in 1990, 19.9 % of the

population was connected to a sewer, yet by2000 the proportion has increased to 20.6 %an increase of only 16, 550 properties over10 years.

NEAP 1 recognised these threats to waterquality and the National Sewerage MasterPlan was prepared in 1994 which provides acomplete scheme for the development ofwastewater sector in Mauritius. The planseeks to connect 50 % of the population tothe public sewerage system by 2010/2012.On completion of the NMSP most of theexisting effluent will be disposed of to sewer.The NMSP identified nine priority projectsreferred to as the National Sewerage Plan.Funding has been secured for several of theprojects namely Montagne Jacquot, Baie duTombeau, St Martin and Plaine Wilhemssewerage projects

The NSMP target a 100% connection to thesewerage system by the year 2030.The WMAis currently installing new sewerage systemsand constructing new sewerage treatmentfacilities in the Port Louis, Baie du tombeau,Plaines Wilhems and Grand-Baie areas.

Management of WastewaterSector

For an effective and efficient management ofthe Wastewater Sector, a Sector PolicyLetter was agreed in 1998 in the context ofthe implementation of the EnvironmentalSewerage and Sanitation Project. The SPLreiterated government commitment to catchup on the delays for the development and

C H A P T E R 7

126

extension of wastewater facilities in thecountry. The SPL was guided need by theneed to achieve the following objectives:

● Halt and reverse the trend of wastewaterpollution on the island and its coastalzone,

● Improve health and sanitary conditions ofthe population, and

● Provide the technical, legal, institutionaland financial framework necessary forsustainable development of the sector.

Institutional Reform

The Wastewater Management Authority hasbeen established as a corporate body underthe WMA Act proclaimed on 31st August2001. The WMA has the responsibility tomaintain and manage all existing publicwastewater systems, regulate construction ofprivate sewers and more importantly toexpand the new sewer network systems inorder to provide house connections to allproperties domestic, commercial andindustrial. Government has also entrusted tothe WMA the overall responsibility for theimplementation of all projects under theNational Sewerage Plan.

Water Quality Management

The following standards have beenpromulgated by the Ministry of Environmentand NDU for environment protection:

● Environment Protection (Standards forEffluent Discharge) Regulations 2003,

● Environment Protection (Standards forEffluent Discharge into the OceanRegulations 2003),

● Environment Protection (EffluentDischarge Permit) Regulations 2003, and

● Industrial Efflent Discharge into thePublic Sewer Regulation 2004.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Under the 2002 Environmental ProtectionAct all industrial, commercial and agriculturaldevelopments are required to conduct anEIA to ensure no adverse impacts on theenvironment. Licenses depend on theseassessments, environmental conditions beingmet and approval given by all relevantauthorities.

The Way Ahead

Water is an increasingly scarce resource inMauritius. Development has broughtincreasing demand nearly outsripping theincreased capacity for supply.The country isin water stress and water scarcity byinternational standards. Better integratedwater management is a priority both fordemand and supply.

127


Way Ahead

● Mobilisation of additional waterresources,

● Construction of 5 dams up to horizon2040,

● Water demand management,

● Use of treated waste water for irrigationpurposes,

● Optimization of the abstraction of waterfrom the environment, and

● Consolidation of institutional and legalframe work.

129


Reuse of Effluent

At present recycling of water is not acommon practice in Mauritius. Only a fewhotels are using recycled water for irrigation.However, given that water is an increasinglyscarce resource in Mauritius, the reuse ofeffluent for agricultural needs to bepromoted for selected crops and subject toestablished use criteria. By making the mostefficient use of effluent for irrigation it will bepossible to utilize ground and surface waterresources currently used for irrigation forpotable use and thereby defer some of theneed to develop expensive new sourcesincluding new dam sites.

Further Development

Plans are being made for:

● More control on the release of industrialeffluents by an industrial permit systemand systematic monitoring.Comprehensive industrial standardsneed,

● More detailed standards for pollutants toprotect water sources whilst ensuringthat manufacturing sectors remaincompetitive,

● Consolidating laws on Rivers and CanalsAct (dating back to 1863),

● Preparing a Water Resources AuthorityAct and a Water Act to provide for theintegrated management of all waterresources of the country,

● Reducing the cost for treatment ofeffluent,

● Better demand management with greaterefficiency in use and the development ofrecycled water for industrial andagricultural use,

● Increasing public and corporateeducation and awareness,

● Better water quality especially inremoter areas poorly served,

● More qualified professionals in the watersector,

● Project team for detecting leaks onperformance related contract, and

● Enforcement of Environmental EffluentDischarge Regulations.

128

C H A P T E R 7

DetailsProjects

Major Projects 2003-2007 Table 7. 3 Harness water resources in a sustainable manner.

La Marie New Rapid Gravity FilterPlant.

● Cater for domestic needs of Plaine Wilhems and part of the south and Black River Districts.

Identification and repairs of InvisibleLeaks

● A feasibility study has been carried out to determine the bestoptions to cater for the new demand and for improving water ingeneral in the Eastern area.

● Detailed engineering studies are completed and the projects indifferent stages of procurement

● The objective of the study is to equip the Authority with anupdated model of its network from source to main supply pointsand actions required to be taken on a five year basis in order tosustain potable water supply to the population and to all potablewater consumers up to year 2040.

● Master Plan For The Distribution Network

● The project consists of the design and implementation of anappropriate SCADA System meeting the requirement of the CWAfor a Tele Surveillance system for pumping stations, servicereservoirs, water treatment plants and nodes in the distributionnetwork.

● Production Meters andTelemetry

● CWA has reason to believe that certain vegetable growers andindustrialists are resorting to pilferage. Substantial volumes ofwater are thus being illegally abstracted.

● To attend to above, CWA proposes to :

● Re-Routing of pipelinesprone to pilferage and elimination of clandestine connections

● Re-Route 15 km of pipelines prone to pilferage.● Setting up of Policy Unit to track down all illegal water users.● Setting up of Anti Faud Unit to track down all illegal water users

and better meter security practices so as to minimize tampering ofmeters.Since out of 3,500 km of pipelines, some 13 % are above 30 years;it is planned to:

● Access their conditions for replacement.● Replace a total of 83 Km of AC, GI and CI pipelines

● Renewal of Trunk, Service andDistribution mains and phasing outof AC pipelines

130

C H A P T E R 7


7. Freshwater managementA Policy and Programme Progess Sheet

● Assessing needs● Increasing supply and storage● Managing demand

● Water stress andwater scarcity

● Water for all

● Improving waterquality

● Integrated water management ● Extending supply

● Improving plans and systems forremoter areas including Rodrugues andthe outer islands

● Reducing leaks● Revised legislation and regulations for

better enforcement of controls onpollution

● Extending laboratories for bettertesting of water quality

● Reducing pollution of water sources● Extending and improving sewerage

and sewage treatment ● Water quality laboratory● Agricultural Water Quality Laboratory● Health Water Quality Laboratory

● Extending supply to remoterareas and black spots

● Reducing interrupted supply

● Cost effectivenessof water use

● Water use audit● Extending water metres andcharges

● Education of public andcorporate bodies

● Professional andtechnicaldevelopment

● Review of human resource needs andpromotion of professional developmentat regional level, training, accreditation,standards, new syllabus

● Training and development forprofessional and technical staff

● Research anddevelopment

● Studies for water recycling● Studies to tap into 90% of water not

collected● Review of total sector and public private

partnership in water management● Economic review of water management

● Hydrographic studies● Studies of water pollution

ENERGY RESOURCES

The Challenges

Limited or scarce indigenouscommercial energy resources anddifficulties in securing energy supplies

increase the many constraints in economicand social development of SIDS. Mauritiusimports all its fossil fuels, which is the mainsource of primary commercial energy. Thecost, source and usage of energy havebecome major concern for SIDS andwarrants careful energy planning. In 2003,77% of the total energy requirement wasmet from imported fuels, while the remaining23% was supplied from indigenous sources,hydro and bagasse principally. Programmesfor expanding renewable energy sources arenot keeping pace with increasing demand.Energy management in SIDS must includeincreasing effiency of energy used as well asan examination of indigenous energyresources.

Conscious of the strategic role energy playsin economic development, Mauritiuscompleted its National Rural ElectrificationProgramme in 1981, when Chamarel becamethe last of a long list of about 153 villages andhousing estates to be electrified. However inthe recent years, electricity demand has risensharply due to sustained economic growthand a general improvement in the standard ofliving. It is projected that the total electricitydemand will increase to 2,690 GWh by 2012

compared to the 1,627 GWh energyconsumed in 2003, representing a meanannual growth of 6% over the next ten years.The transport sector is the largest andgrowing user of energy in the country withresulting increases in air pollution.

Progress

To date almost the entire population enjoysthe benefits of a stable and continuouselectricity supply and 348,850 customers areconnected to the electricity grid. Althoughthe country is regularly visited by tropicalcyclones, electric power supply is restoredrelatively quickly. For instance, after thepassage of cyclone Dina in 2002, electricityservice was restored to 90% within 7 daysand to the entire island within 10 days. Thiscapacity for resilience has been achieved byrobust electrical system, which are cyclonesresistant coupled with improved emergencymaintenance services.

Power generation in Mauritius is based on adiversity of fuels, a mix which has evolvedwith time; the biggest change over the recentyears being a gradual shift from diesel to coaland the increasing contribution of bagasse.

Energy Management

The Ministry of Public Utilities is responsiblefor the design and implementation of energypolicies and oversees the power utility, theCentral Electricity Board (CEB). The latterunder the CEB Act is empowered to carryout development schemes with the objectiveof promoting, co-ordinating and improvingthe generation, transmission, distribution andsale of electricity.With the publication of thefirst Integrated Energy Plan (2003 - 2012) forthe island, the CEB aims to guide Mauritius toa more stable electricity future and tocontribute to economic growth andprosperity for the country.

On the other hand, the StateTrading Corporation (STC) under the aegisof the Ministry of Commerce and

Cooperatives is responsible for the importsof all petroleum products.Energy management covers energy supplyand energy demand. Sectoral use of energy(See Figures 8.2 & 8.3) is dominated by thegrowth in transport with its impact on airpollution (See Figure 8.4). In the past,emphasis has been on expanding andmaintaining supply and diversifying thesources of supply.The focus is now shifting topromote more effective and efficient use ofenergy and the better management of thedemand side.There is significant opportunityfor energy savings through conservation andincreased energy efficiency. In this line, theCEB is committed to continuing withcustomer forums and communityinformation programmes to encourageenergy awareness.

133132


Energy in the Transport Sector

The pattern of use of energy has been changing in the past decades with increasing use forroad and air transport.The transport sector is the heaviest energy consumer, accounting for48% of total energy imports.Transportation and its subsequent demand and usage of energyhave progressed dramatically over the past decades with the massive importation of Japaneseand European vehicles. The increase in vehicles is also associated with the increase in CO2

emissions, more traffic congestion and longer travel times. In 2003, for example, the fleet ofmotor vehicles stood at 276,371 compared to 180,884 in 1994, representing an increase of35%.With the total road network of 2015 km, there are 137 vehicles for each kilometre ofroad, amounting to 7.2 meters of road per vehicle.

135


134

C H A P T E R 8

Box 8.2BAGASSE ENERGY

DEVELOPMENT PLAN

Conscious of the country’s burdeningdependency on petroleum productsthe Mauritian Government launchedthe “Bagasse Energy Development

137


Switching to Renewable Sources

The history of electrical power generationfrom renewable sources in Mauritius datesback to the early years of the 20th century,when hydro power started to be harnessed.In the 1950’s, the first diesel generating setswere introduced, while sugar factoriesexported surplus of energy generated frombagasse to the CEB grid.

From the early fifties up till now, electricpower generation has evolved remarkablyand even today, electricity generation isprovided by both utility (i.e. CEB) and non-utility (i.e. Independent Power Producers -IPPs) sources. The sources that are beingtapped include solar power, wind power,hydroelectric and biomass. The OceanThermal Energy Conversion (OTEC)technology is being explored. However,further investigation is required to assess thefull potential of wind, solar and OTEC inMauritius.

136

Hydro

Box 8.1

Resource Policies Progress Future development

Progress with renewable energy resources

Solar

WindPower

Low interestloans forsolar waterheaters

● 8% of households covered ● New incentives to encourage

use (loan ceiling raised fromRs. 15,000 (US $ 520) to Rs.25,000 (US $ 868), interestrate lowered to 6% andrepayment capacity extendedto 7 years)

● 125 solar powered streetlighting PV units installed inMauritius, Rodrigues and inAgaléga

● A 76.8 kWh grid-tie PV systemimplemented at the NewGovernment Centre

● Low penetration in industry ● 75% success rate● Prone to damage from

cyclones and vandalism

● 3 ‘Vergnet’ 60 kW windturbines installed in Rodrigues– amounting to 4% of totalelectricity generated

● Ministry of Public Utilities isnot envisaging to installanother grid-tie PV unit and iseven investigating thepossibility of transferringexisting PV units to Agaléga,where there is an urgent needfor street lighting

● economic appraisal ofrenewable energy to includeexternalities

● Mauritius will benefit fromtechnical assistance of India interms of appropriate studiesfor the setting up of wind farmsin Mauritius and Rodrigues

● A feasibility study for thesetting up of a 5 – 10 MW windfarm will be undertaken undera public-private partnershipscheme

● Ministry of Public Utilities willcontinue to promote the useof solar water heaters

PV streetlightingprojects

Windturbines

Biomass

OTECTechnology

Fuel EthanolDevelopment

● 8 hydroelectric power plantswith a combined installedcapacity of 59 MW.

● But with the construction ofMidlands Dam in 2002,hydroelectric production hasbeen to some extent reduced

● 117.7 GWh electricity wascontributed from this sector in2003

● Currently, 3 IPPs exportelectricity to the national gridon a year-round basis

● Government is activelyworking on 2 initiatives for theapplication of this technologylocally

● This is an avenue that is beingcurrently considered bygovernment

● Lack of natural sites withfavourable topography forfuture hydro developments

● ß There is the potential for 4additional coal-bagasse firedpower plants in the nearfuture.

● It is envisaged tocommercialise a gasoline-ethanol blend (80: 20) as from2005

● It has been agreed that the helpof Brazil will be sought fortechnical cooperation.

● A Memorandum ofUnderstanding has been signedwith the Government of Indiaand the Mauritian Government

● The Japanese Government hasproposed to set up a 3 MWOTEC plant to generateelectricity and potable water.The study to the tune of US $40,000 will be entirely financedby Japanese Government.

● The Mauritian Governmentwill provide 2,500 m2 of landalong the shore toaccommodate the plant and itsancillary facilities.

Hydroelectricpower plants

Bagasse

Substitution ofgasoline withethanol

Ethanol Production in Mauritius

Mauritius is highly vulnerable to thevolatility of prices of oil products, whicheventually raise the cost of other productsand services in the national economy.

● Increase in Demand from Road Transport

Today the challenge is to provideMauritians with sustainable mobilitythrough reliable, energy-efficient,environmentally friendly and fairly pricedtransport with remedies for roadcongestion.

● How to Increase the Output FromRenewable Resources?

The exploitation of indigenous sources ofenergy is limited to wind, hydro, solar andbiomass mainly. While wind and solar arecoming within the range of costeffectiveness, the use of other renewabletechnologies can only be considered whenthe initial investment costs of these startto decrease.This also acts as structural barrier toinvestment in renewable technologies,which remain at present more expensivethan conventional generation technologies.

● Pricing Energy to Reflect the FullProduction Cost, Maintenance andEnvironmental Costs

On the other hand, for the electricitysector the efficient delivery and use ofelectrical energy is the most important

question to be addressed. However, thefact that subsidies exist in the currenttariffs of the CEB means that somecustomers do not see the true costs ofproducing electricity.

The Way Ahead

Mauritius has shown keen interest topromote the development of new indigenousand renewable sources of energy and in sodoing, will focus on a few options that haveproved to hold promise from a technical,economic and financial point of view.

● Extending Supply

Under the forthcoming Electricity Act,Government will be able to achieve its policyobjective goals with respect to renewableenergy.

Government will also be putting emphasis onbagasse and wind, while for the long term, inaddition to resorting to the cultivation ofnew varieties of sugar cane with higher fibrecontent to generate more bagasse forconversion into electrical energy, otheroptions such as OTEC technology are beingkept in view.

Government is keeping track of progress inthese technologies in terms of theirdevelopment and cost. Even though theOTEC technology is still at a stage ofResearch and Development, the MauritianGovernment is actively working on 2initiatives for the application of this

139


Programme (BEDP)” in 1991, with theassistance of the World Bank.

Through such policy directives, it was theGovernment’s aim to promote the use ofbagasse for power production,to diversify thecountry’s energy sources and to formalise theparticipation of the private sector– theIndependent Power Producers (IPPs).The latter produce electricity frombagasse during the sugar cane harvestingseason (approximately 5 months) andfrom coal the remaining of the year. Coalhas been chosen as complementary fuel,as it can be burned in the same boiler asbagasse and also because it provided anopportunity to further diversify thecountry’s energy base with the addedadvantage of being more available fromless volatile markets than oil.

After consultation with all stakeholders,10 different Power PurchaseAgreements were signed with sugarfactories and all bagasse generated fromsugar processing on the island is burntfor electricity generation and co-generation purposes. Currently, threeIPPs export electricity to the nationalgrid on a year-round basis with a totalinstalled capacity of 123 MW.These are:FUEL Steam and Power GenerationCompany Limited, Consolidated EnergyLimited and Compagnie Thermique deBelle Vue ltée.

With the implementation of the BEDP,bagasse energy has increased from 70GWh in the 1990’s to the actual 300GWh, more than four folds increase.Anaudit carried out by PB Power (SouthAfrica) has indicated that bagasse-coalused for electricity generation was thecheapest and most economic in the localcontext.

Unresolved Issues

The principal unresolved issues insustainable energy management inMauritius are:

● Increase in the Price of Fossil Fuel The major events taking place on theinternational front, especially war againstIraq has affected the domestic economydirectly by significant rises in petroleumprices.As a small island developing state,138

C H A P T E R 8

Two modes of energy production:Fort George Thermal Power Station + Centre Thermale de Belle Vue

141


technology locally. In 2000, a Memorandumof Understanding was signed by the Indianand Mauritian Governments for cooperationin the field of Ocean Science and Technology.On the other hand, in the context of theestablishment of an Institute of OceanStudies at the Saga University in Japan, theJapanese Government has submitted aproposal for the setting up of a 3 MW OTECplant.

With the progress achieved worldwide in thedesign of wind turbines, it is Government’spolicy to encourage the exploitation of windenergy, to substitute as far as possibleimported oil. In this regard, an assessment ofthe wind regime will be carried out by theMinistry of Public Utilities and theMeteorological Services Department atvarious heights at two of the best sites.

Moreover, with the acquired experiences inelectricity generation from bagasse,Government will also pursue the secondphase of the BEDP.

Managing Demand

Moreover, there is still room forimprovement in the efficiency of fuelutilisation in various sectors of the economy– transportation, manufacturing, residentialincluding hotels and commercial. Per se, anInter-ministerial Committee under thechairmanship of the Prime Minister has beenset up to look at our energy mix and toprepare a National Energy Plan to improveour resilience to face the increasing prices ofpetroleum products.

As shown in figure 8.2 transport fuelconstitutes the dominant share of the energyuse pattern.The production of ethanol frommolasses as a substitute for gasoline inautomobile engines and as an alternative topetrol is an avenue that is currently beingconsidered by Government to reduce tosome extent gasoline imports. It is expectedthat gasoline-ethanol blend in a ratio of80:20% will be available by the end of 2005.

