on the occasion of the
on
Thursday 29 March 2012 at 09.30 hrs
Le Victoria Hotel

Mr. Jhugroo, Permanent Secretary of my Ministry
Mrs. Leyla Tegmo-Reddy, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident
Representative
Mrs. Ng, Director of Environment
Mr. Augusto Pretner, Managing Director, Studio Galli Ingegneria from
Italy and Associates
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am pleased to be in your midst to-day for the opening of this Inception
Workshop relating to Climate Change. Given the long name of this project, I am going to call it the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management project, - in short the DRR project.
As you may be aware, this project is one of the key components of the Africa
Adaptation Programme on climate change, being implemented by the
Government of Mauritius. In fact the DRR project is the first of its kind being undertaken in our country. On behalf of the Government of Mauritius, I wish to convey my heartful thanks to the Government of Japan for providing the necessary financial support for this project which is pivotal in helping our country to build resilience regarding climate change.
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is sad to note that climate change impacts are worsening worldwide and this trend is most likely to continue for the coming decades. Latest scientific reports released by international organizations, clearly indicate that the world is heading towards an unprecedented climate crisis. According to the United States
National Aeronautic and Scientific Administration (NASA), the global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest year since 1880. In 2010, the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme on climate change deduced
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that net loss of mass from Greenland Ice Sheet has increased and contributed over 40% of an average global sea level rise of the order of 3 to 5 millimeters per year. Although these figures appear to be relatively low, the impacts associated with such changes, in particular on Small Island Developing States, are such that low lying coastal areas and even certain islets are getting inundated during extreme weather events. Some are even facing the threat of disappearing forever. It is worth noting that 38% of the world's population lives within 100 km of the coasts or estuaries, and 44% live within 150 km of the coasts.
Climate change and disaster risk reduction are very much inter-dependent.
According to experts, almost half the world’s population has lived through and witnessed a disaster at some point over the last decade. On the other hand, reports from the Red Cross indicate that an average of 350 natural disasters occur across the world each year. Besides, the number of climate-related disasters including droughts, windstorms, floods and hurricanes has increased dramatically over the last years. With the occurrence of extreme climatic events, the World Meteorological Organization has characterized such events as
"an unprecedented sequence of extreme weather events that compare with, or exceed in intensity, duration or geographical extent, the previous largest historical events" .
The need to fully engage in disaster risk reduction and management has never been so pressing. It is therefore imperative that people are made aware of the risks to natural hazards and how they can reduce their vulnerability. The turning point in terms of global efforts on disaster risk reduction was at the 2 nd
World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Japan in 2007, where a global
Hyogo Framework for joint action for cooperation, coordination and building resilience to disasters was adopted. The recent decisions of Conference of
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
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emphasised the need to address disaster risk reduction and management as part of climate change. As this is an international issue, Mauritius, as part of
Alliance of Small Island States and Africa groups, has called upon developed country parties to take urgent actions at their end so that temperature rise could be limited to less than 1.5 degree celcius thus avoiding dangerous impacts on vulnerable countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen
No matter how big or small a country is, it is going to be affected by climate change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Small
Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries and countries in Africa are considered to be the most vulnerable and are likely to be the most affected.
Mauritius, being a Small Island State is no exception. The tragic flash flood events which occurred in March 2008, the decrease in amount of rainfall, the higher temperatures recorded over Mauritius in recent years and the accentuating beach erosions, are but a few examples to illustrate that climate change impacts in Mauritius are real and happening.
Through the implementation of this DRR project, my Ministry is setting the base for better managing and coping with climate-related disasters in the future.
I am going to highlight some of the benefits which can be harnessed from this
DRR project:
1) First , we will be able to determine the zones which are likely to be affected by flooding, sea level rise and landslide. Accordingly, we will come up with proactive measures in terms of DRR and management.
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2) Second , the outputs of this DRR project will assist our planners to implement sound urban and rural land use planning.
3) Third , we will be in a better position to render development on coastal zones more resilient to sea level rise as well as adapt existing infrastructure.
4) Fourth , the DRR project will provide a useful tool to the Cyclone and
Other Natural Disasters Committee for managing disasters.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The scope of activities being undertaken by my Ministry to make Mauritius resilient to climate change goes far beyond the Disaster Risk Reduction component – they fit into a broader framework of sustainability. Let me briefly point out some of the most relevant ones.
First and foremost, there is the Prime Minister’s initiative i.e. the Maurice Ile
Durable concept, with the objective of making Mauritius a world model of sustainable development, particularly in the context of Small Island Developing
States. We have already embarked on the process of devising a proper framework to translate the Maurice Ile Durable concept into a concrete Policy with a clear ten year Strategy and a first three-year Action Plan. A team of consultants is already working on same. Outputs are expected by end of July
2012.
In the same spirit, my Ministry is implementing the National Programme on
Sustainable Consumption and Production. 24 out of 44 projects are under implementation.
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We have also embarked on the implementation of an ECO-Village programme, targeting nine villages in the first phase. This project will revitalize our villages, reduce our carbon footprint, sustain the livelihood of the communities and protect the environment and safeguard the ecological integrity of environmentally sensitive areas. Four eco-villages will be initiated early next year at Pointe aux Piments, Panchavati, Vuillemin and one in Rodrigues. A consulting firm has already been appointed and is actually working on the project.
Efforts to secure funding for climate change adaptation have been relentless. I wish to bring to your attention that the Adaptation Fund Board set up under the
Kyoto Protocol has approved a project proposal submitted by my Ministry on
‘Climate Change Adaptation Programme in the Coastal Zone of Mauritius’.
The Adaptation Fund Board has agreed, last year, to provide Mauritius with grant funding to the tune of US$ 9.1 million for its implementation. Part of this project will also take care of climate related disasters by addressing current climate change risks at three vulnerable coastal sites namely Mon Choisy,
Rivière des Galets and Quatre Soeurs/Deux Frères. The strengthening of an
Early Warning System for coastal communities at risk is also being envisaged.
The recruitment of a Project Manager will be undertaken shortly.
My Ministry has also elaborated appropriate frameworks for the sustainable management of our sensitive coastal zones and environmentally sensitive areas and the recommendations are under implementation. Measures to mitigate coastal erosion have been initiated in beaches such as Flic en Flac, Mon Choisy,
Pointe aux Sables and Grand Baie. The focus, this year, will be on Baie du Cap,
Bain Boeuf, Poudre D’Or and Cap Malheureux.
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We are also preparing a Technology Action Plan aiming at proposing practical technologies that would help abate emissions and support adaptation to climate change.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is no denial that the threat from climate related disasters is urgent and needs immediate attention. This is why the Government has placed climate change high on its agenda. We need to show the world that we are ready to address these problems in a practical manner, no matter how difficult it may be.
The DRR project needs the collaboration of all stakeholders concerned, namely, representatives from local communities, NGOs, academia, research organizations, private and public sectors. To-day’s meeting should not be considered a kick and go workshop. Before concluding, let me quote the
President of COP 17 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change who said: “ it is only by working together that we will be able to save our tomorrow, today ”. (end of quote)
With these words, I have the pleasure to declare the workshop open and I wish you all fruitful discussions and deliberations.
Thank you for your attention.
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