Biodiversity under threat
On islands of the size of Mauritius or Rodrigues more than elsewhere, the direct and indirect interactions of the living - in other words the environment - are both faster and more visible than in other ecosystems. It is obvious that since the recent arrival of man on the island, biodiversity has largely decreased due to deforestation (near disappearance of the endemic forest which represents only 2% of the territory), hunting (with the example of the emblematic dodo), the introduction of invasive species (which have participated in the decline of biodiversity), urbanization and pollution.
Global warming is another major threat. Compared to the pre-industrial era, according to a report published by the UN in December 2020, the trajectory we are currently following is that of a warming of + 3.2 °C by the end of the century. For Mauritius, this could mean more frequent and intense extreme events, rising sea levels and submergence of part of the land - including a quarter of the beaches due to erosion. Ocean warming and acidification would also affect biodiversity, threatening the entire food chain. The bleaching of corals already underway is an important signal.
There is also the problem of water, as the sewage systems on the island are still largely insufficient, to the point that the population is subject to a rationing system for a large part of the year - hence the large number of cisterns that can be seen on the roofs of houses as you pass through the towns.
The environment, a political and economic issue
Waste management is another central issue. The island generates over 540,000 tons of waste per year for which no acceptable management is yet in place. To date, Mauritius has only one landfill, with insufficient capacity to handle all the waste flows and to respect sanitary conditions. The volume of litter present is estimated at more than 100,000 tons annually, raising the ire of residents and tourists. Faced with this problem, the government has initiated a circular economy approach. In November 2020, was inaugurated the first waste collection center on the island. Five other sites should open but the project has been delayed. The new facility will allow the development of material recovery channels, particularly for bio-waste (compost). But it is also necessary to educate the population to sort and recycle, and this takes time...
Other initiatives have been launched, such as beach cleaning operations and awareness campaigns. The company Food Wise is committed to fighting food waste and undernutrition by linking producers of surplus food with solidarity associations. The Precious Plastic Mauritius initiative develops upcycling (creation of objects with plastic waste).
Although still insufficient, efforts have also been made to preserve water and vital resources (especially crops). As a signatory of the Paris Climate Agreement, a member of many international environmental programs and committed to regional initiatives, the Mauritian government seems to have the political will to make Mauritius an environmentally responsible destination. However, a certain vision of economic development, subject to environmental obligations that are too strong according to its promoters, has led to the abandonment of a campaign such as "Mauritius, sustainable island" initiated in 2008. The oil spill of summer 2020 illustrates the contradictory situation in which the island is struggling... and the world. A Japanese bulk carrier, flying a flag of convenience, ran aground in the coral reef, spilling part of its cargo of hydrocarbons. The management of the situation by the government was widely criticized by the population, which initiated a large protest movement and above all solidarity and action. The crisis generated has focused this part of the world on the need to act at all levels, like many NGOs and especially 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 who are involved in environmental preservation, species reintroduction, research and raising public awareness. 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 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, Mauritius Marine Conservation Society, Mauritius Underwater Group, Eco Sud and Reef Conservation. Although these organizations are not officially associated, they meet on a regular basis to work together on larger-scale projects, such as the installation of permanent buoys to anchor boats at dive sites, the creation of artificial reefs by sinking old boats, and the implementation of projects to study certain endangered species.
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 integrated 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 is already plastic-free, initiatives are underway 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 will to preserve the richness of the island and in particular its natural heritage was also manifested by the creation, in the years 1950-1960, of a dozen small reserves or protected areas, the most important of which is the Black River Gorges National Park. Located in the southwest of the island, it covers 6 574 ha and contains the last large indigenous forest of Mauritius: Macchabée. Several hiking trails are marked.
The other nature reserves are mainly located on small islands near Mauritius, inside or outside the lagoon. Three of them, located in the north and strictly protected without being the object 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 whip-poor-will, the red-tailed strawberry, etc. Between the Coin de Mire and these two islets are thePlate Island and theGabriel Islet, both of which are protected but accessible to vacationers during the day.
On the sea side, only two marine nature reserves have been created inside the lagoon: the Baie aux Tortues marine park in the northwest and the Blue Bay marine park in the southeast. The latter is the only one to benefit from international protection for the beauty of its living corals. Dives and glass-bottom boat excursions are organized every day.
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. More recently, Ebony Forest Reserve and Lavilleon Adventure Park opened in 2017 and boast, among other things, high densities of endemic ebony trees in 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.