The culture of energy management toimprove energy efficiency must also bewidely encouraged and vigorously pursued.Anumber of issues of strategic importanceshould also be addressed in line withsustainable consumption patterns.These are:

● Energy planning,

● Energy audit in the public and privatesector to increase energy efficiency,

● The efficiency of energy utilisation in allsectors of the economy,

● Reform of transportation and physicalmovements to reduce energy use andpollution, and

● The establishment of performance indices,guidelines and regulations to optimiseenergy use in new and in old buildings. and

● Carbon credit.

Additionally, with the support of theinternational community, Mauritius canpromote the dissemination and application ofSIDS-appropriate energy technology as wellas strengthen existing mechanisms. It is alsoimportant that more energy related physicalinfrastructure at national level be provided toenable the desired economic growth that willmaintain the position of Mauritius as aneconomic leader in the region.140

C H A P T E R 8

Challenges addressed Progress made The way ahead

8. Energy ResourcesA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

Extending supply

Managing demand

Cost-effective renewableenergy

Research and Development

Use of bagasse, solar, wind andhydroProduction and export ofethanol

Energy planning and audit

Development of guidelines, performanceindices and regulationsDevelopment of economic appraisalmethods

OTECImplementation of new wind farms on themain islandLocal use of ethanol

Comprehensive, stableelectrification

Comprehensive, stableelectrification

Promoting the use of renewable energy

C H A P T E R 8

MANAGEMENT OF WASTES

The Challenges

Worldwide SIDS face similarproblems related to wastemanagement predominately

because pressures are growing andsustainable and effective frameworks needstrengthening. In addition, the unique social,economic and environmental characteristicsof SIDS, such as high population density,limited availability of land space and lack ofhuman and financial resources, reduce theappropriate options for the soundmanagement of wastes.

In Mauritius, rapid economic growth achievedthrough industrialisation and urbanisation,coupled to a general improvement in thestandard of living, have contributedsignificantly to the quantities of wastes beingproduced (see Figure 9.1).

Mauritius recognises that the solid wastemanagement practices of the 80’s and 90’swere no longer compatible with the changingquality and quantity of wastes produced. Inthe 80’s and till the early 90’s, some 24 officialdumpsites were operational and bettersecurity and management were needed.There was no controlled landfill site, nowaste separation and little recycling andwaste management was the subject ofincreasing attention. In Rodrigues and theOuter Islands waste management strategieswere even less developed and initiatives arebeing taken to bring these up to the nationalstandards.

Today waste management deals with:

Current waste production:● 1,200 tonnes solid waste daily,

● 1 kg waste per capita daily,

● 372, 434 tonnes of solid waste a year(2003),

● 8,000 tonnes of hazardous waste a year(2003),

Current cost of municipal wastemanagement:

● MUR 550 million (US $ 19 million) a yearfor the collection, transportation anddisposal of refuse waste,

● MUR 1548 (US $ 54) per averagehousehold, and

● MUR 387 (US $ 13) per inhabitant.

Facing these challenges, Mauritius developeda new policy to adopt an integrated wastesmanagement approach extending throughwaste prevention and minimisation, storage,collection, transportation, treatment andenvironmentally friendly disposal of waste.

Progress

The 1988 and 1999 National EnvironmentalAction Plans (NEAP I and NEAP II) and theirrelated Environmental InvestmentProgrammes (EIP) have identified the wastesector as a priority area for financing. Todaywaste management constitutes an importantsector of the society and strategies andplans, services and projects have beendeveloped covering new landfill sites,education and awareness, new legislation, lawenforcement, field investigations and specificstudies (see Box 9.1).

145144


Box 9.1:Studies on waste management carried out from 1989 – 2003

Recommendations & Implementation

● Establishment of sanitary landfills as main method for solidwaste disposal, supplemented by composting

● Improvement and modernisation of transport fleet anddistribution of dustbins for domestic waste collection

● Levy of charges for the collection of commercial andindustrial wastes

● Implementation of a 10-year National Solid WasteManagement Plan

Study

Jackson, 1989

147


146

C H A P T E R 9


Site identification study for landfill establishment

● 2 sites were identified:

● Mare Chicose (South)

● Mare d’Australia (North)

National Solid Waste Management Plan

● Implementation of 2 sanitary landfills along with a networkof 7 transfer stations

● Issue of 75-litre bins to some 240,000 households

● Modernisation of collection vehicles and re-organisation ofcollection labour force

● Review of legislation, standards and regulations

● Identification of recycling opportunities

● Setting up of a composting plant

The National Solid Waste Management Plan was partlyimplemented as a component of EIP 1 and was co-financedby Government and the World Bank

● Only one sanitary landfill was constructed at Mare Chicose in1997 and the landfill project at Mare d’Australia wasabandoned.The construction of Mare Chicose Sanitary Landfillled to the closure of all open dumps and the conversion ofsome to transfer stations and the rehabilitation of others.

Revision of the National Solid Waste ManagementPlan

● Incineration was recommended as the main disposaloption

● 2 waste-to-energy incinerators be constructed on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Build-Own-Operate (BOO)schemes

● The plants could supply about 106 GWh/year of electricityand same could be sold to CEB

Study

Binnie & Partners, 1992

Scott Wilson &Kirkpatrick, 1994


● Reservations expressed by the Ministry of Environmentand World Bank as a waste characterisation exercise wasnot carried out based on the following essential criteriafor incineration:

● Waste composition

● Calorific value

● Moisture content

Feasibility study and an institutional, legal and costrecovery study for an environmental solid wastemanagement programme for Mauritius and Rodrigues

● 6 scenarios were proposed for solid waste disposal in theshort, medium and long term including landfilling,incineration and composting

● Based on 2 of the 6 scenario proposed, Governmentdecided that the following actions be adopted:

● Immediate extension of the Mare Chicose Sanitary Landfilland a National Action Plan for solid waste minimisation

● Consideration for the implementation of a waste-to-power project on a BOO scheme

Feasibility study for the management of municipalsolid waste and hazardous waste & identification of asite for a new municipal solid waste landfill

● Preparation of a build, own and operate bidding documentfor a sanitary landfill for municipal solid waste andhazardous waste, a pre-treatment and incineration facilityfor hazardous waste and a waste-to-energy facility formunicipal solid waste.

● Current waste characteristics do not render wasteincineration with energy recovery a suitable wastetreatment method as the low calorific value of waste wasdue to a large portion of green wastes from yards andkitchens. As a result, incineration cannot be sustainedwithout an auxiliary fuel.

Study

Brown & Root,1998

Fichtner GmbH,1999

Carl Bro, 2004

● Awareness Campaigns

Emphasis is given to wasteminimisation since it is the mostsensible manner to decrease theamount of waste to be disposed of,thus reducing pressure on MareChicose Sanitary Landfill. Ongoingsensitisation campaigns in the mediaand to different target groups arecarried out.

● Composting

2 pilot composting plants are to beconstructed in the North and South ofthe island.

● Recycling

Regulations have been promulgated toencourage waste reduction and re-use.For instance, plastic carry bags below50 micrometers have been banned andregulations have been made to controlthe thickness of these.With regards toPET bottles, Government promulgatedthe Environment Protection(Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)Bottle Permit) 2001, regulations todevelop ‘product responsibility’ amongbottlers for the proper management ofbottles, after they have been sold.

● Construction of Civic AmenityCentres for Bulky Wastes

These will enable households to

dispose of their bulky wastes that arenot usually collected by localauthorities, hence reducing illegaldumping and promoting recycling.

● Extension of the Mare ChicoseSanitary Landfill

A geotechnical investigation of theproposed extension site at MareChicose has been carried out, and thesite is considered suitable fordevelopment as a landfill, if engineeredwith a robust lining system andappropriate standards. Theconstruction of an additional cell hasbeen entrusted to the present landfilloperator in October 2003.

● Incineration/Landfill/HazardousWaste Complex

A draft feasibility report on the abovehas been submitted by Carl BroInternational. However, the consultantsclaim that landfilling will remain themain disposal option for Mauritius forthe foreseeable future and that wasteincineration is not a sustainable wastetreatment method for Mauritius dueto the current waste characteristicsand prohibitive cost.

149


The National Solid Waste ManagementStrategy of April 2002 therefore aimed topromote the reduction of wastes and anincreased capacity for handling it (see Box9.2). This strategy includes composting,separation and recycling.

Box 9.2NATIONAL SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

The National Solid Waste ManagementStrategy aims at reducing thegeneration of waste and theenvironmental impacts associated with

their disposal as well as ensuring thatthe socio-economic development ofthe country, the health of its peopleand the quality of its environmentalresources are not affected by anuncontrolled and uncoordinated wastedisposal system.

The thrust of the National Solid WasteManagement Strategy focuses on amulti-pronged approach to wastedisposal through:

● Waste Minimisation (Composting,Recycling & New Regulations)

148

C H A P T E R 9

Forecast for solid waste produced in Mauritius show an increasing burden and the currentfacilities will be insufficient to cope much sooner than anticipated (see Figure 9.2).

151


● Construction of a Landfill in theNorth/North East

A complete feasibility study needs tobe undertaken for the identification ofa potential landfill site in theNorth/North East.

● Construction of New TransferStations and the Upgrading ofExisting Ones

A new transfer station which will caterfor the eastern area of the island ispresently under construction at LaLaura. Tenders for the upgrading ofPoudre d’Or Transfer Station hasalready been awarded and the tender

for the upgrading of Roche BoisTransfer Station is under preparation.

● Energy recovery from Mare ChicoseSanitary Landfill

With about 1 million tonnes of wastealready landfilled at Mare Chicose, therecovery of energy from landfill gas isbeing envisaged. The assistance of thePrototype Carbon Fund will be soughtfor the implementation of the energyrecovery project

Reform of the law and of the institutionalframework for management has been anessential part of development in this field(see Box 9.3).

150

C H A P T E R 9

Regulation

Environment Protection Act 2002

● Make legislations, formulate policies, draft and enforcestandards, issue waste management operations throughEIA licences

Environment Protection (Standards for HazardousWastes) Regulations 2001

● Under these regulations, the responsibility for storage andcollection of hazardous wastes generated by industrial andcommercial units lies with the generators.

Institution

Ministry ofEnvironment &NationalDevelopment Unit

Regulation

● Moreover, the generators are also required to prepare aninventory of hazardous wastes that are being generated,on a quarterly basis and submit it to the enforcing agency(Ministry of Local Government and Solid WasteManagement).

● Enforcing Agency for solid waste management, under EPA(2002)

● Charged with the responsibilities for overall coordination,planning and operation of the solid waste managementsystem:

● Waste collection and disposal

● Operation and management of transfer stations andlandfill

● Implementation of hazardous wastes regulations

Local Government Act 2003

● Address the collection of wastes (sometimes addressed bycommissioned private contractors)

Local Government Dumping and Waste CarriersRegulations 2003

● Covers transport of waste, issue of licences and variousother penalties for non-compliant waste carriers

Institution

Ministry of LocalGovernment &Solid WasteManagement

Local Authorities

Box 9.3Institutional and Legal Framework

Recycling and treatment of waste have beenessential steps in reform, but these are so farin their infancy (see Box 9.5).

Box 9.5Waste recycling and treatment

The level of waste minimisation andrecycling of wastes is very low andonly very few companies are involvedwith the recycling of glass, paper,plastics, textile wastes and scrapmetals. Recycling activities are carriedout solely by the private sector.

● Plastic waste recycling is carried out bythe Plastic Recycling Ltd. situated atRiche Terre.The waste, which consistsmainly of polyethylene andpolypropylene, is collected throughoutthe island by a contractor, which sells itto the recycling company.Approximately, 2 tonnes of plasticwastes are processed daily.

● Dakri Paper Products and V.P Handmade

carry out paper recycling activities.Products such as recycled paper,carton boxes, gift boxes and foldersare sold to the public.

● The Mauritius Glass Gallery recyclesglass bottles, mainly from breweriesand produces a wide variety ofcreative glass objects, which are soldto tourists and the general public.

● There are a few companies involved inthe collection and export of scrapmetals and in 2003, the followingcompanies (Steel Scrap Ltd, G.Runghen & Co,The Samlo Group andScrap Supplies Ltd) with collaborationwith the Ministry of Environment,were involved in the removal of vehiclecarcasses around the island.

● With regards to textile wastes, SogeInternational Co. Ltd, Lagtex CO. Ltd,Recycling Industries (Mtius) Ltd andGiant International Trading exportthread, fabric and yarn wastes.


Collection of Wastes

● Collection is done at least once weekly in residential areas and more regularly incommercial districts.

● Wastes from industries and hotels are collected separately on the initiative and at theexpense of enterprises but, the majority of small commerce and many small enterprisesare served by the service running for households.

Waste Transfer and Disposal

● All the wastes are either disposed of:● At Mare Chicose Sanitary Landfill or ● To transfer stations where they are compacted to be eventually transported to the landfill.

● There are 4 transfer stations:● La Brasserie,● Poudre d’Or,● Roche Bois and ● St. Martin

● All are equipped with weighbridge for registration of incoming and outgoing wastes.152

C H A P T E R 9

Box 9.4Waste Management System

Management of wastes

Collection Compaction Landfilling

Local Authorities &Private Contractors

4 Transfer Stations(4000-8000 Twastes/month)

DomesticIndustrial

CompactedBulk

Mare ChicoseSanitary Landfill

(1200 T/day)

Sanitary landfill at Mare Chicose

Collecting PET bottles 153

Mare Chicose landfill. Hazardouswastes that could lead to leaching oftoxic components are not accepted atthe landfill without pre-treatment. Forinstance, expired solid products areonly accepted if encapsulated inimpermeable material. Liquidhazardous wastes with water contenthigher than 70% as well as acids,pesticides, biocides, chemical andpetroleum wastes are not accepted atthe landfill site. landfill without pre-treatment. For instance, expired solidproducts are only accepted ifencapsulated in impermeable material.

Liquid hazardous wastes with watercontent higher than 70% as well asacids, pesticides, biocides, chemical andpetroleum wastes are not accepted atthe landfill site.

Cleaner Production in Industry

At the level of the industries, some ofthem have recognised that applicationof Cleaner Production could result in awin-win strategy so as to decrease thewaste stream, hence improve industrialefficiency, increase productivity andbring financial benefits to theenterprise. Cleaner Production hasbeen implemented mostly in food–manufacturing industries namely:Britannia Sugar Factory, Moroil,Maurilait Production Ltée, but fewhave been successful due to lack ofmanagement commitment, perceptionof risks and not willing to invest.

Among the hazardous waste generatorindustries, Cleaner Production hasbeen implemented in only onechemical-producing industry with theaim of reducing the waterconsumption. The option of recycling,re-using or recovering the hazardouswastes was not on the agenda of themanagement.


The management of hazardous waste is beingespecially addressed in Mauritius. Provision ismade for different types of wastes includingsolids, liquids and medical wastes. Thededicated cell on the national landfill site isdesigned to avoid leaching of hazardouswastes into the local environment. It isrecognised that controls need to bestrengthened to ensure that all hazardouswastes are properly managed.

A Hazardous Waste ManagementInformation System is currently beingdeveloped at the Ministry of LocalGovernment and Solid Waste Management,whereby a database of hazardous wastegenerators with corresponding wastestreams and quantities will be established.

Box 9.6 Hazardous waste management

As at March 2003, the number ofindustries operating in Mauritius andRodrigues amounted to 2410. Out ofthe industrial category, 792 industrieshave been rated as being hazardouswaste generators. Therefore, potentialhazardous wastes generators accountfor about one-third of the totalnumber of industries in Mauritius.

Under the Environment Protection(Standards for Hazardous Wastes)Regulations 2001, the responsibility forstorage and collection of hazardouswastes generated by industrial and

commercial units lies with thegenerators.

A number of different practices arecurrently in place in Mauritius such as:

● Solid hazardous wastes are notcollected separately but dischargedwith non-hazardous wastes,

● Liquid hazardous waste is dischargedwith the sewage water or disposed ofto the environment,

● Some hazardous waste is stored at thepremises of the industry due to thelack of disposal facilities,

● In hospitals, hazardous waste iscollected and incinerated on-site,

● Internal collection systems of wastegenerators do not meet therequirements for safe handling anddisposal of hazardous waste, and

● A very small quantity of hazardouswaste is disposed of at the hazardouswaste cell at the Mare ChicoseSanitary Landfill.

The only existing possibility forhazardous waste disposal is offered atthe dedicated landfill cell at

154

C H A P T E R 9

155

157


The move from the use of waste dumps,many illegal, to the establishment of aproperly constructed national landfill site andtransfer stations, has been a major aspect ofreform. In addition, the new system operatesthrough a partnership between the publicand private sector. The Ministry of LocalGovernment and Solid Waste Managementand Local Authorities carry responsibility forcoordinating the system within a nationalpolicy. Operational management of thenational landfill site and the transfer stationsis privatised. Funds for the collection ofdomestic and commercial wastes, beachcleaning and road cleaning are managed byLocal Authorities, who either directly manageservices or contract these to privatecompanies.

Box 9.7 National sanitary landfill

Mare ChicoseThe Mare Chicose Sanitary Landfill,located in the south of the island iscurrently the only operational landfill.The site started its operation in 1997and at present receives all the wastesfrom the island.The site is a controlledlandfill with the later cells designedwith an in-situ clay liner of 1.3 metersof thickness.The site was developed inrelatively small cells in accordance withthe waste inflow.

The design capacity of the landfill is1,844,000 m3 (about 1,475,000

tonnes) and Mare Chicose Landfill wasoriginally planned to receive 300tonnes wastes per day, but is actuallyreceiving 1,200 tonnes daily. At thisrate, the life span of the landfill hasbeen dramatically reduced from 19 to8 years, i.e. up to 2005.

Currently, there are two storage pondsand a leachate treatment plant, whichhas however stopped its operationsince September 2002. Leachate fromthe landfill is transported on a dailybasis to Roche Bois. Moreover, landfillgas is collected and flared and it isestimated that last year 3,424 Nm3/hrof methane gas was produced, with acollectable production of 2,739Nm3/hr or 80%. Furthermore, theMinistry of Local Government andSolid Waste Management intends tolook after the feasibility of establishinglandfill gas powered generators tosupply electricity to the local grid.

The Way Ahead

Further efforts are needed at all levels toimplement the actions, policies and measuresto achieve an environmentally sound wastemanagement system. The aim is to providedecent sustainable waste management forlocal people and for businesses. This will bedeveloped by improving the scope, contentand quality of local services and by thecontinual examination of the opportunitiesfor extending the management of demandand increasing the volume of supply.

Further emphasis will be given to recycling,environmental education and the

enforcement of laws against illegal disposal ofwastes.An important part of enforcement isbetter control of hazardous wastes and thecontinued practice of illegal disposal throughstorm drains and sewers. As part ofdevelopment, there has been a steadyincrease in the disposal of motor vehicles,engines, e-wastes and domestic appliances.Better provisions need are being envisaged.

Sound waste management is an importantelement in the national strategy to developthe service sector to international standardsand to support high class tourism and toattract foreign investment.

156

C H A P T E R 9


9. Management of WastesA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

Increase in waste output ● Education ● Introduction ofenvironmentally friendlypackaging

● Strengthening of institutionaland legal framework

● Sanitary landfill for wastedisposal ● Dedicated landfill for thedisposal of hazardous wastes

● Recycling

● Integrated planning for recycling andextending services to meet needs ● Environmental education ● Promoting reduction of wastes at source

● Further legislation ● Increase in environmental enforcement

● Better provisions for the disposal ofmotor vehicles, engines, e-wastes anddomestic appliances● Provision of appropriate means of finaldisposal to meet future requirements

● Electricity generation from CH4 capture ● Composting plant for green wastes

Poor systems

Safe disposal of waste

Waste as a resource

C H A P T E R 9

Health

The Challenges

In all SIDS the health of the population isan essential requirement for sustainabledevelopment. Health and economic

development are strongly associated in SIDS. But for most SIDS, their isolation, their smallsize and their fragmentation across manyislands, puts health at risk, presents obstaclesto the delivery of coherent and effectivemedical services and of those other services,on which health vitally depends, such aswater, sanitation, decent housing andeducation. Child health, for example, one ofthe most sensitive health indicators, is closelylinked to the provision of safe water in SIDS(See Figure 10.1)

In Mauritius, since 1944 expectation of lifehas risen from 33 years to 72 years.(SeeFigure 3, Introduction) In the last thirty years,

infant and maternal mortality have steadilyimproved (See Figure 10.2-10.3). But thegains made from the virtual elimination ofcommon infectious diseases and from theeradication of malaria and polio, have beenoffset by a growing prevalence of noncommunicable disease and accidents (SeeFigure 2, Introduction) notable circulatorydisease, cancers , diabetes, mental illness androad accidents. There is also a small butgrowing reported number of cases ofHIV/AIDS (See Figure 10.4). There are inaddition inequalities in health across theislands with a higher level of infant mortalityin Rodrigues for example (See Figure 10.1).This is possibly linked to differences ineconomic and social development of theislands.

