National Institute for Civic Education (NICE)
Mrs Ng. Director of Environment
Mr. Kallee, Deputy Director
Staffs of my Ministry
Dear students, teachers/facilitators,
 I am indeed very happy to receive you at the Ministry of
Environment and Sustainable Development and I hope that
you will enjoy your two days stay in our midst.
 The aim of this programme, organized jointly by the Prime
Minister’s office, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry
of Youth and Sports, is to allow you to get hands-on
experience and to learn about the field work carried out by
this Ministry. For example, you will have the opportunity tomorrow to visit our National Environment Laboratory where
tests about air quality and water quality are carried out.
 Dear students, I am sure that you are all aware of the importance
of environment but most of you might be wondering as to what is
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the role of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable
Development. The answer to this question lies in the preamble of
the main environmental legislation, i.e. the Environment
Protection Act which I am going to quote: ‘it is to provide for the
protection and management of the environmental assets of
Mauritius so that their capacity to sustain the society and its
development remains unimpaired and to foster harmony between
quality of life, environmental protection and sustainable
development for the present and future generations’ (end of
quote). In simplest terms the mandate of this Ministry is to
protect the environment.
 Allow me now to elaborate on a few of the main tasks undertaken
by my Ministry:
(1) Coastal protection works to prevent beach erosion;
(2) Initiating people to planting through distribution of plants,
including distribution of medicinal plants, setting up of school
endemic gardens in schools;
(3) Promote clean and green environment through clean-up
campaigns, embellishment works and distribution of bins
throughout the island;
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(4) Promote recycling initiatives. One of those initiatives, which you
are all aware of, is the school waste segregation project, where
four bins of different colours have been donated to each primary
and secondary schools for the separation of wastes. Along the
same line, compost bins have been distributed to community
centres for compost making by using green wastes;
(5) Purchase of equipment for measuring air quality and regular
checks of water quality;
(6) Awareness raising on environmental protection and on pertinent
environmental issues such as climate change through regular
sensitization campaigns, distribution of resource materials,
namely posters, pamphlets, bookmarks, factsheets, short films on
environment; radio/TV programmes, exhibitions, films shows,
competitions;
(7) Enforcement of environmental laws against contraveners. You
must have heard about the “TO-GT-To-TA-C” campaign. Just to
give you an idea, the Police de L’Environnement, which is
attached to this Ministry, has established some 1600
contraventions this year just for littering;
(8) Projects on adaptation to climate change. We are proposing, for
example, that the school curriculum be reviewed to include
adaptation practices to climate change;
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(9) Projects for promoting Maurice Ile Durable by adopting
environment friendly attitudes, for example shift towards solar
energy through the solar water heater grant.
 These are just a few examples to illustrate the firm commitment
of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to
protect the environment. During the course of the day you will
have the opportunity to learn more about the role and the
assignments of the eleven Divisions of the Department of
Environment.
 Dear students, you will certainly agree that environment should
not be the concern of the Ministry of Environment only. In fact,
protecting the environment needs the commitment and the
contribution of all stakeholders including the private sector,
NGO’s, para-statal bodies, women associations, senior citizens
and you, young people, who are the future decision makers of this
country. So each one of us has an important role to play to
protect the environment.
 The
current
consumption
and
production
patterns
are
continuously degrading the earth’s resources, thus generating
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pollution and wastes that exceed the planet’s capacities. In fact,
we are knowingly contributing to the depletion of our main
resources such as water and forests.
 Even in Mauritius, we have, in the name of modernisation,
adopted new trends and new attitudes, such as the excessive use
of plastic bags and electrical appliances, which have changed our
consumption and production patterns. With such irresponsible
attitudes, we are not only putting undue stress on our
environment but we are also jeopardising the future of coming
generations.
 It is high time that we realize the urgency of adopting eco-friendly
practices. In other words, we have to produce and consume
differently, efficiently and more responsibly so as not to deplete
our natural resources. This is what Maurice Ile Durable is all
about. I won’t elaborate on this issue as I understand that this will
be the first topic you will be dealing with lengthily just after tea
break.
 Let me just highlight a few of these eco-friendly practices:
(i) Reduce the use of energy by overcoming wastage;
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(ii) use bicycles or just walk whenever possible;
(iii) switch off lights, air conditioners and computers when not in
use;
(iv) Be energy efficient by using devices that consume less
electricity and less water;
(v) Find ways and means to diminish unnecessary use of
electricity;
(vi) Buy products that are really needed;
(vii) Minimise waste by adopting the three R principles, i.e.
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
 In brief, individual actions, multiplied by millions of people, can
add up to enormous environmental benefits. I sincerely believe
that after listening to presentations on the adverse effects of
climate change and on topics like biodiversity, beach erosion etc,
you will adopt these responsible practices and that you will
encourage your peers to do so.
 With these words I thank you for your attention and wish you all
fruitful deliberations during the two days in the Ministry of
Environment and Sustainable Development.
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