The Government of Mauritius has secured a grant from the Adaptation Fund for the implementation of the project "Climate Change Adaptation Programme in the Coastal Zone of Mauritius". The overall goal of the programme is to assist developing country parties to the Kyoto Protocol that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting the costs of concrete adaptation projects and programs in order to implement climate resilient measures.
The project will focus on two sites.
The beach at Mon Choisy (one of the top five beaches on the island of Mauritius) is eroding at a rate of about 2 metres/year, and risks disappearing within the next 10-15 years due to failure of reef function, cyclonic activity and increasing sea levels. Mon Choisy is a long sandy bay on the northern coast of Mauritius. The beach is fronted by a shallow lagoon extending some 400-500 m to the outer reef. The southern end of the bay (over approximately 500 m), is subject to a chronic erosion problem where beach restoration works were carried out in response, but have subsequently eroded from the beach.
In Riviere des Galets, approximately 250-350 people in approximately 65 houses are at risk of flooding from storm surges. The Government has already invested several million dollars over the years in building seawalls and a wave overtopping wall at this extremely vulnerable site (open to swells from the whole of the southern Indian Ocean), but they are already being undercut by very high wave energy which prevails at the site.
Indufor is partnering with two companies to implement the work. eCoast is a New Zealand-based marine and freshwater consultancy providing expert environmental, engineering and advanced computer modeling technical and advisory services to both public and private sector clients in New Zealand, Australasia, the Pacific and around the world. Our local partner is Coastal, Land And Marine Solutions (C.L.A.M.S.) which is based in Mauritius and provides high-quality professional marine and terrestrial environmental solutions with particular emphasis on the coastal environment.
Indufor and its partners from eCoast and C.L.A.M.S. will conduct site assessments, collect and assess the hydrodynamic conditions, carry out ecological assessments, conduct cost benefit analyses, prepare feasibility studies, and propose different options for coastal adaptation measures (on shore and/or at sea) that can be implemented to circumscribe the impacts of climate change.