160

C H A P T E R 1 0

161


163


targets for better health and better healthservices and for consumer values (See Box10. 2). and these have been re-enforced in thecommitment to the MDGs. But the responseto these challenges involves changing thepattern of consumption and production inthe country and making better use of naturalresources for health.

This will require new investment and a freshfocus on the promotion of health and thequality of life Success depends not just on theefforts of the MOHQL but also needssupport from other departments ofgovernment, the private sector and thepopulation at large. The health promotionstrategy is to make the healthy choices indaily living, in consumption and inproduction, the easy choices for the country.

Box 10.2Health Sector targets

Source:White Paper on Health SectorDevelopment and Reform 2002

Health targets

● Increase in expectation of life to above75 years,

● Reduction in infant mortality to singlefigures, and

● Reduce tobacco use, alcohol abuse,obesity and increase exercise anddental health.

Service targets

● Save 500 lives a year from end stagerenal failure ( a complication ofdiabetes), and

● Provide a 24 hour family doctorservice.

Consumer targets

● Ensure effective quality care for allthose with non-communicable disease(especially those with diabetes andhypertension)

Achieving these targets will requiremore investment and the GovernmentWhite Paper reviewed options foralternative sources of funding tosupplement existing financialcommitment, including healthinsurance, health taxes on tobacco andalcohol, incentives for expansion of theprivate sector, and service chargeswithin the pubic sector.

Progress

The Ministry of Health & Quality of Life hasbeen increasing the emphasis on preventionand treatment of NCDs in recent yearsthrough a national integrated programmecovering clinical and community activities.This includes:162

C H A P T E R 1 0

In Mauritius heart disease is responsible for50% of deaths in the country. In thepopulation aged 30 years and above, 20% arediabetics and 30% are hypertensive.Prevalence of smoking, obesity and alcoholicabuse are also significant risk factorsespecially in men.

By comparison with other developing states,health in Mauritius is good and healthservices well provided (See Box 10.1). Butthe achievement of the millenniumdevelopment goals remains a challenge,although the trends are mostly in the rightdirection. (See Chapter: 18).

Reducing the impact of non-communicablediseases and containing the growing risk ofHIV/AIDS are important priorities. Forbetter health is vital for sustaineddevelopment in Mauritius.The current healthproblems are having a growing impact on thequality of life and productive capacity ofpeople of working age and producing heavylevels of dependence in the increasingpopulation of elderly people.

Box 10.1Clinical services delivery

Clinical services are deliveredthroughout the country with:

● One primary health care unit per 9 000 heads with an average of 2.6attendances per person per year,

● 2.2 hospital beds in regional anddistrict hospitals per 1 000 population,

● Average of 2.5 out patient attendancesat hospital per person per year. Thehospital system of the country forms asignificant part of the socio-economicactivities of the nation, with more than75% of the health budget allocated topublic hospitals,

● Average of 0.9 physicians per 1 000population of whom 63% work in thepublic sector and 245 are registeredspecialists,

● Average of 2.2 qualified nurses per 1000 population,

● 1.2 dentists per 10 000 population,

● 2.3 pharmacies per 10 000 population,and

● SAMU emergency ambulance servicein every region

Drugs, in the public health sector aresupplied, free of direct charge topatients including ART for people withHIV/AIDS.

This challenge is being taken up both withinthe health services and in the country as awhole. The White Paper on Health SectorDevelopment and Reform, 2002, set clear

165


Box 10.3Partnership to contain HIV/AIDS

Whilst HIV/AIDS affects less than 1per thousand of the adult population,there is an upward trend in the highrisk groups and a risk of spread to thewider population.

The first case of AIDS was detected in1987. A cumulative number of 866HIV/AIDS cases have been reported asat end of June 2004. Out of these, 104were non-residents and 762 residentsand among the residents, 111 havedied, which leaves a presumed numberof 651 people living with HIV/AIDS inMauritius. There is a slow but adefinitely rise in the incidence rate ofHIV. The prevalence rate amongpregnant women is around 0.07% ascompared to 8% and 6% among thesex workers and prison inmatesrespectively. The HIV epidemic inMauritius can be considered as“concentrated” since the prevalence isless than 1% in the population ingeneral and more than 5% in the sexworkers group.Mauritius is supporting theimplementation of the SADCHIV/AIDS Strategy Plan, particularly inthe tourism sector where we aretaking the lead. Needs for assessmentin that sector is being carried out in

SADC countries. A Memorandum ofUnderstanding has been signedbetween the Member States of IndianOcean Commission and the UNAgencies regarding HIV/AIDS.In that context, projects have beensubmitted to the WHO for fundingunder the Programme AcceleratingFund. As regards the Global Fund, acountry coordinated programme hasbeen worked out by key stakeholdersfrom Government Institutions, NGOsand the private sector. The overall goalof the programme aims at reducing byyear 2010 new HIV infections amongthe most vulnerable groups, that is, theCommercial Sex Workers, the injectingdrug users and the youth.

The strategy for tackling HIV/AIDSincludes:

● A national mechanism for policyreview and an Action Plan,

● Multi-sectoral policy committeechaired by the Prime Minister,

● National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan2001-2005,

● other key Ministers andrepresentatives of NGOs and of thecivil society,

● A multi-sectoral Technical AdvisoryCommittee plans action within thestrategic framework and advises theNAC on issues relating to HIV/AIDS,

164

C H A P T E R 1 0

● The Health Information, Educationand Communication Unit forinfluencing the knowledge, attitude,beliefs and practices of the Mauritianpopulation and to bring about desirablehealth related behavioural changes.

● The National AIDS ControlProgramme coordinates AIDSprevention activities (See Box 10.3).

● The Health Inspectorate Unitcarries out activities in order to keepproper control on the introduction ofcommunicable diseases and also tomaintain sanitary standards.

● The Nutrition Unit sensitises thepopulation on healthy nutrition andlifestyle.

● The Environmental Health Unitmonitors the quality of drinking waterand controls air, noise and odourpollution to safeguard and promotepublic health and the environment.

● The Malaria EradicationProgramme which includesenvironmental controls on mosquitobreeding, selective spraying of theairport, seaport, ships, and planes, thefollow-up of travellers from countrieswith endemic malaria, and free preventivedrugs for Mauritian travellers visitingthese countries.

● NCD Mobile Service, popularlyknown as “Caravane de Santé” for

screening and detection of high bloodpressure, elevated blood cholesterol,diabetes, obesity, visual problems, breastand cervical cancers. By March 2004, 200000 persons had been screened, including42 000 women for breast and cervicalcancers. Out of these, 3.5% werediagnosed as having cervical cancer and3.2% with breast disorders.

● New framework of legislation topromote protection for health and forhuman rights of patients

● Action to make better use of naturalresources for health including use of seaand of land pathways in villages forexercise, conversion of land from sugarcane and tobacco for growing fruit andvegetables for a healthier diet, land forgrowing medicinal plants for healthremedies, building on indigenous culturefor healthier life style, including stressrelief through meditation and relaxationmethods, aerobic movement, andthrough community facilities for sportfor all.

Promoting healthy life style

167


● Mental Health Act of 1998 for thereform of mental health services topromote better prevention, treatmentand rehabilitation in mental health andprotection of civil and human rights ofpatients,

● Dangerous Chemicals Control Act2003 to prevent damage to health andthe environment from dangerouschemicals,

● Occupational Safety, Health andWelfare Act. to improve health andwelfare at work, and

● Human Tissue Bill to regulate the useof human tissue and organs.

Partnerships and Networking forSustainable Development

The effectiveness of health programmesdepends on a multi-sectoral approach withingovernment, with the private sector andNGOs. It involves substantial developmentof legislation (See Box 10.4) The MOHQLworks in close collaboration with otherministries in the fields of education, disability,elderly people, mother and child health,youth and sport. It also works in partnershipwith the private sector health services inspecialist care of diabetics, in nurse training,and specialist service development. and withNGOs on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS,

traditional medicine, , tobacco control, andalcohol abuse. Some of the “hotel services”of hospitals are contracted out to privatefirms.

One indicator of progress in Mauritius hasbeen the decline in assistance from donoragencies as Mauritius no longer qualifies forassistance because of the increasing percapita income and declining infant andmaternal mortality rates in the country.UNICEF and UNFPA have ceased theiroperations in Mauritius. The main donoragency is the World Health Organisation.Multilateral loans include loans from the ArabBank for Economic Development in Africa(BADEA) and the African DevelopmentBank, for the implementation of capitalprojects at Victoria Hospital and Dr. A. G.Jeetoo Hospital respectively. But these loansare now on less concessional rates.

To overcome geographical and professionalisolation, the support of foreign medicalvisiting teams has been stepped up fortechnical policy review and for trainingespecially in complex high technology clinicalprocedures. The Mauritius Institute ofHealth, which operates under the aegis of theMOHQL, works in close collaboration withforeign training institutions, for example, theUniversity of Bordeaux II, for the moreaccurate detection of serious illness and itstreatment, high technology services havebeen developed (See Box 10.5).

166

C H A P T E R 1 0

● Information, education, counselling,andtesting services are provided in theregional and local health facilities,

● A national hot-line service isoperational to answer to queries ofthe population,

● Epidemiological and behaviouralsurveillance is undertaken for HIV andother sexually transmitted infections,

● All blood donations are screened forHIV, Hepatitis B and C and Syphilis,

● Post exposure antiretroviralprophylaxis for 4 weeks is provided tothose accidentally exposed to HIVincluding victims of rape,

● The primary prevention of mother tochild transmission starts with HIVinformation and education of girls ofchildbearing age and women in socialwelfare centres, women’s centres andworkplaces,

● Pregnant women attending healthcentres and hospitals are counselledand tested with their consent,

● HIV positives women and theirnewborns are treated with AZT(antiretroviral treatment),

● Babies are given powdered milk freefor 2 years. This protocol reduces therisk from 30% to 2%, and

● Since 2002, AZT is provided to allpersons who need it.

The most striking feature in the health profileof the country has been the eradication ofmajor infectious diseases. The prevention oftheir re-emergence and protection againstnewly emerging diseases are continuing areasof investment. No cases of Severe AcuteRespiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Avian Fluhave been recorded in Mauritius.

The present expanded programme ofimmunisation (EPI) covers 100% of thetargeted population, including BCG Vaccineagainst tuberculosis, DPT Vaccine againstdiphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus,Hepatitis B Vaccine, OPV againstpoliomyelitis, MMR Vaccine against measles,mumps and rubella, and Tetanus (2nd orhigher dose) for pregnant women.

Box 10.4Legislation

As part of health sector reform newlegislation includes:

● Environmental Protection Act 2002;MOHQL the enforcing agency forquality of drinking water and controlof odour and noise,

● Medical Council Act of 1999, for theregulation of the medical and dentalprofessions,

● Food Safety Act of 1999 forimprovement of food hygiene,

169


168

C H A P T E R 1 0

Box 10.5High Technology Services

Diagnostic ServicesCT scanners and MRI: to supporttreatment of ncds and trauma.Nuclear medicine: with equipmentfor diagnostic exploration of internalorgans with radioactive materials toprovide clearer images ofabnormalitiesUltra-sound and echographyequipment: for diagnosis andsurveillance of unborn babies.

Treatment Services:Endoscopy and colposcopy services:with fiber optic equipment in allregions for enhancing gynaecologyHyperbaric services: comprising apressure chamber, for treatment ofaccidents related to deep sea diving;can also be used in the treatment ofnon-healing leg ulcersHaemodialysis: More than 40 sets ofequipment for treatment of patientswith kidney failure, principally as aresult of long term diabetes.Specialised Cardiac units: fordiagnosis and treatment of heartdiseasesCardiac surgery: with equipment foropen heart surgery and invasivecardiology.Organ transplant services:including kidney transplant and corneatransplant.

The MOHQL also participates in activitiesorganized by the SADC Health Sector ontechnical development and policy review.The Commonwealth Regional HealthCommunity Secretariat (CRHCS) and theWorld Health Organisation provide in-service training, through workshops andseminars. Sector-wide National HealthAccounts are being developed for the firsttime in Mauritius with the support of theCRHCS and the World Health Organisation.

Other action on improving health includes:

● Strategy on Diet, Nutrition and PhysicalActivity; National Dietary Guidelines arebeing implemented.

● Action Plan on Physical Activity

● Action Plan in consultation with allstakeholders concerned, for theprevention and control of smoking andother tobacco related products.

● Introduction of a family doctor service

The Way Ahead

Implementation Plan for the HealthSector

An Action Plan has been developed as part ofthe pilot stage for introducing ProgrammeBudgeting, Results Based Management andthe Medium Term Expenditure Frameworkfor the country. It includes major structuralreforms in the health sector to achievehigher levels of efficiency, effectiveness andresponsiveness to patients, with nineprogrammes, covering: Curative Services,Primary Health Care, Public Health, Non-Communicable Diseases and HealthPromotion, Asset Management, CentralSupport Services, Education and Training,Management, and Rodrigues and the OuterIslands. The estimated cost of implementingthe Plan is Rs. 13.2 billion (US$455 million)over a three-year period.

In Mauritius development andindustrialisation have led to major alterationsin employment patterns, hours of work,leisure patterns and use of time. Much of theimprovement to health in the past has beendependent on the provision of basic facilitiesfor decent living, which is a prerequisite forcommunity health. Further development ofthese facilities requires new investment and afresh focus on those parts of the country,which are relatively deprived, includingRodrigues and the outer islands.

Priority programmes of investment forbetter health include better:

● Water supplies and sanitation toremoter parts of the country,

● Housing for poorer people in relativelydeprive areas,

● Power and communications for basicfacilities for healthy living for all people,

● New, safe and cleaner technologies toreduce pollution,

● Promotion and incentives for a healthierlifestyle,

● Coherence in delivery of clinical servicesand services for prevention andtreatment of ncds, and

● Research and evaluation to guideprogrammes for better clinical servicesand public health.

CT Scanner

170

C H A P T E R 1 0


10. Health A Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Integrated clinical and healthpromotion programme

● Multi sector nationalprogramme● Prevention, treatment,counselling and education

● Public private multi-nationalpartnership in professionaltraining and development● Management development,efficiency and qualityimprovement

● Increased investment inbuildings, equipment, staff andcommunity support

● Asset management programmefor development and maintenanceof buildings, equipment and estate● New buildings and equipmentfor better range and quality ofservices

● Rise in non communicabledisease and accidents

● Small but growing threat ofHIV/AIDS

● Professional andmanagement development

● Infrastructure development

● Financial commitment

● Family doctor services● Development of community anddomiciliary care● Multi sector action to reduce injuries

● Further strengthening of integratedcommunity and clinical services with strongnational leadership and active ngos

● Review of forms of financing● Continued extension of public and privatesectors● Development of fiscal policy to promotehealthier consumption patterns and cleanertechnology in industry

● Strengthening continuing education and roleof professional bodies● Further support for public private partnership● Re-enforcement of international networking● Reform of management structure and culture

● Implementing master plans for sitedevelopment● Planned preventive maintenance● Cyclical replacement and developmentplans for whole estate

Since the first WTO Ministerial Conferenceheld in Singapore in 1996, Mauritius has beenadvocating a special case for SIDS in theWTO system. Indeed, while the WTO hasrecognized the principle of differentiatedapproach to countries at each level ofdevelopment, it does not yet have specialprovision to respond to the specific needs ofthe SIDS. The preferential trade agreementsbeing phased out under WTO rules and theintensified competition from China andother Asian competitors, are continuingeconomic threats for SIDS in general.

Economic Diversification

If the future looks uncertain the pastMauritian experience has revealed that asmall economy, characterized by a number ofpermanent disadvantages can respondeffectively with the right set of policies,commitment and entrepreneurial skill.Diversification and specialisation has been akey response in all sectors.

Agricultural diversification was not aimed atreplacing sugar cane, since Mauritius had asecure and guaranteed market for its sugarunder the Sugar Protocol operating underthe Lomé and Cotonou Agreements. It wasrather to enlarge the agricultural range toproduce more fruits and vegetables for thelocal market, plants and cut flowers for thetourist sector. But more importantly, the shiftwas to achieve a more efficient and intensiveuse of land and labour, which are both limitedresources in a small island like Mauritius.Thecontribution of agriculture to the economyhas been declining and the sector as a wholeis facing serious threats from global

competition and the loss of preferentialtrading arrangements. But it retains acontinued resilience in the face of pressure,by increasing efficiency and by diversification.

Non sugar agriculture now represents 50%of the total agriculture output with thecontribution of this sector as a whole,declining and now under 10% of GDPcompared to 30% in the mid 1970s. In sugaritself responding global pressures, Mauritiushas increased mechanization in the sugarfields, centralized sugar processing, investedin continual research to optimise the yieldand moved into container transport of thefinal products. The contribution of theagricultural sector to GDP is expected togrow by 4.7% in 2004, compared with 1.7% in2003 with a higher growth in the sugar canethan in other agriculture.

The Export Processing Zone (EPZ)

The industrial strategy of Mauritius wasinitially oriented towards import substitutionat the time of Independence, in 1968. Thenew government, however, adopted anexport oriented strategy with the enactmentof the Export Processing Zone Act in theearly 1970s.Taking advantage of the EU tradepreferences under the Lomé Conventions,the EPZ became a major mechanism forgrowth within the manufacturing sector,contributing greatly to economicdevelopment. In 2003, the EPZ contributedover 21% to GDP and provided over 27% oftotal employment in the country. Domesticmanufacturing accounted for nearly 50% ofthe contribution of manufacturing to GDP in2003. 173


Trade and investment

The Challenges

SIDS are vulnerable to rapid changes inglobal trade and investment.This arisesfrom their small size, the narrow range

of their products and services, and theirisolation from alternative markets. To adapt,an economy needs to acquire new tradingpartners, new sources of raw materials andnew technical assistance.That takes time: It ismore difficult for SIDS and the outcome isuncertain.

Mauritius is a small and open economy anddespite its economic diversification in recentyears, remains vulnerable to globaldevelopments as its export sector relies on afew products and services and onpreferential access to specific markets in theEuropean Union and United States.

For a small island like Mauritius, trade is notonly an instrument to promote economicgrowth. It is an indispensable means toovercome the lack of resources at local leveland to satisfy the needs of its population inbasic commodities.With a population of 1.2million, Mauritius relies on external marketsfor its economic viability in agriculture,manufacturing, financial services, tourism andmajor parts of social services such asspecialist health services and tertiaryeducation. Small islands have small domesticmarkets . For producers to benefit from

economies of scale, they have to export thesurplus. The income from exports financesthe imports necessary for domesticconsumption.

The major challenge for the competitivenessof the country’s industry is the constant risein the local cost of production. Its distancefrom major commercial centres in Europe,Africa and Asia means high transport costs.The high degree of foreign content in thelocal production process makes some of theexports ineligible to some markets,depending on the specific rules of origin thatapply in each case. In garment manufacturingthe cotton and wool are all imported. If tradepreferences are eroded rapidly, sugar, tuna,textiles and clothing will face majorchallenges from global competition.

