A Review of Coastal Zone Management Facing Climate Change and Natural Disasters in Mauritius

Abstract

The National Climate Change Adaptation Policy (NCCAPF) enabling framework in Mauritius has been designed to address key barriers such as lack of financing options, lack of institutional framework and low levels of adaptation technology transfer and aims to integrate and mainstream climate change into core development policies, strategies and plans of Mauritius. The long term energy Strategy 2009-2025 now aims to meet 35% of the energy demand throughrenewable energy sources by the year 2025. The limits of the EEZ of Mauritius (1850 km2, 20°S, 58°E, South Western Indian Ocean, 1.3 million inhabitants) have been defined by geographical coordinates through subsequent regulations under the Maritime Zones Act 1977 as the Maritime Zones (EEZ) Regulations 1984. Flash floods in Port-Louis have become increasingly frequent with floods of March 2013, dubbed as the ‘Black Saturday’ due a death toll of 11. Swells with wave heights of about 10 m occurred on the western coast in May 2007 whereas floods were recorded on the island in March 2008 as a consequence of climatic change. The Capability Approach would ensure that social arrangements target at increasing people’s capabilities and would consider indicators that reflect the importance of assessing the quality of processes rather than simply outcomes of policies and the significance of measures to enhance the ownership and participation of local communities in the management of their natural resources under integrated coastal zone management ICZM. The overall objective should be to develop climate compatible projects for vulnerable coastal regions. The paper reviews measures to strengthen coastal zone management facing climate change and natural disasters and to further improve natural disaster risk management in Mauritius in line with climate compatible development schemes and effective integrated coastal zone management of small islands states under the DPSIR Framework.