National parks and biodiversity preservation
The Mayotte Marine Nature Park, created in 2010, is a vast protected area that includes integral reserves. It is home to endangered species such as the dugong, hawksbill turtle and white crab. The park's mission is to protect these ecosystems, by regulating human activities (including fishing), supporting actions to restore natural environments, and supporting sustainable industries and research into marine ecosystems.
Preventing pollution
The region suffers from severe pollution of its wetlands (rivers, mangroves, lagoons). The marine park observatory has highlighted a rate of waste equivalent to 8 kg per 100 meters of beach, mainly plastic. The bodies of beached turtles revealed mortality linked to waste ingestion. Deficiencies in waste management contribute to this situation. Wastewater collection and treatment are also inadequate. In response to this situation, a number of associations are taking action to raise awareness among the island's inhabitants and visitors by collecting waste. For example, one association has launched "rando-clean" (clean hikes) on the island, combining eco-citizenship and physical activity.
Restore natural environments
Natural environments also suffer from changes in land use. Urbanization and the extension of agricultural land, combined with certain practices (slash-and-burn), are contributing to the destruction of natural habitats and the loss of biodiversity. Deforestation is a problem in some parts of the region, where mangroves are said to have declined by 25%. These ecosystems are a reservoir of biodiversity and a means of protecting coasts from climatic hazards. In response to this situation, replanting initiatives have been launched in mangroves, as well as in deforested areas known as "padzas".
The crucial issue of water
Mayotte has limited water resources. Its drinking water supply is 80% dependent on two hillside reservoirs. Since 2017, the island has suffered a severe water shortage, forcing regular rationing and cut-offs. In some parts of the island, water shortages lasting two to three days a week are no longer uncommon. Hotels are taking steps to prevent this by installing underground tanks to store water during distribution days. But not all hotels can afford to do this, and sometimes a simple tub with a carafe serves as a back-up basin for guests. This necessary management accentuates certain social tensions, and leads to catastrophic situations, such as the return of cholera, which claimed several lives in 2024.
Facing climate change
Mayotte is particularly vulnerable to climate change. This could lead to greater frequency and intensity of extreme events (droughts, floods). It is particularly threatened by rising sea levels. Added to this is a subsidence phenomenon linked to the formation of an underwater volcano, 3,500 kilometers deep but only 50 km away, which has been causing the island to subside since 2019. The stagnation of certain waters could also contribute to the development of vector-borne diseases, by promoting the presence of breeding grounds.