It is also difficult for Mauritius to conductinternational business with larger states on agenuinely level playing field. Its relatively highGNP per capita denies it the continuedadvantages of the flexible WTO provisionsthat are normally available to the low incomecountries, in particular the LDCs. Incomeper head, does not give a true reflection ofthe vulnerable situation of Mauritius arisingfrom its size, the few advantages ofeconomies of scale and its heavy reliance onimports.

172

C H A P T E R 1 1

competition with preference-dependent countries like Mauritiuswhose margin of preference anddegree of competitiveness will besignificantly eroded. The main exportmarkets for textiles and clothing arethe EU and the USA absorbing 65%and 27% of total EPZ exportsrespectively in 2003. Exports to the EUhave declined since 2001. Exports tothe USA have been declining since2002 due mainly to closures of majorfirms in the EPZ that have been servingthe USA market.

The textiles and clothing sector is ahighly important source ofemployment for women in Mauritius,being the largest employer afteragriculture. Women make up morethan 67% of the total labour force inthe Textile and Clothing sector. Thesector has not only contributed towomen’s income but has also hadpositive effects on their educationalattainment.

Growth in the EPZ has slowed overthe past few years. Mauritius'competitiveness is being tested by theemergence of new low-costcompetitors. Bilateral agreementssigned by EU with ACP competitorssuch as Morocco, Chili, Egypt andMexico constitute additional threats toMauritius.

Mauritius is one among thosedeveloping countries that will beseverely hit by the end to the MFA. Adeceleration of growth in the textilessector is already occurring inanticipation of the quota-phase out.Employment in the textile industrywhich rose from 15,000 in 1978 toover 91,000 in 1999 declined to under78,000 in 2003.

In 1993 number of enterprises operating inthe EPZ was 536; by 2003 it remained above500, with a yearly crop of between 9 and 48new starts and between 20 and 60 closures.Whilst closures tend to attract publicity thenumber closed in 2003 was the secondlowest number in the 11 year period. (SeeFigures 11.1 and 11.2)

175


The domestic sector has now to contendwith increasing competition from countriesabroad such as Egypt at the level of COMESAand South Africa in SADC. Tradeliberalization at the multilateral level underthe NAMA and EPA initiatives are the otherchallenges the sector has to face.

In 2003 the EPZ contribution to GDP withinthe manufacturing sector, was 46%, and thisconstituted nearly 10% of total GDP. Thenumber of workers in the EPZ in 2003,represented nearly 60% of total employmentin the manufacturing sector in Mauritius.

The dominant components within the EPZare textiles and clothing, which account for54% of all the EPZ enterprises, 86% of totalEPZ employment and 80% of total direct EPZexports See Box 11.1). The major exportitems from this EPZ sub-sector, are pullovers,shirts, t-shirts and trousers, which togetheraccounted for about 90% of the total textilesand clothing exports from Mauritius in 2003.

Box 11.1Challenges in the textile and

clothing sector

With the phasing out of the Multi-Fibre Arrangement (MFA) inDecember 2004, the quota system forinternational trade in textiles andclothing sector will finally disappear.This will bring fundamental change inthe development of trade in thissector.The MFA, which is in operationsince 1974, has provided the basis on

which industrialised countries havebeen able to restrict imports fromdeveloping countries. However, anumber of developing countries likeMauritius have been able to export toEU market without any quotarestriction by virtue of the preferentialarrangement governed by theCotonou Agreement (the successorfor Lomé Convention). The USA alsohas recently extended preferentialaccess to the textile and clothingproducts emanating from the Sub-Saharan Africa. These preferentialarrangements (which are generallyduty-free and quota-free) have giventhe preference-dependent countries asignificant competitive advantage overthose developing countries restrainedby quota restrictions.

From 2005 textile giants like China,India and Pakistan will trade in a quotafree environment and will be in direct174

C H A P T E R 1 1

A texile unit

Mauritius wants to negotiate changes in theWTO approach, and looks to partnership inmultilateral and regional level for thispurpose. The SIDS with a total population ofover 50 million are more likely to succeedtogether than as single isolated states. Likemany SIDS, Mauritius faces severeconstraints, in terms of human and financialresources in participating in tradenegotiations. Participation in thenegotiations is the only possible way forMauritius as well as for the SIDS to influenceto advantage the rules, their interpretationand their implementation.

Progress

The Government of Mauritius has put inplace a set of policy packages in terms oftrade preferences, industrial supportprogrammes and investment incentives thatare geared to attract and retain investment.

In order to foster domestic investment andForeign Direct Investment (FDI),Government is investing massively ininfrastructure and utilities, and is conductingan aggressive campaign in service sectors liketourism and ICT. Packages involving generousincentives, a stronger regulatory andinstitutional framework, a permanentresident scheme and the integrated resortscheme targeted at expatriates.

Mauritius also possesses a very liberal policyin respect of investment and investors caninvest in all sectors of the economy through thevarious investment schemes.These are grouped

under the Investment Promotion Act (2000).Additionally, in order to streamline allapplications for investment, the Board ofInvestment (BOI) was set-up as a form ofone-stop shop with fast-track procedures inplace, to reduce waiting time, provide forgreater predictability and fast trackprocedures, and eliminate overlapping.

Government has also introduced a series ofmeasures to encourage the development ofSmall and Medium Entreprises (SMEs) togenerate employment in the country. SMEsare presently creating five times more jobsthan large firms. The Small and MediumIndustries Development Organisation(SMIDO) which was set up in 1993 topromote entrepreneurship at grass root levelfor self employment is now taking majorsteps to accelerate the growth of SMEsthrough enhancement of theircompetitiveness and development. TheOrganisation is further exploiting economicopportunities by encouraging Mauritianentrepreneurs to enter into joint ventureswith overseas’ partners to benefit from theirknow-how and access to their markets. Inthe same context, it is providing facilities tobenefit from the African Growth &Opportunity Act (AGOA) , the CotonouAgreement and the SADC/COMESA amongothers. SMIDO is also encouraging foreigndirect investment in SMEs for both regionaland global markets. This action has alsohelped to bring more women into businessand improve the quality of life of families bythe additional household income.

177


Tourism

The tourism sector has developed into a bigforeign exchange earner as well as a biggrowth and employment contributor. It alsohas stimulated expansion and improvementof the island’s infrastructure, with theconstruction of new roads, communication,electricity networks and leisure facilities ofbenefit to other sectors and to the localpopulation. The contribution of hotels andrestaurants to the economy has grown from3.9% in 1990 to a projected 6.4% in 2004.Private investment in hotels is expected tobe over Rs 5,000 million (US$ 183 million) in2004 (See Chapter 6).

WTO Negotiations

Mauritius is dependent on import tariffs forthe generation of a large part of government

revenue and it will inevitably suffer from theWTO’s move to accelerate tariffliberalisation and to phase out its exportincentives and fiscal subsidies. Moreover, thetrade preferences which have been a vitalelement in the economic development ofMauritius are not only being eroded but arebeing challenged by the WTO rules.

Another major problem faced by Mauritius isthat the cost of doing business is high due tooverhead costs, limited ability to exploiteconomies of scale in production, hightransport costs, associated with insularity,distance to markets, small cargos and highdependence on imported raw materials andindustrial supplies. Mauritius, therefore, hasto make setting up new business easier, saferand more profitable to attract and retaininvestment.

176

C H A P T E R 1 1

● Political and macroeconomic stabilitywhich reinforce reliability in the businessenvironment and promote confidence ininternational trading,

● Availability of low-cost labour in the EPZsector,

● Preferential access to markets in Europeand United States under the CotonouAgreement, Sugar Protocol and AGOA, and

● Expansion of its market base throughCOMESA and SADC.

Further development depends upon thecapacity to make use of the competitiveadvantage of the country in the evolvingmarket, making its geographical position andattractive natural environment, a strengthnot just for tourism but for other businesstoo.Mauritius is getting better at exploiting itsstrategic location in the Indian Ocean forFreeport activities. It is enhancing theefficiency of its domestic industries byexposing them to global competition. But toprogress it has to secure wider marketopportunities. Its priorities are therefore topromote further innovation and developtrade in services and IT-based economicactivities.

A key element is the role of SMEs in theeconomic development of Mauritius. As theMFA agreement is nearly approaching, thereis a need to redefine the national strategy to

ensure faster product turnaround, shorterdelivery times and more competitive prices.Niche products, emerging export markets,improving on quality rather than quantity arethe further challenges to meet.At local level,another potential market could be the700,000 tourists who visit Mauritius annually.Some Mauritian entrepreneurs are alreadyrestructuring and innovating to target thismarket. A few of the large groups in thetextile and clothing industry have takenaction to meet the challenge ahead and onthe SMEs side, the prospects are good.

Whilst industrial competitiveness is of keyimportance for all Mauritian enterprises,their environmental performance should notbe disregarded. Government and theBusiness sector should develop a package ofvoluntary codes and policies to reduce theenvironmental impact of industries whilstenhancing efficiency. Government already hasa stated policy to establish a NationalCleaner Production Centre; it remains to beimplemented.

In the current WTO negotiations, thestrategy of Mauritius is targeted towards:

● Securing a special terms for the SIDSunder the WTO Work Programme onSmall Economies,

● Seeking exemption from tariff reductionsfor both agricultural and industrialproducts,

179


Capacity Building

Mauritius has devised as series of measuresto improve the technical and managerialcapacity of businesses. Workshops andtraining sessions by WTO and UNCTAD,have stimulated local action. The NationalProductivity and Competitiveness Council(NPCC),has provided emergency support toenterprises that are registered with theCouncil in the textile and garment industry.The NPCC makes an initial assessment in abusiness, identifying weaknesses and coreareas that need urgent attention in order toimprove enterprise productivity. The NPCChas also promoted Gemba Kaizenworkshops for greater efficiency in localbusinesses and in the public sector. Since itscreation in 2000, the NPCC has beenpromoting innovation as driver ofproductivity growth and competitiveness. Itswork is based on a close partnershipbetween business and government and itswork has proved both popular and effective.

The Textile Emergency Support Team helpsbusinesses to restructure and the NationalEquity Fund-Textile Sub Fund providesflexible terms and conditions of financingequity and debt. The Mauritius ResearchCouncil, set up in 1992, promotes andcoordinates Government’s investment inresearch. It advises Government on Scienceand Technology issues and funds researchprojects in areas of national priority andencourages strategic partnerships.

Government is committed to further expandthe country’s infrastructure that responds toInternational standards in terms of quality,reliability and affordability. The country isenhancing ways and means to guaranteesecurity of modern business services as itcompetes globally for investment by majordevelopments in ICT (See Chapter 13).

Regional Cooperation

Since its independence in 1968, Mauritius hasactively participated in regional organizationsincluding the SADC Trade protocol,COMESA, the Indian Ocean Rim- Associationfor Regional Cooperation and in IndianOcean Commission, (IOC). Theseorganizations encourage cross-border tradeand investment in the region. They attractforeign investment in both the manufacturingand services sectors. They also provide astronger capacity for internationalnegotiation. Mauritius has an evolving legaland institutional framework to helpcompanies wishing to use Mauritius as hubfor region-wide business and a safe haven forcompany headquarters with its security andfinancial and ICT capacities.

The Way Ahead

Developing Resilience

The past strength of Mauritius ininternational trade is based on the followingfactors:

178

C H A P T E R 1 1

181


● Providing adequate level of protection tothe sensitive sectors,

● Preserving the margins of preferences forits exports, particularly sugar, textiles andclothing, and

● Maintaining subsidy schemes in order tocompensate for its inherent costdisadvantages in attracting investment.

Shifting the Balance of the Economy

The main priority for Mauritius is to shift theeconomy towards service development.Thisoffers an important new opportunity for longterm growth for many SIDS. It includes thedevelopment of the offshore sectorsincluding financial services and informationand communication technology (ICT). Thebanking, insurance, Freeport and stockexchange sectors are part of this process.These are high value–added economicsectors that can help to overcome theproblems of size and isolation through their

use of modern communications technology.The resources required for this shift in thebalance of the economy include goodgovernance, security, the natural geographicaland environmental assets of the island, directair links to the major trading partners, sounddevelopment of ICT, ease of access forinward investment and business operations,and a resilient local population, well educatedand responsive to a changing world.

The challenge for Mauritius is not only toincrease its share in world trade but moreimportantly to have enough leverage toshape the WTO rules to its advantage suchthat it can have policy spaces and conduciveinternational environment to pursue itsdevelopment goals. Mauritius supports theinitiative to launch SIDS-SIDS cooperationaiming at the elaboration of a strategy forinternational trade negotiations. It will seekto play an assertive role on internationalfront fully supporting the advocacy of SIDS.

180

C H A P T E R 1 1


11. Trade and investmentA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Developing SIDS advocacynetworks● Renegotiation of tradingagreements● Diversifying the economy● Investing in education andtraining

● Globalisation ● Strengthen SIDS negotiating capacity inSIDS coalition● Negotiation longer grace period for tariffcuts for items with long standing protectionwhere livelihoods are at risk (sugar, textiles)● New technology; less dependence on lowlabour costs

● Shift to non sugar caneproduction (Fruits, vegetables,horticulture, fisheries, bagasse)● Managing the rise anddecline of textiles and clothing● Growth in tourism● Rise in service industries

● Narrow economic structure ● Intensify diversification and innovationbuilding on indigenous assets, protectingenvironmental and intellectual rightsContinued diversification● Promotion of SMEs and innovation● Research and development in order to findnew niche areas.

● Multi regional co-operation(with Africa,Asia, IndianOcean, Indian Ocean Rim;bilateral with EU, USA,Australia, India, China etc),EPA.

● International and regionalco-operation

● Secure longer term diplomaticpartnerships for trade● Extend access facilities (setting up anddoing business, airline connections, regionalentry points)● Ensure high level negotiating teams inmajor international instances.

● IT● Financial services● Offshore business sector● Medical/Pharmaceutical hub● Knowledge hub

● Further diversification ● Extend R& D● Reduce barriers to trade and movementof labour, capital and materials● Tighten financial regulation and probity ● Enhance IT capacity● Promote facilities as a regional centre forbusiness conferences, regional offices● Promote environmentally friendlystandards for service● developments, energy efficient and suitedto the ecology.

Developing niche products

Freeport development

C H A P T E R 1 1

Transport and Communications

The Challenges

Isolation and size present SIDS with majorchallenges for developing efficienttransport and communications. Distance

from other main centres of life andcommerce can result in SIDS becoming cutoff from the rest of the world, depressingtheir capacity for economic and socialprogress and placing heavy costs on trade.

In addition within each country,fragmentation across many smaller inhabitedislands can result in incoherent development,inequality of access for trade, and inadequatesupport of specialised services andemergencies.

But economic development in SIDS canrapidly bring traffic congestion and thesevere environmental impact of pollutionfrom motor vehicles, airplanes, sea porttraffic and their infrastructure requirementsand support systems.

In Mauritius the principal aims for transportand communications have been inovercoming the impact of physical isolationon trade, on human development and oncoherent government across the country asa whole. This has created challenges indeveloping the means of transport andcommunication and in protecting thecountry from its adverse environmental andsocial impact. Increasing road, sea and airtraffic requires space, imposes pollution ofthe air and the land and disturbs the

tranquillity that has been a key benefit ofisolation itself. Increased contact with theout-side world also presents risks to physicalsecurity and to health, which demand newforms of vigilance, not necessary in pasttimes. This imprint of development oftransport is now being extended to even themost ecologically untouched of the islands,such as Agalega.

The demands of strategic military transporthave involved the forced evacuation of thepeople from the most remote of the islandsin the country, the Chagos, creating anunresolved international diplomatic andhuman rights issue.

Road congestion and accidents are now agrowing problem, deaths from which farexceed the annual sum of all deaths fromHIV/AIDS,TB, malaria and all other infectiousdiseases, in Mauritius.

Mauritius has had international sea links sinceits discovery in the 17th century and isstrategically placed on the main shippinglanes linking Africa,Asia,Australia, Europe andthe Far East. Port Louis harbour is the onlycommercial port for the country. It plays akey role in handling 99% of the country’sexternal trade. But its position and growingactivity present major challenges tosustainable mobility in a congested capitalcity.

Progress

Air TransportMauritius now operates its own air-trafficcontrol system with satellite technologywithin an air-space of 9 million square km.The control system is part of the latestdevelopment by the International CivilAviation Organisation (ICAO) and theCommunication and Surveillance/ Air TrafficManagement (CNS/ATM). This enablesMauritius to operate with its own fleet, of 15aircraft, through Air Mauritius, with flights to26 destinations in 4 continents. In additionMauritius is used by other airlines withregular scheduled flights from South Africa,UK, France, Germany, the Emirates, Austria,Singapore, Madagascar, Seychelles andRéunion Island. No charter flights operate toMauritius

The air service started in 1972 with onetwelve-seat plane. Traffic has grown steadilysince then to an annual total of over 2 millionair passengers.Tourism is a major driver forair services, but business demand isincreasing.

New levels of security have been adopted inthe face of rising international concerns since11 September 2001, including passenger andfreight screening, in-flight security andprotection of the integrity of the airportitself.

The airport in Rodrigues provides for dailyflights from Mauritius but does not yet takeinternational traffic. The small airstrip in

Agalega is used only by the National CoastGuard for limited government andemergency purposes. Expansion of thesefacilities presents a challenge forenvironmental protection

Air transport has played a vital role in thedevelopment of Mauritius. It has promotedMauritius as an upmarket tourist destinationand provided necessary air cargo facilities forthe manufacturing sector.

Sea Transport

In the last twenty years Port Louis has beentransformed by the provision of containerfacilities increasing the capacity andproductivity of the harbour. The containerterminal covers 26 hectares with three ship-to-shore post panamax gantry cranes.

The customs systems have been reformedwith increased security and probity in theiroperations. With competitive tariffs, smoothindustrial relations, high security and ease ofaccess for refuelling and supplies, the capitalport attracts regional as well as localbusiness, for freight and as a cruisedestination for liners. Smaller craft use theadjacent marina for ocean going yachts,which is becoming a fresh aspect of theCaudan water front development.

The capital port has installed securitysystems to comply with internationalstandards including a Safety, Health andEnvironment System.

185184

C H A P T E R 1 2 M A U R I T I U S - S T A K I N G O U T T H E F U T U R E

Buses and taxis together constitute 3% of themotor vehicles on the roads; cars, dualpurpose vehicles, vans and motor cycles are82% (See Figure 12.2). During this periodthere has been a major road expansion andimprovement programme. 98% of all roadsare now paved and since 1999 the length ofroadway has increased by 5%, largely throughthe construction of new motor ways fromnorth to south of the main island. But thisexpansion of roads has not kept pace withthe increase in vehicles using them in thatperiod. Now for each registered motorvehicle in Mauritius there is an average 7.3metres of roadway. With 1km of road nowfor every one square km of land, roadsystems are approaching the limit of thecarrying capacity of the available land in thecountry.

There are over 1,800 licensed buses inMauritius and nearly 6,000 taxis. 77% of the

buses are five years old or more. On averageeach bus covers 150 km a day with averagegross receipts of MUR 900 (US$205). Thestyle of service offered is basic with littleconcession to consumer values. Commonconcerns are over reliability, frequency, traveltime, cleanliness, safety, lack of evening andweek-end provision, lack of information andof coordination between services.There areno published timetables or lists of routescovered and locations of stops.

187


The Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA)operates the port, which lies within the citylimits of Port Louis.The Port handles 99 % ofthe country’s imports and exports. Thenumber of vessels entering and leaving PortLouis has been increasing at over 4% a year;by weight goods unloaded are increasing by7% a year and goods loaded are increasing by11% a year.

Since 1984 the port facilities have beenextensively upgraded and they are now ofthe most modern in the region. Cargofacilities are forecast to grow steadily but thepresent facilities should cope with thisdemand.The yearly road traffic generated bythe port is expected to more than double bythe year 2015 (from 645,000 vehicles to1,400,000).

