Biodiversity under threat
On islands the size of Mauritius or Rodrigues more than anywhere else, the direct and indirect interactions of living organisms - in other words, the environment - are both faster and more visible than in other ecosystems. It is clear that, since the recent arrival of man on the island, biodiversity has largely declined as a result of deforestation (virtual disappearance of the endemic forest, which represents no more than 2% of the territory), hunting (with the example of the emblematic dodo), the introduction of invasive species (which have contributed to the decline in biodiversity), urbanization and pollution.
Global warming is another major threat. Compared with the pre-industrial era, according to a report published by the UN in December 2020, the trajectory we are currently following is that of +3.2°C warming by the end of the century. For Mauritius, this could mean greater frequency and intensity of extreme events, rising sea levels and the submergence of part of the land - including a quarter of beaches due to erosion. Ocean warming and acidification will also affect biodiversity, threatening the entire food chain. Coral bleaching, already underway, is an important signal.
There is also the problem of water, as the island's sanitation networks are still largely inadequate, to the extent that the population is subject to a rationing system for much of the year - hence the large number of cisterns that can be seen on the roofs of houses as you drive through the towns.
The environment, a political and economic issue
Waste management is another key issue. The island generates more than 540,000 tonnes of waste per year, for which no acceptable management is yet in place. To date, Mauritius has only one landfill site, with insufficient capacity to handle all waste flows and meet sanitary conditions. The volume of litter is estimated at over 100,000 tonnes a year, angering residents and tourists alike. Faced with this problem, the government has initiated a circular economy approach. In November 2020, the island's first waste collection center was inaugurated. Five other sites are due to open, but the project is behind schedule. The new facility will enable us to develop material recovery channels, particularly for bio-waste (compost). But we also need to educate the population about sorting and recycling, and that takes time...
Other initiatives include beach clean-ups and awareness-raising campaigns. The Food Wise company is committed to combating food waste and under-nutrition, by bringing together producers of surplus food and solidarity associations. The Precious Plastic Mauritius initiative is developing upcycling (creating objects from plastic waste).
Although still insufficient, efforts have also been made to preserve water and vital resources (particularly crops). As a signatory to the Paris climate agreements, a member of numerous international environmental programs and a committed player at regional level, the Mauritian government seems to be demonstrating its political will to make Mauritius an eco-responsible destination. The fact remains, however, that a certain vision of economic development, subject to overly stringent environmental obligations according to its promoters, has left a campaign such as "Mauritius, a sustainable island" initiated in 2008, abandoned. The oil spill of summer 2020 illustrates the contradictory situation in which the island - and the world - find themselves. A Japanese bulk carrier, flying a flag of convenience, ran aground in the coral reef, spilling part of its cargo of hydrocarbons. The government's handling of the situation was widely criticized by the population, who initiated a large-scale protest movement and, above all, solidarity and action. The resulting crisis has focused attention in this part of the world on the need for action at every level, in the image of many NGOs and in particular the youth movement Fridays for Future.
Get involved!
However, not all is doom and gloom on the green and turquoise island. Protective measures have been and are increasingly being taken, thanks in particular to the work of NGOs, which carry out environmental preservation, species reintroduction, research and public awareness campaigns. The Mauritian Wildlife Fundation, for example, has initiated programs to protect the primary forest, and has saved three endemic bird species from extinction: the kestrel, the marsh pigeon and the large green civet. The association VéloVert welcomes the public to its farm and trains farmers in agroecology. At the same time, several very active associations are fighting to protect the marine environment: Reef Conservation Mauritius, the Mauritius Marine Conservation Society, the Mauritius Underwater Group and Eco Sud. Although these organizations are not officially associated, they meet on a regular basis to work together on larger-scale initiatives, such as the installation of permanent buoys to anchor boats at dive sites, the creation of artificial reefs by sinking old boats, the implementation of projects to study certain endangered species, and so on.
