Page 17 - Mauritius REPORT

Marine Spatial Planning

Mauritius is advocating for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), a strategy whose aims is to organize the
various use of marine resource. The Department for Continental Shelf, Marine Zone Exploration
Administration and Exploration is spearheading the efforts to come up with an elaborate Marine Spatial
Planning that will not only address sustainable development of marine resources and climate changes Country Profile
issues but also ensure stakeholder participation and precise geographical boundary definition. It is
projected that the MSP strategy will strengthen and diversify Mauritian economic sectors, namely, The Republic of Mauritius
tourism, fisheries, leisure and aquaculture.

Joint implementation

The 396,000 km continent shelf over which Mauritius exercises sovereign rights is joint managed by
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with Seychelles. This was pursuant to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental
Shelf conferred joint jurisdiction over the Mascarene Plateau Region to Mauritius and Seychelles in
2011. The unique collaboration between the two states ensures sustainable management through
peaceful cooperation that minimize conflicting use of the marine space.

e-Procurement:

The introduction of e-procurement in Mauritius has facilitated electronic procurement proceedings
from bid invitation to tender to contract award. E-procurement facilitates the use of ICT, shortens
procurement cycle and lowers transactional costs. Hopefully, the introduction of e-procurement in the
supply of ocean resources and fisheries will likely secure sustainable management.

Climate change

The situation
Mauritius is very vulnerable to climate change with effects being seen in the increasing frequency and
intensity of cyclones, torrential rains and flash floods have also threatened people’s livelihoods in the
islands. The sea level in Mauritius has been raising at an average rate of 1.2 mm per year (MAIFS,
2015). Such a rate is detrimental not only the marine and coastal life but also to the coastal structure.
Coastal erosion, and saline water intrusion are some of the other problems being faced. The impacts
of warming on the waters affects coral which is a major tourist attraction, thus impacting the economy.

The challenge
Sea level rise and coastal erosion
Coastal erosion has been occurring as a natural result of the strong waves that accompany the
cyclones, trade winds and southern swells that sometimes affect the Mauritian islands. However, since
the 1990s, the rate of coastal degradation has appeared to accelerate due to the growth in tourism
activities and coastal land development (Baird W.F and Associates, 2003). The increase in frequency
of these storms as a result of climate change combined with sea level rise is likely to increase the rate
of coastal erosion.

Salt water intrusion
Sea level rise is likely to have impacts on human and economic wellbeing through an increase in
coastal flooding which can lead to salt water intrusion. This is likely to affect water security for the

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