This will add to the existing congestionwithin central Port Louis and the roadsserving the ports, unless majorimprovements are made to accommodateboth the increased volume and the increasingweight of the loads, especially carried bycontainer lorries.

Road Transport

Roads are the only means of internaltransport in Mauritius, which now has norailways nor inland waterways. In pace withgeneral economic and social development,since 1993 there has been an increase of 64%in registered vehicles. But the increase hasbeen predominantly in private vehicles ratherthan in public transport. (See Figure 12.1). Inthis period buses and taxis have increased by34% but private cars by 76% and thenumbers of dual purpose vehicles and vanshave both more than doubled.

186

C H A P T E R 1 2

The motorway: facilitating movement of traffic

2000 to 6.5 billion in 2025 with 5 millionunder the low scenario and 8 million underthe high. In order to accommodate thisgrowth, the Master Plan proposes thefollowing major improvements:

● Construction is a new Emergency Runwayparallel to the exiting one, plusimprovements to taxiways, or alternatively,possibility of a replacement runway,

● Additional parking stands,

● Expansion of the existing passengerterminal to the south and west, togetherwith new prices,

● Construction of a new cargo terminal tothe north of the passenger terminal, and

● Future improvements include therelocation of the existing fuel depot to anew site to accommodate greater fuelreserve capacity to meet increasednumber if aircraft movements and an areadedicated to hangar and maintenance.

The current Master Plan is also beingupdated to respond to changes in aviationactivities and take account the dynamics ofthe industry.

These developments are seen as key parts ofthe expansion of tourism, trade andcommerce, allowing Mauritius to becomeincreasingly a regional centre for businessaccess to Africa and to the Asia.

Sea Port Developments

Port Louis is planning to be developed as aport for regional maritime operations andbusiness. Future projects include an oilterminal, extension of the container terminal,and a dedicated cruise terminal with back uppassenger and freight facilities.

In 2002, the MPA adopted a revised PortMaster Plan which covers the period up to2025. The main improvements proposed inthe Master Plan include:● Improving safety by relocating oil tanker

facilities for petroleum and LPG away fromthe main port area,

● Expansion of Container Terminal facilitiesadjacent to the existing MauritiusContainer Terminal, and

● Construction of a dedicated cruiseterminal and associated commercialdevelopment at a new site away from themain cargo port on reclaimed land nearFort William.

189


The dominant transport problem is thesevere traffic congestion within theconurbations and especially entering PortLouis from both directions, particularly in thesouth, during the morning and evening peaks.Journeys of 15-20 km by car typically takeone hour during peak periods and one and ahalf hours by bus. The peak congestionproblem has become acute in the last 5 yearsas more people have had access to privatecars and use them to go to work. This isleading to deterioration in safety andenvironmental conditions. In the period since1993, the number of road traffic accidentshas increased by 32% and the number offatalities per 100 casualties has risen by 26%.As a result, today wearing of crash helmetsfor motorists and seat belts for motorvehicle drivers is compulsory. CO2 emissionsfrom vehicles continue to rise and constitute29% of the total CO2 emissions in thecountry. Routine checks are effected by thePolice de l’Environnement and the NTA toenforce the Road Traffic (Control ofVehicular Emissions) Regulations and regularvehicle safety inspections are carried out atvehicle examination centres.

Another important aspect of urbancongestion relates to parking in town centresand the policies adopted for its propermanagement. Convenient parking is essentialto the life of a city and the supply of parkingmust be restricted and controlled if the cityis to function efficiently. This calls for asophisticated parking policy and governmenthas already taken some initiatives for

example, by raising parking tariffs in thecapital and by providing peripheral parking atthe edge of the capital city with shuttle-busfacilities to the centre.

The Way Ahead

The Civil AviationThe SSR International Airport is planned toexpand to take over 3 million passengers ayear, with the construction of a commercialoffice precinct, a private corporate aircraftarea and a major fuel depot. It is envisagedthat the airport in Rodrigues will beextended to take international flights. Theairstrip in Agalega will be upgraded fordomestic passenger flights in accordancewith international standards.

Current airport planning is based on the “NewMaster Plan for Airports in Mauritius”,a plan witha horizon date of 2025. The medium scenarioforecast in the Master Plan envisages the annualnumber of passengers handled by SSRInternational Airport growing from 1.7 million in 188

C H A P T E R 1 2

Container Terminal Facilities in the port

Congestion during peak hours in the capital

To provide the basis for future transportinvestment, Government commissioned theIntegrated National Transport SectorStrategy study (INTSS), which is a major stepforward in the planning and management ofthe transport sector in Mauritius. The studyobjectives were to formulate an integratedstrategy from which plans, policy statementsand an investment programme could bedevised (See Box 12.1).

Box 12.1

The integrated transport sectorstrategy

The main elements of the INTSS are:

● Implementation of an alternative modeof transport between Port Louis andCurepipe in order to relieve thechronic traffic congestion in thiscorridor,

● Discouraging car trips to the towncentres along the Port Louis –Curepipe corridor through controlson the supply of parking spaces,

● Improving the quality of bus servicesby restructuring the bus industry,letting fares rise in line with costs, andrevising the regulatory framework soas to encourage operators to be moredemand-responsive,

● Increasing efforts to improve amenityand traffic circulation in town centres

by means of traffic managementschemes,

● Emphasising maintenance andmanagement of the road network, andrelatively less provision of major newroads, and

● Building some new roads to improveaccess to economically importantareas and take through traffic out oftowns and villages.

One of the centrepieces of the integratedtransport system for Mauritius is theimplementation of a Light Rail Transit system(LRT), to improve north-south movementsand facilitating park and ride to the north andsouth of the capital (See Box 12.2). Mauriitushas had no railway system since the originalwood fuelled passenger and freight trainnetwork was dismantled in the [1950]

Box 12.2

Light rail transit

After several studies, including a WorldBank led multi-criteria analysis,Government is considering the LRToption.The INTSS proposed 13 accesspoints or stations along the 25 kmroute, most of which are in towncentres.

191


In the long term, the Port Master Planproposes that a section of the coast betweenPointe aux Sables and Albion lighthouse bereserved for port-related projects, such as,handling and storage of hazardous liquidproducts, when the current port areareaches saturation.

With the opening of Agalega to internationaltourism, new marine facilities are needed.The opportunities for establishing industrialfishing add to the case for establishing acontainer port there.This can only be donein-land because of topographical constraints.Such innovations will allow for rapideconomic and social development on theislands. But they carry the risk of substantialecological impact. Close public privatepartnership is necessary to ensure theseinitiatives can be taken forward with properattention to environmental concerns. Bothtourism and industrial fishing depend onusing natural resources in a sustainable way.New monitoring systems will be required toensure this goal is attained.

Current airport planning is based on the“New Master Plan for Airports in Mauritius”,a plan with a horizon date of 2025. Themedium scenario forecast in the Master Planenvisages the annual number of passengershandled by SSRIA growing from 1.7 million in2000 to 6.5 million in 2025 with 5 millionunder the low scenario and 8 million underthe high. In order to accommodate thisgrowth, the Master Plan proposes thefollowing major improvements:

● Construction is a new emergency runwayparallel to the exiting one, plusimprovements to taxiways, or alternatively,possibility of a replacement runway,

● Additional parking stands,

● Expansion of the existing passengerterminal to the south and west, togetherwith new prices,

● Construction of a new cargo terminal tothe north of the passenger terminal, and

● Future improvements include therelocation of the existing fuel depot to anew site to accommodate greater fuelreserve capacity to meet increasednumber if aircraft movements and an areadedicated to hangar and maintenance.

The current Master Plan is also beingupdated to respond to changes in aviationactivities and take account the dynamics ofthe industry.

Road Transport

A combination of optimising use of existingand planned transport infrastructuretogether with support for more sustainablemodes of travel is thus a cornerstone offuture transport policy. Complementary landuse and transport strategies are required tosustain urban and coastal tourism growth inthe future, as well as help provide newopportunities for employment in rural areas,which can reduce the need to travel.190

C H A P T E R 1 2

193


The aim is to provide a fast, comfortableservice which will be attractive to carusers. Access to stations will be by anintegrated system of efficient feederbuses and pedestrian networks.

Although the LRT will not solve trafficcongestion on its own, a series ofstrong public transport policies andtraffic restraint measures in the mainurban centres will emanate from itsimplementation. In fact, the integrationbetween all the modes of transportand the LRT will be the key vision ofthis challenging project for thedevelopment of Mauritius.The projectis planned to enter operations with93,000 passengers daily.

Operating characteristics of the LRTsystem:

● Length of line: 24.9 km,

● Running speed: 55 – 75 kph,

● Average time of stops: 20 seconds,

● Number of stops: 13 stations,

● Journey time one-way: 32 minutes,

● Vehicle capacity: 250 per unit (500 pertrain),

● Vehicle length: 30 m per unit (running2 units), and

● Total vehicles required: 31 units.

192

C H A P T E R 1 2


12.Transport and Communication A Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Isolation ● International air links to 26countries and 4 continents● Container port in capital city,for domestic and regionalpassenger and freight business

● Expansion of international links fortourism trade and commerce

● Security, health and safety ● International standards forsecurity and health surveillancein air and sea ports● Seat belts and crash helmetscompulsory in road transport

● Continued development andimplementation of international standards● Integrated review and improvements inroad safety and road transport management

● Inter-island transport ● Daily flights to second island(Rodrigues) and weekly seatransport● Emergency and governmentair link to outer islands, sixmonthly sea transport

● International air links to second island(Rodrigues)● Domestic passenger air link to Agalega● Container ports in Rodrigues and Agalega

● Environmental impact ● Waterfront development forenvironmental enhancement● Environmental protectionagainst pollution and from riskof air and sea port disasters ● Road congestion and trafficpollution a growing concernespecially in access to thecapital city; use of lead freepetrol compulsory

● Sensitive EIA assessment for air and seaports especially in smaller islands.● Strategic review of the future of thecapital city to relieve congestion and itsadverse environmental, social and economicimpact

C H A P T E R 1 2

The ICT sector was open to full liberalizationin 2003. A new licensing framework wasintroduced which has resulted in newservices and new technologies such asbroadband and wireless, paving the way fornew generation computer linked mobilephones. New services range from back officeoperations, contact centres, disasterrecovery and software development. 3000new jobs have been created and investmentin this field has now reached more than MUR1 billion (US $35 million). The internationaltelecommunication service has attractednew operators, resulting in a high degree ofcompetition and as a consequence a fall incall prices of about 80%.

The National Telecommunications Policy(NTP2004) was introduced in 2004. It setsout a vision for making ICT a fifth pillar of theMauritian economy. It outlines the strategiesto be adopted and the methods to be usedto ensure fair, effective and sustainablecompetition. It also paves the way forconvergence of IT, broadcast media,Telecom

and consumer electronics.

Mauritius is creating a well structured digitalnetwork and offers up-to-datetelecommunication facilities. The SAFE(South Africa Far East) submarine fibre opticcable has a local landing point that enablesMauritius to connect to the GlobalInformation Infrastructure (GII). This highspeed link (130 Gigabits) has boostedopportunities for e-commerce for thecountry, using the internet for business andconsumers.

Computers in Government

Computerization of various governmentalagencies dates back to 1989. This has beenachived through both reform of legislationand of the institutional framework fordevelopment in this sector (See Box 13.1). Sofar 55 Government departments haveoperational systems and 45 major projectsare underway, with investment of MUR 750million (US$ 26 million). 197


Information and Communication

Technologies (ICT)

The Challenges

The Global Conference on theSustainable Development of SmallIslands Developing States specifically

mentioned telecommunications and itsimportance to this group of countries.This isso because SIDS suffer from isolation. Theimpact of SIDS isolation on social andeconomic development can be reduced bythe development of telecommunication withICT to assist the provision of services inGovernment, business and the community.

This transition requires skill, advancedequipment, finance and commitment in allsectors. It is not an easy process. It requiresa shift from traditional labour-intensiveindustries to capital-and technology-intensiveindustries. The task for Mauritius was todevelop these complex new capacities,building on its strong human-resourcecapacity, good information infrastructure andthe required commitment fromGovernment.

Mauritius has been active in the promotionof ICT in every sector through a policy ofestablishing the core technologies andinvesting in critical projects in key sectors.The principal challenge has been to promotepenetration of the technology throughoutthe country in government, public services,the private sector and through the education

system and to ensure a growing awarenessand development of the necessary skillswithin the community at large. In thisendeavour the country needs to focus onrelevant capacity building world-classinformation and communication oninfrastructure and the enabling policyframework with the highest level ofGovernment commitment.

ProgressProgress in the development of ICT in thepast 8 years has been rapid and has movedMauritius well into the league of uppermiddle income countries in this field, but ithas some way to go to reach the levelsattained by the high income OECD countries(See Figs 13.1)

196

C H A P T E R 1 3

Cyber Tower at Ebène

Computers and Business

The Business Parks of Mauritius Ltd. (BPML)was set up in 2001, to spearhead thedevelopment of technology parks andtelecoms. A national computer centre – theCyber City – has been established, offeringfibre based facilities with direct internationallinkage. The parks and the Cyber City haveattracted several international companies,which use Mauritius as an information hub.The growth of mobile telephony has alsoaccelerated over the last few years as thenumber of providers has increased. In orderto increase IT penetration, financialassistance at concessionary rates is availablefor individuals to purchase their ownpersonal computers (PC). The goal is toensure that every household will have a PCby 2005.

The Government has increased privatesector participation through schemes such asbuild-transfer (B-T) and revenue sharingarrangements (RSA) in major informationinfrastructure building and has set up severaltraining institutes to cope with the retrainingand upgrading of the workforce. Projectssuch as the Mass Computer AwarenessProgram and the introduction of IT in theschool curriculum are expected to forge thisnew culture among the working population.The Board of Investment has developedterms for attracting investors in ICT toMauritius. Businesses investing in the islandcan benefit from:

● Low corporate tax of 15 per cent,

● Free repatriation of profits, and

● Exemption of customs duties onequipment and raw materials.

● A Green Visa Concept, which will allow ITfirms investing in Mauritius to employforeigners with the required skills.

● An Intensive Skills Training Programme toprovide a pool of IT semi-skilled andskilled workers in the short term to helpthe industry overcome constraints insome specific fields.

Mauritius has a sound legal frameworksupportive of the development of e-Government and e-Business and strong andfriendly relations with the West as well aswith India and the countries of southern andeastern Africa. Mauritius has invested heavilyin infrastructure.

The Way Ahead

The rapid development of technology and itsuse within the country have brought newchallenges. The skills training forprofessionals, needs to be increased to keeppace with the proliferation of hardware.More effective use should be made of PCs.The implementation of projects needs to bespeeded up and there is a need forstrengthening monitoring and evaluation ofthe application of IT to the requirements ofdifferent users. 199


Government projects include: systems at theCustoms Department, Video ConferencingSystem for the Judicial Department and theNational Pension Payment System at theMinistry of Social Security

Box 13.1ICT

Law and institutional reform

The following legislation provides theframework for ICT development inMauritius

● The Copyright Act 1997,

● Information Technology (MiscellaneousProvisions) Act 1998,

● Telecommunications Act 1998,

● Electronic Transactions Act 2000,

● ICT Act 2001,

● The Computer Misuse and Cyber-crime Act 2003, and

● Data Protection Act 2004.

Major players in ICT

Government institutions, include:Board Of Investment (BOI), CentralInformation Systems Division (CISD),

Central Informatics Bureau (CIB),Information and CommunicationsTechnologies Authority (ICTA),Ministry of Information Technologyand Telecommunications (MITT),National Computer Board (NCB).

Government owned companies

Business Parks of Mauritius Ltd.(BPML), Mauritius Posts Ltd. (MPL),Mauritius Telecom (MT), Multi CarrierMauritius Ltd. (MCML), StateInformatics Limited (SIL),

Private sector

ACT alliance, Mauritius IT IndustryAssociation (MITIA)

There are currently 31 licensed privateoperators in the ICT sector.They offerservices ranging from fixed telephony,mobile telephony, internationaltelephony and internet services.Thereare over 150 private computerservices companies operating inMauritius providing computeraccessories, computer cabling,consultancy services, consumables,computer games, hardware, networks,program design services, software,training, and time recorders.

198

C H A P T E R 1 3

The success of the strategy will dependgreatly on rapid development of trainedprofessional and technical staff in the publicand private sectors. The University, andtraining centres are extending the range andnumber of courses to meet the increasingdemand.This is being supported through thecomputer education and training in schools,public training in computer literacy and jobrelated schemes for the benefit of schoolleavers (See Chapter 15).The environmental impact of ICT is evidentin the extension of overhead power cables,the erection of mobile phone relaystructures, satellite dishes, the use of mobilephones in the street, and illegally by driversof motor vehicles, and the disposal ofcomputer waste. These present fresh issuesto be addressed.

201


An e-Government Master Plan has also beenelaborated with the assistance of theCommonwealth Secretariat. The Ministry ofInformation Technology andTelecommunications is pressing all Ministriesand Departments to develop their own e-business plans, to focus on the electronicdelivery of their services.

To meet the challenges from internationalcompetitors, Mauritius has taken steps toboost productivity, quality, and technology. Ithas implemented a program to introduceproductivity measurement at both thecompany and sectoral levels, along withproductivity awareness campaigns. It has alsoset up the Mauritius Technology DiffusionScheme, a demand-responsive means topromote private sector delivery oftechnology services. To ensure quality, theGovernment has developed an integratedMSTQ (metrology, standards, testing, andquality) strategy for execution by theMauritius Standards Bureau.

Mauritius is looking at a single smart cardthat will allow the public to hold theirdriver’s license, small amounts of funds thatcan be used for small transactions, and theirhealth and other social security information.

Mauritius is strongly developing ICT in boththe public and private sectors. New ISPlicenses will be granted to promote theexpansion of the Internet Community andencourage competition in this sector. Long-range plans include the development and

export of financial, consulting, trade,communications, education, and otherinformation-intensive services.The way ahead for Mauritius hinges onexploiting its strategic position in the IndianOcean to realise its ambition to become anICT hub in the region.To meet the increasingexpectations and demand from business andcommunity users, Mauritius is:

● Promoting a computer in every home, andBanks are offering soft loans for purchasingequipment,

● Setting up Community Access Points forpeople at public places, such as PostOffices,

● Setting up a Universal Service Fund topromote wider national access at locallevel, and

● Promoting easy and affordable access totelecommunication, especially through theinternet.

The e-Government programme is beingfurther developed to provide access to andwithin Government departments and toprovide computer support to the delivery oftheir services, with Government On-lineCentre (GOC), Government Intranetsystems (GINS) and Public Key Infrastructure(PKI).

200

C H A P T E R 1 3


13. ICTA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Technology development inpublic and private sectors

● Human resourcesdevelopment

● Recruitment of experts● Education and training

● Further professional development andtraining

● Community access ● Access in schools andcolleges● Mobile service● Service through Post Offices

● Extension of educational developmentprogramme● Target for a computer in every home

● Environmental impact ● Power lines● Mobile phone relay structure● Computer waste

● Review of environmental impact● Recycling programme

● Law reform and institutionalchange● Physical networks● Industrial base● Government projects● Business support andincentives

● Development of regulatory frameworkwith licensing, guidelines and monitoringsystems

C H A P T E R 1 3

The key factors in past achievements havebeen based on a number of factors includingpublic and private partnership in school andcommunity based developments and themaintenance of strong professional links withcentres abroad (See Box 14.1).

