For many, it has got to be the beautiful, sandy beaches.
Unfortunately, many of the beaches along the Mauritius coastline are eroding – and this erosion will undoubtedly worsen in future due to climate change.
For tourism and more
The beaches are extremely important for Mauritius, not just because of tourism, but also because they are an integrated part of the marine, coral and lagoon environment. It is therefore crucial for authorities to identify sustainable ways of protecting the beaches against historical and future erosion.
Strengthening capacity development in beach erosion management
UNEP-DHI Partnership, a consortium member of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), is playing a part in preserving the beaches of Mauritius.
UNEP-DHI provided recommendations to strengthen Mauritius’ capacity to manage the existing beaches and conduct environmental impact assessments for utilising land-based sand resources. © CTCN
Part of our technical assistance is providing capacity development on shoreline management and coastal monitoring to the representatives* of Mauritius.
‘Continuous capacity development is very important and this training has enhanced our knowledge and skills on addressing coastal erosion issue including application of good practices.’
- Ram Seenauth, Head, Integrated Coastal Zone Management Division, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Mauritius
The capacity development programme includes field training on beach inspection and profiling, with the objective of determining the present state of the coastline. This is to help support the:
• understanding of shoreline changes observed from image analysis
• understanding of coastal processes that are responsible for beach erosion
• development of beach erosion management plans
What does it mean for Mauritius’ beaches?
The training provided will bring about the following benefits:
• Sustainable management and maintenance of Mauritius beaches based on local knowledge and workforce
• Authorities cooperating with local contractors will have experience and knowledge on how to maintain the beaches
• Sustained income from tourism and associated activities
If you are interested in knowing more about this technical assistance, visit CTCN.
*List of participating representatives: Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Housing, Mauritius Oceanographic Institute, University of Mauritius, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centre, Department of Continental Shelf and Maritime Zone Administration and Exploration, Fisheries division, Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Environment and Sustainable Development, and local authorities.