Actions initiated by Mauritian civil society are also multiplying. As noted in a Média Terre article published in 2019: "Various pilot projects for the development of sustainable agriculture, agroecology and permaculture are being used as laboratories by local agri-food groups. The planned abandonment of sugarcane monoculture offers a real opportunity for diversified organic production, vegetables, endemic fruits, medicinal and aromatic plants, essential oils, vanilla... crops with higher added value and also enabling the development of more locavore consumption. Sustainable development also means ethical support for local crafts
The private sector is not to be outdone either, thanks above all to the major hotel groups who are committing investment and effort to creating the sustainable vacations of tomorrow. Following the example of Rodrigues Island, which is far more advanced in terms of environmental protection and already plastic-free, actions are being taken to ban plastic from hotels once and for all, and to offer holidays that focus on environmental protection and support for the local economy and culture. The Positiv Impact movement of the 100% Mauritian Attitude group is a fine example. Funded by the European Union and piloted by the Mauritius Tourism Authority (now a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council), the SUS (Sustainable Island Mauritius) project should also help local receptive operators to innovate in terms of green developments.
National parks and conservation areas
The desire to preserve the island's riches, and in particular its natural heritage, was also demonstrated by the creation, in the 1950s-1960s, of a dozen small reserves or protected areas, the most important of which is the Parc National des Gorges de la Rivière Noire. Located in the south-west of the island, it covers 6,574 ha and is home to Mauritius's last great indigenous forest: Macchabée. Several hiking trails are signposted.
The other nature reserves mainly concern small islands close to Mauritius, inside or outside the lagoon. Three of them, located in the north and strictly protected without being the subject of scientific research, are inaccessible to the general public: le Coin de Mire, l'île aux Serpents (home not to reptiles but to hundreds of seabirds) and l'île Ronde, which until recently hosted a rehabilitation and protection program set up by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation for its endemic plants, its two species of non-venomous snakes (the burrowing boa, probably extinct, and the keel scale boa, still represented), its six species of lizards and above all its hundreds of thousands of seabirds, including the petrel, the fouquet, the red-tailed straw-tailed, etc. Between Coin de Mire and these two islets lieÎle Plate andÎle Gabriel, both of which are protected but accessible to holidaymakers during the day.
On the sea side, only two marine nature reserves have been created within the lagoon: the Baie aux Tortues marine park to the north-west and the Blue Bay marine park to the south-east. The latter is the only one to benefit from international protection for the beauty of its living corals. Diving and glass-bottom boat excursions are organized daily.
Mauritian sanctuaries of ecotourism
The other champions of ecological protection, most of them privately-owned, are located in the south, which is wilder than the rest of the island. They are Île aux Aigrettes (south-east), Vallée de Ferney (south-east), Ebony Forest Reserve (south, Chamarel) and Lavilleon Adventure Park (also in Chamarel). Ile aux Aigrettes was transformed into a reserve in 1965, and is home to the last remaining patches of endemic coastal forest. The Vallée de Fer ney has existed since 2007, and boasts a fine array of endemic and indigenous plants and trees. The more recent Ebony Forest Reserve and Lavilleon Adventure Park opened in 2017 and boast, among other things, high densities of ebony trees endemic to Mauritius. Open to all, these reserves charge a fee and are best explored in the company of a guide or on clearly marked trails.
Another form of protection is provided by UNESCO. This concerns Morne Brabant, the basalt mountain in the south-west of the island, a World Heritage site managed by the Morne Heritage Trust Fund. Emblematic and very important in the eyes of Mauritians, the morne is home to an interesting biodiversity (endemic plants) as well as a cultural landscape linked to the island's colonial history. Free hiking trails open to all have been marked out. To the south, in the heart of the Macchabée primary forest, the Unesco Bel Ombre Biosphere, a unique natural forest area, can only be visited with authorization. It has existed for a very long time, but its difficult access has protected it from any damage or looting. Its intact ecosystem is home to rare endemic trees and birds.