Box 14.1Key facilities in progress of

education

● National primary education for all,

● National secondary education up toage 16 years,

● Building programme for newsecondary schools to meet the newcommitments,

● Partnership between in primaryeducation provides for 75% publicsector and 25% in jointly funded orprivate funded schools,

● 6th Form Colleges for all with abilities,

● Expansion of tertiary education toinclude university and vocationaltraining,

● Specialist education for disabledstudents,

● Priority zone investment to promotebetter school performance indisadavantaged and remoter parts ofthe country,

● The University of Mauritius workingclosely with business and commercegenerates 15% of its income from nongovernment sources,

● Use of broadcast media for adulteducation and distance leaning,

● Health and progress monitoring forstudents,

● Youth programmes beyond school andcollege on civic responsibility,environment, health and social action,

● Tertiary education, training andprofessional development abroad, forexchange programmes and links tocentres of excellence,

● The Mauritius College of the Air(MCA), a parastatal body under theMinistry of Education and ScientificResearch, was set up in 1985 topromote adult education, arts, scienceand culture, generally through massmedia and distance educationmethods. It aims at providing equity ineducation and supporting teaching andlearning and improving access, and

● The Mauritius Institute of Education,now over 30 years oldpromotes:educational research andcurriculum development; advancedlearning and knowledge in education;teacher education responsive to thesocia l , l inguist ic , administrat ive ,

205


Education

The Challenges

Small islands have a major challenge inadapting education in pace withtechnical and social change. They lack

the advantages of economies of scale inproducing teachers, and in specialization bothin schools and in tertiary education. Aneducated population of young people and ofadults, is an essential requirement forsustainable development. It is a vital elementin promoting resilient adaptation to theshocks of natural and other global events andprocesses, to which small islands are speciallyvulnerable. Science based education for all,provides a sound basis for understanding thelinks that bind the survival of people to thequality of their environment.

Progress

Educational development has been a keycomponent of economic and social growth

progress i n Maur i t i u s . Government expenditure on education has risen to 12%of GDP.The Youth literacy rates (15-24 years)is now 94%. 95% of children of primaryschool age go to school. But only 64% ofthose of secondary school age continue inschool and only 11% are in tertiary education(See Figure 14.1).This presents a substantialchallenge to the country for the future; howto increase secondary and tertiary educationto the levels being achieved in the moredeveloped countries. For example, whereasonly 11% of young people are in tertiaryeducation in Mauritius, in Bahrain there are25% and in Barbados 39%. The rapiddevelopment of the economy with morespecialisation and more dependence ontechnical content demands an increasing levelof education which the facilities have notbeen able to supply.

204

C H A P T E R 1 4

● Pre-vocational education for those notpursuing an academic syllabus,

● Joint planning with the nongovernment sector,

● Tertiary education opportunitiesinclude the University of Mauritius,TheUniversity of technology (commerce,business, management, technology,linked to government, business andindustry), IVTB, Medical School andDental School, Schools of Nursing,School of Catering and hotelmanagement, business schools, avariety of courses for specificvocational training (See Chapter 15),plus national and private sponsorshipfor education and professional trainingabroad,

● Use of mother tongue for remedialstudents,

● ICT programme with facilities for allschools and tertiary institutions, and

● Continuous education programme forteachers and a new focus on qualitystandards.

The Way Ahead

Despite past achievements and recent majorreforms that are being introduced, muchremains to be done to match the educationalcapacity to the future needs and aspirationsof the country. Further key developmentsthat are planned and underway cover furtherdevelopment of physical facilities,improvements in support facilities, and inquality assessment (See Box 14.3).

Box 14.3Further sustainable developments

for education

Developments planned or alreadybeing undertaken include:

Assessment at key stages through aNational Assessment Framework

School Information andCommunications TechnologyProject (SITP) 207


scientific, agricultural and technologicalneeds of Mauritius; a programme onPre-Vocational Education for teachers;An MA in education in collaborationwith a UK university; In-service skillstraining for teachers,

● The National Inspectorate has a unit ofPre-Vocational Inspectors who provideadvice and run in-service courses toharmonize teaching strategies aroundthe new curriculum, and

● Evaluation and adaptation ofinnovations in the light of experience.

The reformed educational system inMauritius is aimed at developing a well-educated, skilled and mobile labour force fora greater economic dynamism and toincrease the capacity of the country for themanagement and use of knowledge toenhance social, cultural and technicalresilience. The motivation behind the reformand development of all aspects of education

and learning, is the country’s determinationto face the social and economic challenges ofthe 21st century, to meet the requirementsfor a competent and skilled workforce and tomake further advances in social and culturaldevelopment.This has required reform of thescope and content of the syllabus and theprocess of learning (See Box 14.2)

Box 14.2Reform of the scope and content

of education

● The primary syllabus now coverscitizenship, art, information technology,history and geography, health, physicaleducation, including environmentalissues and 2 hours a week on remedialliteracy and numeracy to overcomemulti-language challenges ofdisadvantaged groups,

● The new development of nationalcompulsory secondary education forall will promote equal access tosecondary education for all parts ofthe country, and ensure better qualityof teaching and performance reviewbacked up by continuous professionaleducation programme for teachersand university degree requirement forsecondary school teachers,

● Literacy and numeracy strategy withextra tuition in all schools to achievehigher standards,206

C H A P T E R 1 4

Promoting Science in schools

Newly built secondary school at Palma

and open learning (DEOL) for capacitybuilding,

● The minimum qualification for primaryschool teachers is now ‘A’ levels ratherthan the previous ‘O” levelrequirements, and

● At the secondary level an all-graduateprofession, (59% of the currentsecondary teachers are graduates).

Mauriitius is also playing a pivotal role inregional education and educationaldevelopment, through new forms ofpartnership involving the public sector, theprivate sector, local and international ngosand civil society.These include (examples tobe added; e.g medical and dental education,ICT, specialist professional training anddevelopment, University linkages withAustralia, UK, France, India etc). The freermovement of labour across the region andthrough global partnerships will promote thistrend. The ease of doing business withMauritius is a key factor in attracting andsustaining such co-operation.

Education and Development

The role of education should be to build aMauritian Society made up of self reliantindividuals able to take control of their ownlives, to make their own choices and fulfiltheir own potentials. Being a relatively youngnation, with its human resource being its only

key asset, Mauritius had no other choice butto heavily invest in education in order togradually emerge from an isolated pin-pointin the midst of the Indian Ocean to becomea respected partner on the regional scale.With the current ongoing reforms, it is theaim of the country to now fully prepare itselfto new international challenges and createthe appropriate conditions conducive tolifelong learning.

The concept of education must embrace thewhole of society.Those at school and college,those of working age in paid employment orelsewhere, and seniors. A knowledge basedsociety needs continually to expand theculture of learning, to cover new andindigenous knowledge, work and leisureactivities. Health and environmentaleducation is an essential part of life-skills forpromoting a greener safer and sustainableenvironment for future generations; a key toadaptation of damaging patterns ofconsumption and production. Mauritius, toovercome its geographical and professionalisolation, has a growing practice of sharingknowledge with other SIDS, through centresof excellence, through networking andexchange programmes.This has become partof the normal pattern of development.

209


To promote the usage of ICT as asupporting and enabling tool foreducation and for e-learning with theconstruction of a new IT laboratory ineach school and establishing as a firstphase IT laboratories in 50 primaryschools around the island every year.

Improving School Management andLeadership

Training provision for prospectiveheads of schools prior to and afterselection.

Use of Mother Tongue as languageof Instruction

One factor identified as the cause oflow achievement at primary level is theuse of a foreign language as themedium of medium.The use of mother tongue as themedium of instruction in lowerprimary will be piloted in two primaryschools.

Type of Secondary Education

A new system of post ‘O’ levelpolytechnic education is being plannedfor those students, after thecompletion of 11 year schooling,would rather opt for a different type ofeducation that is closer to the worldof work.

Tertiary Sector

● A White Paper on Tertiary Education isbeing prepared to pave the way forincreasing access to the Tertiary Level,

● New ventures for online and distanceeducation through an Open LearningInstitute of Mauritius (OLIM), and

● Private sector developments inmedicine, dentistry, business studiesand management, hotel and catering.

Quality Education and Key Role ofTeachers

● Quality assurance mechanism inbuilt inall Teacher Education (TE)programmes,

● Opinion surveys as the basis for theimprovement of forthcoming TEprogrammes,

● Reform of pre- and in-serviceeducation with greater emphasis beingplaced not only on the development ofprofessional skills and values but alsoat promoting more autonomy,innovation, reflection and career-longdevelopment,

● Voluntary career-long professionaldevelopment with distance education 208

C H A P T E R 1 4

210

C H A P T E R 1 4


14. EducationA Policy and Programme Progress sheet

● Primary education for all country-wide

● Remedial support in mothertongue

● Primary educationand Overcomingilliteracy

● Secondaryeducation

● Tertiary educationto meet the needsof development

● Improving qualityand professionalstandards

● Working with theprivate sector

● ICT programme● Further support for disadvantage and

remoter communities

● Polytechnic programme● Further development of distance

learning

● White Paper on Tertiary Education ● Open learning facilities (OLIM)

● New assessment systems● Management training● Opinion surveys

● Joint planning● New developments in religious schools● New ventures in continuing professional

education

● Mauritius Institute of Education ● Inspectorate ● Continuing education programme

for teachers

● Private professional education :medicine, dentistry, businessstudies, and remedial therapies

● Scholarships abroad● University of Mauritius● Industrial and Vocational Training

Board

● Secondary school entrance byexam

● Secondary school for all (From2004)

Training and Skills

Development

The Challenges

SIDS have common constraints to rapidadaptation of technology through skillstraining, because of their small size and

isolation.Training is becoming recognised as avital tool for securing sustainabledevelopment in Mauritius, both within thepublic and the private sector.Over the past thirty years, Mauritius hasachieved sustained economic and socialdevelopment in a competitive and ever-changing world economy. This has not beeneasy. But Mauritius has adapted its sectoralstructure, established new patterns ofproduction and service delivery,incorporating major technological changesand new means of communication. Thesehave been accompanied by changes inMauritius in social values, attitudes and inter-relationships and also in social tensions andchallenges. This process can only becontinued with increased capacity foradaptation of people, not only to the currentchanged structure but for continualadaptation in the future.

Unemployment is a growing concern inMauritius. Workers and employees are nolonger secure for life in any job whether inthe public or the private sector. Partly this isan outcome of a decline in demand forunskilled labour in agriculture, an increase indemand for better educated people and for

those with new skills in manufacturingindustry, construction and in services and alag-time in the response of the labourmarket. But, it is also an indicator ofadaptability of the economy itself. Nodeveloping country can survive withoutstructural change and that increases the riskof unemployment. The resilience of thelabour market to change is a key to resolvingthis social and economic problem. Theprincipal tools are training and raidredeployment resources into innovativeenterprises. People have to become multiskilled and sectors have to be quicker inresponding, to keep up to date with newtechnology and ideas.

Progress

The new orientation of education andtraining policy and programmes developed inthe past decade aims to meet this challenge.It provides people, of all ages, with moreappropriate skills and experience to meetchanging patterns of work.

With jobless growth in an economy throughincreasing automation and labourproductivity, training must also provide skillsthat enable many people to become self-employed and to set up their ownbusinesses. Starting up businesses is being

made easier and investment in promisingnew ventures faster and more sustained. Inbrief, Mauritius is now providing the climatefor a more alert and responsive market. Thisis a formidable task in any country, but thereis some success to report from Mauritiuswhich demonstrates a new resilience to thechanging pressures of the world economy.

Training is fast becoming a key component ofaction in all sectors. It is a vital tool forMauritius to enhance its economicperformance and compete in the globalsetting .The Ministry of Training, SkillsDevelopment and Productivity (MTSDP) hasa key role to play in the achievement of theGovernment's economic and socialdevelopment objectives and could maximizeits contribution.The role of the MTSDP is toset national human resource developmentand training policy.Over the period 1970 to 1995, the economyof Mauritius grew by an average of 5.6 percent a year - a remarkable achievement.Between 1995 and 2020, the National Long-Term Perspective Study envisages a rate ofeconomic growth that is equally fast, or evenfaster.The training plan aims to:

● Combine training programmes withwork experience,

● Provide training with work placements

● Allow employers to vet potentialemployees on the job, and

● Provide job-specific training to giveadded value to the employers.

Box 15.1Training and skills development

responding to the market

Initiatives in progress which respondto the training needs of the emergingsectors and to develop a versatile andskilled work-force, include:

● On the job training for one year forgraduates, those with diplomas andschool leavers with HSC: 279unemployed degree holders and 83diploma holders were placed on thescheme for 2003 - 2004.

● Promoting creativity andinnovation in local business throughNPCC Productivity Committee (PC)comprising representatives from sometwenty public and private sectorinstitutions.

● Hotel and restaurant tradesMauritius training for the hotel andtourist sector with special skills inmanagement, professional andtechnical skills, with class room,practical and on the job training.

● Training for the financial servicessector, for offshore financial services

213212

C H A P T E R 1 5 M A U R I T I U S - S T A K I N G O U T T H E F U T U R E

and switches of stream to help latedevelopers; .The emphasis will also shiftfrom learning facts by note to learning tothink, analyse, explore, and develop theoriginality and creative talents, and alsothe technical skills, and

● Legal framework: sound regulatoryframework for the development of thetraining & employment sector, coveringvocational training provision, financing bylevy, skills assessment, accreditation.

Lessons Learned

The conclusion of most evaluations oftraining programmes for unemployed youthis that more needs to be done to make theimpact of training more positive to raiseincomes and job offers after training. Newmechanisms are needed to overcome therisk of training programmes just increasingexpectations without creating new jobs.Theintroduction of free voluntary secondaryeducation in 1976 has now been madecompulsory with a major development ofnew secondary schools and six formcolleges. The IVTB was set up in 1989, todeliver training only in skill areas identified asbeing of national importance but where noprovision was available.The intention was toencourage other providers to take over suchtraining, but this has not happened and seemsunlikely to happen in the future. The mainstakeholders in training in Mauritius arguethat there should be a separation of policyand training delivery, with more being left tomarket forces which can respond more

effectively to the signals of changing demand.Fixing this is a major challenge. The marketmay not provide adequate data and may notrapidly adjust, sustain and co-ordinate theoverall pattern of training activity.

During the past quarter of a century,government policies in many countries havemoved away from rigid, restrictive educationand training systems with limited access,clearly defined pathways and few crosslinkages. Most developed economies arestriving to adjust the structure, organizationand content of education and training to therapidly and constantly changing demands ofthe economy and society.As a result, they aremoving away from state run centralizedsystems to new more fluid integratedsystems to offer:

● increased variety and flexibility,

● postponed choices,

● multi-point entry and exchange,

● overall policy making and coordination, and

● A strategy to improve opportunitiesthrough formal partnerships andcollaboration with delegated authoritydownwards and accountability upwardsto achieve a highly adaptable, versatileand up-to-date labour force.

The way ahead will be charted by divestingactivities from the State where better value

215


through the Mauritius OffshoreBusiness Activities Authority(MOBAA) for accountants, lawyersand tax specialists to perform tointernational standards.

● New pathways for training forentry, exit and re-entry, through newNational Qualifications Framework(NQF) promoted by The MauritiusQualifications Authority (MQA), withemphasis on proper assessment andcertification of courses, and a systemof quality assurance.

● The setting up of the IVTBSchool of IT at Ebène the Cyber-city.

● The IVTB pilot programme forcomputer awareness amonghouseholds as a pre-operationaltraining incentive.

● A mobile training unit known as“Caravane de la Formation” by theIVTB with the Trust Fund for SocialIntegration of Vulnerable Groups

● IVTB training programme for re-skilling of the ex-sand extractors,following Government decision tocease extraction of sand from thelagoon

● Special training courses in IT: forthe unemployed HSC holders:A 300-

hour "Information Technology -E-Business" course, 930 registered; CallCentre Operations course for schoolcertificate holders; Diploma Course inIT ; a National Training Programme forthe training of 5,000 SC and HSCholders over the next two years inskills related to call centres and BPOactivities.

A New Framework For Training, SkillsDevelopment and Productivity

Progress is being built on the followingkey elements

● Institutional framework: Government,training bodies, employers and tradeunions,

● Human development: Skills andcompetence, ranking and competition atan early age, continuous assessment,opportunities for repeats, 'remediation'214

C H A P T E R 1 5

Hotel School of Mauritius

The economic infrastructure will beupgraded. Greater efficiency inmanagement will be secured throughsetting out clear,measurable objectivesand monitoring their attainment, whilegreater efficiency in use will beachieved through the phasedintroduction of more realistic chargingregimes. There will be investment toprovide further expansions in majorareas such as water supply, sewerageand waste disposal, electricity,telecommunications and air, sea androad transport. One thing’s for sure:the future will be no mere extension ofthe past.We’ll need quicker reflexes tosurvive in the changing times; moreand better training is a good bet forthat.

The way ahead

To be successful world competitors as a SIDSin a rapidly changing global economy,Mauritius, must go for world-class standards.Literacy and numeracy is not enough. Amodern state depends on building up a topquality labour force, with results-basedinnovative managers, building up knowledgebased businesses, with enterprising and wellqualified workers with high skills, highmotivation and pay that is linked to results.Such training delivered by the IVTB is fundedby a levy on wage bills which gives sharpcutting edge to the design and delivery of thecourses.

Reforms in the education and trainingsectors will promote greater resilience in thelabour market.These include:

● Remedial training programmes fordisadvantaged groups, including the poor,to improve skill levels and employability,

● New courses designed to improve therelevance, flexibility, accessibility andreach of the mainstream training system,

● Competency-based training, involving therecognition of knowledge and skillsacquired through practical experience toimprove access to further training ofpeople who learned informally throughpractical work,

● Matching people’s education, training andpreferences to the jobs that are in factavailable,

● Career guidance, both for students andfor adult workers,

● New work experience programmes, and

● A computer-based labour marketinformation system to enable employersand employees to match their needs on acomprehensive national basis.

217


for money can be obtained by transferringthem to the private sector. The publicorganisations that can be run alongcommercial lines will be given moreautonomy and made to operate under soundbusiness practices.The proceeds of any saleswill then be available for much neededinvestment in economic and socialrestructuring - for example, in skills andInformation Technology (IT) development andphysical infrastructure such as better roadlinks, environmental protection and safety.

Reform in training, will require teachers toadopt major changes in attitude and methodsand entail major additional investment in thepublic and the private sector. There will bemore scope for part-time and flexi timeworking, giving more opportunity for workto suit individual needs and preferences. Forincreasing numbers of people with jobsbased on IT, there will be opportunities fortelework, enabling them to work from theirown homes, or local business premises oncontract without the time, cost andenvironmental problems associated withdaily journeys to and from centralized placesof work.

But these fruits of a sharper focus ontechnology and higher productivity in a fullycompetitive economy have to be earned. Itmeans learning faster and working smarterthan our competitors. Economic integrationwithin an ever-widening framework ofregional associations, the offshore sector, theFreeport and the exploitation of ourExclusive Economic Zone will certainly

provide increasing opportunities. Suchopportunities are not, however, just there forthe taking; we must develop the capacity toidentify them in time and to implementprojects and programmes successfully in theworld market.

Mauritius has come a long way; but has far togo. Mauritius has already made an impact onthe region far beyond its size - as aresponsible world citizen and as animpressive example of rapid economicgrowth, effective environmentalpreservation, and steady social progress in amulticultural society, all in the context of freedemocratic institutions.

It will play a still more impressive role in thefuture through 'economic diplomacy',extending the scope of its economic growththrough extra-territorial developmentprojects, expansion of higher education,research and regional headquarters,increased entrepot activity through theFreeport and active participation in thevarious regional trade and economicgroupings.

However, we cannot predict the future, atleast not in detail or with certainty, but wecan do much to shape it for the better, bythinking clearly and acting early - analysinglonger-term developments, identifying futurethreats and opportunities, clarifying the kindof future we would like and can realisticallyhope to attain, and working out the meansfor helping bring it about.

216

C H A P T E R 1 5

218

C H A P T E R 1 5


15.Training, Skills Development and ProductivityA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Structural change in labourmarket

● Incentives for retraining

● Mechanisation

● Specialisation

● More employment of women

● Fewer jobs for life

● Faster response to continueddevelopment

● Institutional development ● IVTB

● SMIDO

● NPCC

● ISO

● HRDC

● MQA

● New more flexible contracts for

trainers

● Continuous professional education

and updates

● Further institutional development

● Public private partnership ● Work-experience

programmes

● Private sector financing of

training courses

● Private sector training schools

● Professional and technical schools

● Monitoring and evaluation ● Labour market information

system

● Continual assessment

● Results based management

● Medium term expenditure framework

Box 16.1Cutting the size of the state

The scope and content of stateactivities in Mauritius has been cut bytwo main mechanisms privatisationand transfer to parastatal bodies.

The principal new corporate bodiescreated in this process include

Privatised former state functionssuch as:

● Air Mauritius,

● Mauritius Telecom,

● Mauritius Post Office Ltd,

● MBC; broadcasting,

● Mauroil,

● CEB: electricity supplier, and

● Private ‘bus companies.

Para-statal bodies carrying outformer state functions and newfunctions for the state but not partof the civil service, such as:

● University of Mauritius,

● IVTB; providing vocational training,

● Waste management,

● Office cleaning,

● SMIDO: promoting small and mediumsized business,

● National Transport Authority,

● Financial Services Authority,

● National Economic and Social Council,

● Mauritius Oceanography Institute,

In addition there have beendevelopments in the private sectorwhich provide services competing withthe state services or alternatives interms of their form of delivery orlocation, plus private services oncontract to the state, the widerpromotion of joint public-privatesector initiatives and the greaterparticipation of people in privateproperty ownership, savings and capitalinvestment. These changes include:

● Private medical services,

● Private schools,

● Private construction services,

● Private security companies,

● Consultancy and technical advisoryservices,

● ICT developments, and

● Expansion of private ownership ofproperty and businesses.

221


Reform of the State

The Challenges

People in Mauritius and in other SIDSwant the State to do more and costsless.The State has to be resilient to the

changing needs of the country. Greatereconomic interdependence, the opening upof economies and the growing importance ofinternational relations, put pressure on theState to reform. It is moving. It is becomingmore responsive to the needs of customersin the public and private sector, to theelectorate, to the views of NGO’s, to theopportunities of the global market, tointernational law and global commitments. Itis seeing its role more as a facilitator ofdevelopment, a stimulus to the privatesector, a regulator to deal with market failureand a provider of governmental support andessential services. These innovations havecome about as part of a long process ofintegrated change, responding toopportunities and pressures. They have notbeen part of a predetermined and evaluatedmaster plan. But this does not deny theirscale nor their significance as milestones inthe reform of the state.

The challenge is how far this process ofreform can sharpen the focus on sustainabledevelopment as more of the key sectorsmove away from direct control; and how farnew instruments for promotingenvironmental priorities will achieve the aimsof a greener and more sustainable development .

Progress Made

The shape of the State and its role in thecountry are being transformed.The servicesrun by the State have become fewer, better,faster and more efficient.

The reform of the State in Mauritius hasbeen in three parts:

● Cutting the size and scope of Staterun activities, by privatization,transferring operational services to leanermore managerially competent parastatalbodies, promoting more joint public-private sector initiatives, widerinvolvement of people in private sectorpartnership through businesses and theprivate property market

● Reform within the State sector, with afocus on results, cost-effectiveness,consumer satisfaction, speed and quality,less constrained by the unsuitedinheritance of bureaucratic centralisedgovernment procedures

● Transforming the interface betweenthe State and the world beyond,reducing the barriers to inwardinvestment, with free movement of capitaland labour, greater transparency andprobity in cross border financialtransactions and security against fraud andmoney laundering, the promotion of avirile offshore sector for trade and finance,and better regulation of the private sectorand financial institutions220

C H A P T E R 1 6

core element in the Public Sector. Theseprinciples aim at: strengthening the systemand work processes in a consistent andstandardized manner

● Reviewing re-engineering existingpractices by streamlining the proceduresand establishing performance standards,

● Promoting transparency,

● Enhancing team spirit, and

● Pursuing a quality culture in theorganization.

Twelve organisations including onespecialised hospital have so far been ISOcertified and twelve other organisationscovering a wide array of governmentfunctions and targeting different types ofcustomers are implementing these principles.

A Ministerial Steering Committee promotesand monitors the projects and momentum ismaintained with a Public Service QualityAssociation of those who have been ISOcertified. The independent MauritiusStandards Bureau is the certification body toensure that the systems put in place meetobjective standards and make a realdifference in the quality of services.

Gemba Kaizen Principles

The MCSA & AR, working with the NationalProductivity and Competitiveness Council(NPCC), are promoting improvement inperformance at the workplace through the

vehicle of the Gemba Kaizen approachimported from Japanese managementpractice. The aim of the approach is tomotivate and support workers at the place ofwork itself, to identify, reduce andeliminating, those aspects of their work andthe workplace which provide no added valueto the services or products they produce(the waste or the mudas). The approachrevolves around five core methods in whichthe workers directly participate with thestimulation of trained motivators:

● seiri (sorting),

● seiton (arranging),

● seiso (cleaning),

● seiketsu (maintaining), and

● shitsuke (self-discipline).

Some 900 public officers followed thesensitisation programmes and trainingworkshop sessions on Gemba Kaizenprinciples, ranging from 3-5 days, covering 21Ministries and Departments including threeRegional Hospitals.

The results appear to have been remarkable,popular and immediate.They aim to produce:

● Less waiting time,

● Better counter services,

● Better patterns of work, and

● Better service to customers. 223


Box 16.2Reform within the State Sector

The principal objectives of thereforms, promoted through theMinistry of Civil Service Affairs andAdministrative Reforms are:

● More effectiveness and efficiency,

● Faster and better quality services forthe public,

● Better skills and aptitudes, and

● A better deal to attract and retain thebest for the public services.

Mechanisms for achieving theseobjectives include:

● Total Quality Management Framework,

● ISO standards, and

● The Gemba Kaizen principles of betterquality service at the workplace.Improvement of counter services,

● Citizens’ Charters for a morecustomer-oriented approach,

The reforms are promoted through aSteering Committee chaired by aPrivate Sector representative. Reform

ideas from home and abroad arereviewed by Task groups of seniorofficers, trade unions and the privatesector. Activities are organized by theMinistry of Civil Service Affairs andAdministrative Reforms incollaboration with the MauritiusStandards Bureau, the MauritianQuality Institute and the NationalProductivity and CompetitivenessCouncil.

Public and Private Sector Developments

The promotion of the reform of the civilservice has gone hand in hand withdevelopments in better management in theprivate sector. New ideas and institutionscontributing to both public and privatesector improvements have been a key part ofthis development process and are describedbelow. The state is also playing a significantrole in transforming its interface with theprivate at home and abroad. Progress hasbeen made in opening doors to inwardinvestment with new schemes of incentives.The role of corporate financial regulation hasbeen enhanced with more ministerialleadership to achieve greater probity andtransparency (See chapter 11).

ISO Standards

ISO standards have been adopted widely inthe private sector. Now they are becoming a222

C H A P T E R 1 6

Training Needs Analysis

A Training Needs Assessment for the wholeCivil Service. is being undertaken withtechnical assistance from India.

Personnel Management Manual

Personnel management is being strengthenedin the public sector. Innovations include:A comprehensive Personnel ManagementManual to provide guidelines and proceduresthat ensure standardisation in the applicationof rules, regulations and conditions of servicein the public sector. It aims to help personnelstaff to increase the effectiveness of theservice and avoid anomalies.

The Ministry has developed a system tocomputerise the personnel system for allofficers of the civil service. The CentralisedPersonnel System (CPS) is an onlineinteractive system designed to enhancehuman resource management.Implementation of this system will result inbetter monitoring of the work force,processing of letters and readily availablereports such as staff lists.

A Computerised Attendance System (CAS), forthe recording of attendance through the use ofpersonal magnetic cards, an electronic timerecorder equipped with a proximity card readerlinked to a central computer. This is aimed atpromoting a new work culture in the organisationcharacterised by more self-discipline, and a newattitude towards shouldering responsibilities.

Shifting from a procedure-based approach toestablishment control and making the leapinto more proactive management of humanresources in the public sector, remains amajor challenge ahead. The development ofa management culture, performance relatedpay, merit awards, promotion on quality ofachievement and potential rather thanseniority, accelerated development of ‘highflyers’, graduate recruitment, recruitmentfrom the private sector and from abroad,short term performance linked contracts andother managerial approaches to humanresource development, widely adopted inmore developed countries, have been underactive discussion for some time, but are intheir infancy in Mauritius,

Occupational Safety and Health

In 1999, an occupational Safety and HealthUnit was set up in the public sector toensure compliance with the provisions of theOccupational, Safety and Health and WelfareAct

● promote the safe and healthy workenvironment of public officers in the CivilService,

● provides training to different targetgroups, and

● carry out site visits and investigations.

225


Longer term evaluation is needed to assesshow far the impact produces sustainableresults extending the methods of efficiencyreview beyond the pilot schemes to theculture of whole organisations.

Customer Friendly Services

A variety of initiatives have beenimplemented to improve customersatisfaction and to respond to the challengesof globalisation and the growing demand byknowledgeable customers for quality, timelyand cost-effective public services.There havebeen a number of other influences on thisprocess. Developments in the private sectorin Mauritius have changed the pattern ofdoing business in banks, superstores, privateclinics, private schools and places of leisureand entertainment. Images of life in privateadvertising have had their impact on valuesand aspirations. The standards adopted inthe tourist industry, a major employer in thecountry, have also had their knock-on effectin forming a vision of what can be done.

These changes now affecting the publicsector as well include:

● Better physical facilities for customerservices,

● Training in customer care,

● New Counters for staff giving directservices to the public,

● Customers’/Citizens’ Charters, settingout standards customers’ rights andresponsibilities, and

● Code of Ethics for Public Officers, with atraining programme.

Performance Management

Performance Management is being promotedto improve management in the public sector.The system which is in its pilot stage isproviding essential information formonitoring and evaluation. It is reinforced bya results-based budget system, and a MediumTerm Expenditure Framework with a threeyear perspective.This gives emphasis to:

● programme planning,

● cost-effectiveness,

● bench marking,

● Performance indicators

● outputs, and

● productivity.

ICT Training Programme for Public Officers

E-Government Initiatives are beingdeveloped in all Ministries. to create a criticalmass of staff to sustain the E-Governmentproject. So far 5000 public officers havereceived training.

224

C H A P T E R 1 6

NEPAD and Public Sector Reform

Mauritius is actively involved in reforminitiatives being undertaken in the Africanregion under the auspices of NEPADespecially in the context of the StellenboschDeclaration. Mauritius participated attendedthe 4th Pan-African Conference of Ministersin 2003 whose objectives were:

● to develop a common understanding ofthe challenge of public sector reform inAfrica,

● to define the long-term agenda, and

● to develop a reform programme.

Mauritius with Rwanda now represents theEastern Region on the Committee ofMinisters to provide leadership, guidance andoversight over the implementation of theprogramme on Governance and PublicAdministration adopted by Ministers whoattended the conference.

CAFRAD

Through the African Training and ResearchCentre in Administration for Development(CAFRAD) established by Africangovernments with the support of UNESCO,the following initiatives are underway:

● Charter for Public Service in Africa,

● Africa Day of the Civil Service andAdministration, and

● ‘e-Africa’ initiative for good governance.

CAPAM

Mauritius is a member of theCommonwealth Association for PublicAdministration and Management (CAPAM).This organisation is dedicated tostrengthening public management andconsolidating democracy and goodgovernance throughout the Commonwealth.In 2004 with CAPAM Mauritius organized anInternational Seminar on “Implementing aPublic Sector Performance ManagementSystem” in Mauritius.

Commonwealth Secretariat

A Commonwealth Technical Adviser hasbeen assisting Mauritius in the developmentof a road map for administrative reformstrategies for the period 2001 – 2003.

The Way Ahead

Mauritius has been modernising the PublicSector, reducing its size through selectedcases of privatisation, creating new corporatebodies for major operational services, andshifting the rest of the public sector into anew managerial gear for faster better qualityservices for the public. Much is being done toenhance the image of Mauritius abroad as t asecure and profitable business hub for theregion.

227


Major challenges for health at work are inreducing accidents and injury at work,including road accidents amongstprofessional drivers, and in promoting healthin the face of the growing problem of non-communicable diseases in Mauritius,especially heart disease, diabetes, mentalillness and the risk factors at work whichcontribute to these problems. Creating ahealthier physical and psychologicalenvironment at work is becoming a criterionof the best employers; the public sector aimsto be in the forefront of development.

Industrial Relations

The primary objective of the IndustrialRelations Unit is the maintenance andpromotion of good and harmoniousindustrial relations within the public sectorwith new understandings betweenmanagement and staff representatives.

A consensual approach is adopted to findsolutions to problems by way of effectivecommunication, and dialogue through theprocesses of negotiations, consultations,mediation and conciliation.

Civil Service Library

A modern public sector library now widelyused by civil servants has been set up to provideup-to-date materials for reference includingbooks, periodicals, reports, audiovisual materialson latest trends in management around theworld, internet and photocopying facilities.

Law Reform and the Public Sector

Radical reform of the public sector isinhibited by the existing laws based on thecolonial system. Law reform is underwaythrough the work of a high level Committee.whose task is to design to define thestatutory basis for public sector reform.

Code on Corporate Governance forMauritius

In line with the provisions of the Code onCorporate Governance for Mauritius,worked out at by the Committee onCorporate Governance work is beingundertaken to promote the highest normsof corporate behaviour are complied with instate owned enterprises, to improveeffectiveness, and probity and to protect thepublic interest

Mauritian Quality Institute (MQI)

The Mauritian Quality Institute is promotinga Total Quality Culture in the Public Servicethrough a joint venture with government setup in 2002. .Action includes:

● A Task Force on Quality Management,

● The Excellent Customer Service AwardScheme in the Public Service,

● Training for public officers in CustomerCare, and

● Outstanding Achievement Public OfficerAward.226

C H A P T E R 1 6

Mauritius aims to attract the big players and for them to see the country as an efficient, livelybusiness and financial centre of probity where it is good to wet up business. On the domesticfront, the large utilities have more work ahead to develop a customer friendly style whichreflects the growing consumer orientation of the people, looking for value for money andcourteous and efficient customer relations.The private sector is showing a strong lead in thisfield. Progress has been made in state services.This is a start.The road ahead is long.

228

C H A P T E R 1 6


16. Reform of the StateA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Cutting the size of thestate sector

● Privatisation

● Parastatal development

● Joint public-private sector

initiatives

● Further institutional development forstate run operational services● Sharpening the management of parastatalbodies ● Promoting wider participation in privateinvestment

● Reforming the civil service ● Results based management

● Quality and efficiency

improvements

● Promotion of customer

friendly services

● Performance related contracts

● Benchmarking and service related resource

allocation

● Evidence based service development

● Transforming the interfacebetween the state and theoutside world

● Opening the door to inward

investment

● Corporate financial

regulation to promote probity

and transparency

● One stop shops for business

starts

● Freer movement of capital and labour

within the region

● Consumer based regulation of utilities

● Further streamlining of permits for

business starts

Principal challenges: Improvement inbasic services (water sanitation, wastemanagement, sea and air transport,power, education and welfare), tosupport new economic developmentsof tourism and deep sea fishing.Development of island communityrepresentation.

These remoter islands have 3% of thepopulation of the country and cover6% of the total land area.

Rodrigues

Rodrigues is exposed to extreme climaticconditions including frequent cyclones,droughts, and floods which cause damage toinfrastructure and economic and socialactivity. Its vulnerability has rested on a seriesof factors including; isolation from thenational centre of commerce and

government, narrow economic base, (mainlysubsistence agriculture and fishing, livestockbreeding, handcrafts small scale localtourism); its fragile ecology; underdevelopedpublic services including water andsanitation, education, health; and a smalltraditional business sector with littletechnical development. These factors havebeen holding back progress and discouraginginvestment.

Key challenges are the diversification of theeconomy with developments in eco-tourismand industrial fishing and private businessopportunities for overcoming the heavydependence of Rodrigues on nationalsupport. Water, sanitation and soilconservation are major targets forenvironmental improvement.

Progress

Rodrigues

In 2002 a directly elected regional assemblywas established in Rodrigues giving powersfor local planning and management of theisland’s economy. A National DevelopmentPlan has been agreed for better land use,improvement in services, bettercommunications and transport, theattraction of inward investment and thediversification of the economy.

The vision of the Regional Assembly is tobuild on the largely unspoilt natural resources 231


17. Rodrigues and the outer

islands

The Challenges

Isolation is a common feature of SIDS,especially in the remoter separated partsof each island state. Separation and

isolation can give rise to major challenges inresolving local concerns on governance,equality of opportunity, inequalities in socialdevelopment, health, security and serviceprovision.The Republic of Mauritius consistsof three populated islands each with itsspecific challenges (See Box 17.1).There arealso a number of uninhabited islands andislets.

Box 17.1Rodrigues and the outer islands

Rodrigues

Size and Location: One island 104 sqkm; 650 km NE from Mauritius islandPopulation: 36,000Communications: daily scheduledpassenger airline; weekly sea links; localradio and TV.Principal challenges: Diversificationfrom largely subsistence agricultureand fishing, through development ofmarket gardening, eco-tourism anddeep sea industrial fishing.Consolidation of newly decentralised government with loca l p lanning

responsibilities. Undertaking major

improvements in basic infrastructureand public services including water,sanitation, power, education, health,roads, air and sea ports, ICT.

The Cargados Carajos islands,called St. Brandon

Size and Location: Consists of 28 islets450 km north north east of Mauritius,some of which are leased to a privatefishing company Population:CommunicationsPrincipal challenges: Maintaining anddeveloping fishing industry. Providingbasic social amenities

Agalega islands

Size and Location: An atoll of twoislands,1,000 km north of Mauritius,linked at low tide by1.3 km shallowbank. The islands cover 2,600 ha, withcoral fringe reef Population: 300, living in three villagesCommunications: Sea links twice ayear; emergency air link by NCGplane; Satellite TV in community centre

230

C H A P T E R 1 7

Rodrigues island

of the island making Rodrigues an ecologicalcentre for the achievement of sustainabledevelopment. The programme ofdevelopment already in hand includes:

● Protection of natural resources especiallyin the main valleys, the coastline andextensive lagoon,

● Reforestation, propagation of endemicspecies, establishment of nature reservesfor arresting erosion,

● Improvement of waste management withseparation at household level, collection ofplastic bottles and metal and composting,

● Integrated coastal zone management, withmarine protected areas for developmentof sustainable fishing and eco-tourism,

● Improvement in water management andwater quality (Water is supplied throughboreholes, with a new dam beingconstructed),

● Eradication of poverty and socialintegration of the most vulnerablesegments of the population, and

● Improvement in human resourcesdevelopment through better education,health services and training (Rodrigueshas, 13 primary schools, 5 secondaryschools and places reserved on the mainisland for tertiary education). It has its ownhospital and health centres providingprimary care and specialist services andhealth promotion.

The Way Ahead

RodriguesThe Executive Council of the RodriguesAssembly is preparing a Strategy and ActionPlan for sustainable development inRodrigues.This will give greater coherence topolicies and local programmes.The aim is tomobilise local people, attract inwardinvestment, promote new jobs, reducepoverty, enhance living conditions,consolidate and protect the fragile ecology,building on the natural resources of theisland for economic and social progress.

Major Projects Under Way in RodriguesInclude:

In Rodrigues, further strengthening ofprotection against natural disasters isenvisaged including safer housing, beachprotection, reinforcement of standards ofinfrastructure for roads, bridges, power andtelephone networks. Improvements are alsounder review for safe refuges andorganisation of rescue, recovery andresponse systems. Reinforcement of pubichealth surveillance and security systems willbe necessary as the island opens up to moredirect international links by air and sea.

Eco-tourism has been identified as a keysector for the future. Plans includeestablishing international air routes to theisland for inter-island, multi-centre andregional tourism and improving the sea portfor passenger and freight traffic.232

C H A P T E R 1 7

Box 17.2Biodiversity in Rodrigues.

Rodrigues has 134 native species ofwhich 37 are endemic and amongwhich are three endemic animals (theRodrigues fody, Rodrigues warbler andthe Rodrigues fruit bat).There are alsotwo reserves, one for upland forest at Grande Montagne and the other forcoastal forest at Anse Quitor. Thesefragments of native forest are rich inbiodiversity, although this is highlythreatened by alien invasive plantswhich overwhelm them in their naturalhabitat, by exotic animals whichprevent their regeneration and bydevelopment projects such as roads,hotels and the airport. The CaféMarron which has medicinalproperties is an example of a highlythreatened native plant.

Conservation is carried out at severaldifferent areas, native reserves andcoastal zones. Plants are propagated byNGOs and, Government run nurseriesand manage a highly successful projectfunded by the EU using villagenurseries and employing the villagersto grow the plants.

A dedicated community educatorworking with the NGO MauritianWildlife Foundation, visits the primaryschools regularly, raising awareness in

environmental issues and in theimportance of conservation. Localcommunities on the island regularlyhelp with restoration work andplanting in the forest areas.

A recent project funded by the UNDPGEF SGP “Sustainable use ofRodriguan Endemic plants” establishedareas of plants used for medicinal andartisanal purposes to provide material for villagers for traditional practices.There has also been a study on the useof different types of Vacoas, animportant plant used in the handicraftsector.

Endemic Fauna

Only three endemic animals remain –the Rodrigues fody, Rodrigues warblerand the Rodrigues fruit bat. All threewere close to extinction in the 1970swhen an afforestation policy wasbegun to protect watersheds. Thisprovided habitat for the species andpopulations have now increaseddramatically.

The Outer Islands

Inequality in services and of opportunity is acommon feature of isolation and remotenessfrom the centre of political and social life in acountry.The size and distance of the outer 233


234

C H A P T E R 1 7


17. Rodrigues and the Outer islandsA Policy and Programme Progress Sheet

● Increase in air and sea links● Development of ICT and more

open airwaves

● Isolation ● International air and sea links toRodrigues; new air and sea links toAgalega.

● Reforestation● Protected land and marine parks● Public education

● Depletion ofnatural resources

● Implementing Vision of regionalecological centre in Rrodrigues andecological protection in all islands

● Water and sanitationimprovements in all islands

● Safer waste management

● Strengthening basicservices andinfrastructure

● Extra water supply through furtherdams and by desalination

● Better waste management in outerislands

● Public health surveillance increasedto combat importation ofinfectious disease.

● Security ● Reinforcement of housing andinfrastructure to withstand cyclones

● Strengthening of physical and publichealth security with advent of moredirect international air and sea links

● Increase in tourist capacity● Increase in smes

● BusinessInvestment

● More international air and sea links forbusiness and tourism

● Development of market gardening● Extension of fishing into the EEZ● Promotion of ICT ● Better support and training for smes

development

● Regional assembly with sectoralcommissions in Rodrigues

● Agalega Island Council

● Coherentparticipativegovernment

● Rodrigues Strategy and Action Plan 2005

islands, and their small populations presentspecial challenges for delivering basicservices and in promoting development.Thevery fragile nature of their ecologies makesthem of special interest for research and formonitoring the impact of changes beingplanned, especially in Agalega.

Getting over the stakes

Mauritius has made substantial progress butthe pattern is uneven. More has beenachieved in policy development and planningthan in implementation. In all the key areasfor action, policies and the institutionalframework for promoting reform, have beenput in place. In a large majority of key areasstrategies have been agreed and action plansset out.These are now being put within thenew medium term financial framework forresults based budgeting, which is beingestablished in the public sector in Mauritius.

But Mauritius is less well advanced in othervital elements in the reform to achievesustainable development. The 1991environment Protection Act has beenrepealed and replaced in 2002 to incorporatenew international principles relating toenvironmental governance such as openness,public participation, accountability,effectiveness and coherence. TheEnvironment Appeal Tribunal acts aswatchdog to safeguard those principles. TheGovernment has also recognised that a highquality environment is essential for thesustainable development of the country andfor the health and welfare of its people andthis principle has been the driving forcebehind regulating standards for air, water,noise, solid waste, hazardous waste, effluentlimitation and plastic bag. The Ministry isstriving hard in establishing norms andpolicies to regulate and manage theenvironmental assets of Mauritius and make afair balance between the concept ofdevelopment and the concept of

environmental protection. This is indeed achallenge for all Small islands DevelopingStates. In many areas developing effectivemanagement and the new professional andtechnical support relevant to each specialisedarea has taken longer than anticipated.Establishing and sustaining specialisation is acommon problem for SIDS.

Current information and monitoring systemsneed to be reformed and strengthened toprovide the basis for evaluation ofprogrammes and the identification ofvariation in responsiveness to intervention.Much needs to be done to bring these in linewith the requirements of policies andstrategic goals.

Few centres of expertise are available toprovide the R & D input to establish andmaintain a scientific evidence base and forpromoting innovation and evaluatingoutcomes. More co-ordination of thedifferent bodies involved in R & D is requiredto get the best results.

Box 18.1Achieving greater transparency in

public lifeThe Reality

The new broom of transparency.

The Independent Commission AgainstCorruption (ICAC) is steadilypromoting a new transparency in highplaces. 237


Getting over the stakes

The Challenges

60 years ago in Mauritius expectation of lifeat birth was just 33 years; today it is 73 years.Since 1985 income per head in Mauritius hastripled. Adult literacy stands at 84% and allchildren now have access to secondaryschooling (See Chapter 14). One in fourpeople in Mauritius have use of mainlinetelephones and have mobile phones; one inten people can use the internet at home (SeeChapter 13). Mauritius has come a long way:but it has further to go to reach the level ofeconomic development of some SIDS (SeeFigure 18.1) and it has major challenges totackle. For example:

● Air-pollution is increasing,

● HIV/AIDS though low is rising fast,

● Traffic congestion is getting worse and sois road safety, with more accidents eachyear and a rising rate of fatalities in thenumber of injured persons,

● Probity in society is under a new shadowof international concern: but appearancediffers greatly from the reality (See Box18.1), and

● The threat of extinction of species putsMauritius in a world class: bronze medalposition by IUCN for threatened plant

species; gold medal position by ICBP forthreatened bird species.

Progress

Since the Rio summit of 1992 progress withthe commitments to Agenda 21 has beenpositive but at times halting. The pattern ofdevelopment in each of the key areas is setout in the chapters themselves. It issummarised at the end of each chapter in thespecific progress assessment tables. Below isan overview of the achievements in each ofthe areas of concern, classified in terms ofcertain key stages of the process of change.These stages of transition are reform ofpolicy, of institutional structure, of planning,of law; of international partnerships,managerial, professional and technicalreform, development of information andmonitoring systems, and establishment ofResearch and Development capacity for eachof the key areas (See Table 18.1)

Mauritius has become greener in its policiesbut there are pale green areas to be attendedto and still patches of red where much moreneeds to be done to strengthen theimplementation of the vision of sustainabledevelopment.

236

C H A P T E R 1 8

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Under the UN system of MDGs many of thetargets set for each country require furtherimprovement on the level of achievement in1990. As Mauritius was well developed in1990, some of the targets in the MDGS areparticularly tough to reach even by thedeadline of 2015.The latest position (WorldBank figures 2004) is set out below. It showsthe many goals and specific targets that havebeen achieved in Mauritius or which areachievable; those towards which Mauritius ismoving; and those few from which Mauritiusis moving away. (Also see Fig 18.2)

Mauritius has thus achieved, can achieve or ismoving towards achievement of most of thegoals and the specific targets identified in theUN MDGs. The health targets on child andmaternal health are very tough.The level setfor Mauritius for example on the under fivemortality rate, is the level achieved by highincome OECD countries; and that for infantmortality is below that for OECD countriesas a whole. These may not be achievable inMauritius by 2015.

But Mauritius is moving away from thespecific targets on HIV/AIDS and on certainenvironmental targets as a result ofcontinued loss of forest area and theincreasing levels of CO2 emissions, affectingair quality.These warrant greater attention inthe way ahead.

SIDS Partnership

As part of the SIDS network Mauritiusrecognises the opportunities for achieving asteadier progress towards sustainabledevelopment through partnership on:

Protection Against the Economic andSocial Impact of Globalisation

● Moderating the speed of transition in theglobal market,

● Advocating compensation for the loss ofpreference in trading agreements,

● Promoting proper representation of SIDSin WTO negotiations, and

● Evaluating the technical methods usedand the results achieved by adopting avulnerability index for guiding the processof participation in market liberalisation.

Protection from Global EnvironmentalThreats

● Seeking support to overcome the globalpressures from climate change and sealevel rise whose impact on small islandscan be less easily absorbed than oncountries of greater size and with lesscoastline

● Protecting the rich biodiversity of theislands from further threats

239


The Financial Services Authoritysupervises the probity of the fastdeveloping finance sector. The CentralTender Board awards contracts onvalue for money protecting the statefrom bribery from dubious suppliers,and the Public Service Commissionappoints people in the public sectorstrictly on merit.

The perception of bad old ways maystill linger, but the reality is that theculture and practices of the countryare changing fast. Greater efficiencyand effectiveness go hand in hand withgreater probity in all aspects of life.Thecustoms houses are being swept clean.The police are looking fitter for theirtask of enforcing the law.

Could Do BetterThe key areas of the BPoA for priorityattention in Mauritius in the years ahead are:

● Energy resources; with cleanertechnology, more use of renewablesources; greater economy in use; morebuildings designed for minimum energyuse, more audit of energy use

● Reform of the state; with furtherdecentralisation, more hiving off of staterun operational services; reform of thecivil service; more evident transparency

● Transport and communications: withreduced traffic congestion, more roadsafety, better transport andcommunications to Rodrigues and theouter islands

● Training and skills development: inthe public and private sectors formanagers and professional and technicalexperts involved in sustainabledevelopment and environmentalprotection

● Freshwater management: withsustained supply of safe water to all, toincrease efficiency of supply and reductionof leaks, with better management ofdemand, including charging and recycling;and extension of the sewerage network.

Doing WellMost progress in Mauritius has been made inthe following key areas from the BPoA:

● Information and communicationtechnology,

● Climate change and sea level rise,

● Natural and environmental disasters,

● Coastal and marine resources,

● Biodiversity,

● Tourism, and

● Trade and investment.238

C H A P T E R 1 8


SIDS are vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks. But they learn to respond andovercome these events by means of adaptation, involving measures of protection, precautionand those that build directly on the natural resource. Examples of how Mauritius hasresponded to aspects of its vulnerability, identified in the chapters, are summarised below (SeeTable 18.2)

241


Advocacy● Strengthening the voice of SIDS through

civil society and youth in buildingconsensus and developing ideas for policy

Technical Exchange

Environmental Improvement● Developing more environmentally friendly

systems for waste management,

● Evolving more efficient water managementsystems,

● Protecting coral reefs, lagoons and beachesfrom erosion and ecological decline,

● Securing sustainable tourism within thecarrying capacity of the economies and theenvironment,

● Exploiting alternative sources of energy,with an economic framework that takesaccount of environmental benefits andcosts, and

● Protecting and enriching biodiversity.

Commercial and Business

● Promoting small and medium sizedindustries,

● Protecting fish stocks and implementingthe law of the seas in the EEZs, and

● Promoting environmental businesses.

Improvement of Public Services andQuality of Life

● Collaborating in early warning systems,robust design of buildings andinfrastructure better suited to the qualityand the nature of the islands,

● Developing more cost-effective healthservices, and

● Securing sustainable mobility for work andleisure whilst protecting the fragileenvironment from the pressures ofincreasing the transport of goods.

Professional and Technical Skills

● Developing environmental accounting inthe public and private sectors forappropriate evaluation of services andinitiatives and economic incentives forpromoting achievement,

● Developing more effective use of planningtools such as guidelines and EIAs forpromoting environmentally friendly designof residential, public sector, commercialand industrial buildings and infrastructureand for enhancing the style and quality ofthe built environment in the context of thenatural beauty of the islands, and

● Developing specialisation in all sectors.

240

C H A P T E R 1 8

Table 18.2

Action taken to enhance resilienceVulnerabilityNo.

Enhancing resilience

IsolationI ● Global links by frequent air and sea passenger and freighttransport

● Technical international networking for expert support● ICT development (Internet, mobiles, etc) ● Liberalisation of airwaves

Small resources base2 ● Diversification of economy● Easy access for inward investment● Local production of wide range of consumer goods● Implanting new industries (e.g. Textiles, ICT, international

conferencing)● Promotion of SME’s

Land4 ● Reducing use of hazardous chemicals● Decentralisation of industry and commerce● Strengthening villages and towns● Integrated planning system● Land development planning strategies● Reforestation

Climate change and sealevel rise

3 ● Support for international action on greenhouse gasesemission

● Coastline protection, adaptation and mitigation measures● Renewable energy programme (Solar, hydro., bagasse,

wind-farms)● Cyclone warning and protection system● Agriculture adaptation to climate changes

Mauritius presents this assessment on itsprogress in sustainable development and thestakes and challenges ahead as a means ofpromoting discussion and exchange of ideas.The stakes are high for all SIDS. It is hopedthat this report can be useful as a frankassessment of problems and progress in onesmall island state in reaching out towards thevision of a greener future for the planet. Theconcept of a greener land is changing. Theimprint of man is inescapable. Adapting tothis imprint is the challenge. Mauritius cannotreturn to the time of the Dodo. But it hasnow in its polices and practices more respectfor nature and its threatened species thanhitherto.

The increasingly urban environment isbecoming more a cultivated garden. Thecountryside has more protected space forpeople to see and enjoy the rich inheritedbiodiversity. There is more concern forprotecting the pink pigeon than eating it.

The future of Mauritius is at stake.The past isgone, But the new vision sees the naturalresources of the island as its greatest asset.With high speed communication technology,peaceful isolation is all the more to betreasured in a turbulent world..

243


242

C H A P T E R 1 8

Action taken to enhance resilienceVulnerabilityNo.

Coastal and marine5 ● Banning of sand mining in lagoon and islets● Technical support for deep sea fishing● CZM strategy● Oil spill contingency plan● Conservation measures for lagoon fishing● Effluent discharge control

Water6 ● Integrated water management plan● Reservoir, water and sewage treatment network● Water leaks control scheme● Water quality monitoring● Irrigation management and use of recycled water for hotel

grounds and gardens

Visitors and tourists8 ● No charter flights; high quality standards● Limit set within national and local carrying capacity● Diversification of tourist product (Eco-tourism, resort and

community planning)● EIAs for new schemes● Licensing and enforcement of environmental and public

health standards

Security9 ● Anti-terrorist law and security system● Public health security controls (SARS, malaria, re-emerging

epidemics)● Strict control on guns● Air-safety system and crash contingency plan● Sea port security system and emergency plan● National coast guard surveillance against illegal trafficking

Mobility10 ● National road improvement scheme ● Subsidised public transport● High import tax on vehicles, reducing demand and

indirectly road congestion

Biodiversity7 ● National land and marine parks● Threatened species conservation programmes● Reforestation

244

C H A P T E R 1 8

Issue.Policy. Institutions

Strategyand plans

Laws R&DInternationalPartnership

Management,professional

and technicaldevelopment

Informationand

monitoringsystems

Aspects of Reform and transition

1. Climate changeand sea level rise

2. Natural andenvironmental

disaster

3. Landresources

4. Biodiversityresources

5. Coastal andMarine resources

6. Tourism

7. Freshwatermanagement

8.Energyresources

9. Management ofwastes

10. Health

11.Trade andInvestment

14. Education

17. Rodrigues &Outer Islands

15.Training andskills

development

16. Reform ofthe State

12.Transport andcommunications

13. Informationand

communicationtechnologies

Table 18.1 Greening Mauritius

Well developed In hand To be strengthened

Index of key documents

Index of key documents

246

i n d e x o f k e y d o c u m e n t s

Legislation

Computer Misuse and Cyber Crime Act, 2003 Copyright Act, 1997 Dangerous Chemicals Control Act, 2003Data Protection Act, 2004Electronic Transactions Act, 2000Environment Protection Act, 2002Fisheries and Marine Resources Act, 1998Food Safety Act, 1999Forest and Reserves Act, 1983Genetically Modified Organism Act, 2004Information and Communication Technologies Act, 2001Information Technology (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1998Investment Promotion Act, 2000Local Government Act, 2003Medical Council Act, 1999National Environmental Strategies for the Republic of Mauritius: Review of the Legal and

Institutional framework for Environmental Management in Mauritius, 1999, Government ofMauritius

Planning and Development Act, 2004Telecommunications Act, 1998Wildlife and National Park Act, 1993

Strategies and Plans:

Bagasse Energy Development Plan, 1991Integrated Electricity Plan (2003 – 2013), Central Electricity BoardIntegrated National Transport Sector Strategy Study, 2001, Ministry of Economic Development,

Productivity and Regional DevelopmentNational Biodiversity Strategy and Action PlanNational Climate Committee:A Climate Change Action Plan, 1998National Development Strategy, 2003, Ministry of Housing and LandsNational Environmental Strategies for the Republic of Mauritius: National Environmental Action

Plan for the Next Decade, 1999, Government of MauritiusNational Environmental Strategies for the Republic of Mauritius: Environmental Investment

Programme, 1999, Government of Mauritius

National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan 2001-2005National Information Technology Strategic Plan, 1998, National Computer BoardNational Sewerage Master Plan, 1994National Solid Waste Management Strategy, 2002, Ministry of Local Government and RodriguesNew Master Plan for Airports of Mauritius, 2000, Ministry of External CommunicationsNon-Sugar Sector Strategic Plan (2003- 2007), 2003, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Technology and

Natural ResourcesPort Master Plan, 2002Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan, 1996, Ministry of Environment and Quality of LifeSugar Sector Strategic Plan (2001 - 2005), 2001, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Technology and

Natural ResourcesTourism Development Plan for Mauritius, 2002, Ministry of Economic Development, Financial

Services and Corporate Affairs

National Reports:

Meeting the Challenges of Sustainable Development, 2002, Ministry of Environment Into the 3rd Millennium, National Strategy for Sustainable Development 1999 – 2005, Ministry of

Economic Development, Productivity and Regional DevelopmentAgenda 21 National Report, 1997, Ministry of Environment and Quality of LifeVision 2020.The National Long Term Perspective Study,Volume 1 & 2, 1997, Ministry of Economic

Development and Regional Cooperation State of the Environment in Mauritius, 1991, Ministry of Environment and Quality of Life

Technical Study Reports:

Jackson D, 1989, Solid Waste Management Study – Mauritius, Central and Southern AfricaDepartment, Overseas Development Administration

Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick, 1994, Solid Waste Management ProjectScott Wilson Kirkpatrick, 1996, National Solid Waste Management Project, Mare d’Australia

Landfill, Phase I: Composting of wastesBrown & Root, 1998, Review of the National Solid Waste Management Plan for the Government

of Mauritius, Ministry of Local Government and Environment Fichtner, 2000, Environmental Solid Waste Management ProgrammeCarl Bro, 2003, Feasibility study for the management of municipal solid waste and hazardous waste

& identification of a site for a new municipal solid waste landfill

247


248

`tâÜ|à|âá cÜÉzÜxáá gÉãtÜwáM i l l e n i u m D e v e l o p m e n t G o a l s

Staking out the future MAURITIUS - United Nations ETTING OVER THE STAKES 236 I NDEX OF K EY D...

Documents

Transcript of Staking out the future MAURITIUS - United Nations ETTING OVER THE STAKES 236 I NDEX OF K EY D...