Speech by Honourable Devanand Virahsawmy
Minister of Environment & Sustainable Development
Opening of the Workshop – Principles of Land Use
Planning and Maurice Ile Durable (MID)
14 March 2012
Venue: La Grande Cannelle, Domaine Les Pailles
Dr. the Honourable Abu Twalib Kasenally, Minister of Housing and
Lands
Mr Osman Mohamed, Executive Chairman of the Commission on MID
Mr Abdool Nooranee Ozeer, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Housing and Lands
Mr Premhans Jhugroo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of
Environment & Sustainable Development.
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Participants
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be in your midst today for the opening of
the workshop on the “principles of Land Use Planning and Maurice Ile
Durable.” I wish first of all, to congratulate the Ministry of Housing and
Lands for this laudable initiative in organizing this workshop in the
context of the National Day 2012 Celebrations, the theme of which is
Maurice Ile Durable.
Mauritius, like all small island developing states, has limited land
resources. It is known that during the past few decades, the demand for
land for various types of development has increased considerably. It is
therefore imperative that we manage our scarce land resources
judiciously to promote sustainable development, especially in view of the
looming global food crisis and the ever-increasing risks of land
degradation by floods and droughts due to climate change.
Over the years, much of the useable land in Mauritius has been put to
productive use and the extent of vacant lands available for
developmental projects today is relatively limited. The National
Development Strategy 2003 did forecast that over the next 20 years up
to 15,000 hectares of land could be released from the agricultural sector
to meet the projected housing needs for community development as well
as for social amenities. This will considerably increase the pressure on
the high quality agricultural land and also on the remaining forestland
while exacerbating the ecological and land degradation impacts, if
necessary precautions are not taken.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development has always
expressed growing concern on the increasing incidence of land
degradation
observed
throughout
Mauritius.
The
first
National
Environmental Action Plan for Mauritius prepared in 1988 identified
sustainable land management as one of the major environmental issues
confronting our country. The 1993 National Physical Development Plan,
prepared as part of the first Environment Investment Programme
provided a strong basis for integrating land planning in our development
strategy. Internal policies for land use in Mauritius have also been
guided by the Environmental Protection Act, which provides for
development control mechanisms. Most important of all, the 2003
National Development Strategy which has identified priorities to underpin
sustainable development.
As a densely populated small island, we have to face pressure for land
use. If we fail in our land use policy and planning, all our efforts towards
environmental protection will be absolutely pointless. That is why we
need to strike the right balance between development and protection of
our environmental assets in our development strategy. My Ministry is
thus placing much emphasis on sustainable land management. In this
context, we have started implementing various recommendations made
under the frameworks for
(i)
Integrated Coastal Zone Management, (ICZM),
(ii) Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA)
As such, the ICZM framework would ensure management of our coastal
zone in an integrated and sustainable manner, allowing the optimal use
of our coastal and marine resources while preserving its integrity and
making it resilient to the impacts of climate change.
The ESA framework would on the other hand, allow for the preservation
and sustainable use of sensitive areas which includes our mountains,
caves, beaches, lagoons, coral reefs, wetlands, mangroves, rivers,
surfaces as well as underground water, islets and forests, amongst
others.
Let me point out that the Environmental Impact Assessment and
Preliminary Environmental Report licensing mechanisms are the most
important tools for monitoring sustainable land management. We also
have other mechanisms such as Post EIA monitoring and enforcement
of the various provisions of the Environmental Protection Act to ensure
that any development is carried out in harmony with environment.
All these mechanisms would be reinforced through a review of the
Environment Protection Act, which is presently underway. The changes
in the legislation would make it more responsive to the emerging
challenges of our new economic paradigm and help move steadily in the
path of sustainable development.
At the global level, Mauritius has signed and ratified a number of
conventions, which are of relevance to sustainable land management.
The most relevant ones include the United Nations Convention to
Combat Desertification, the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
and the Ramsar Conventions on Wetlands. We are thus fully committed
in adhering to these Conventions.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is an urgent need for adopting integrated cross-sectoral
approaches to foster sustainable land management. Lessons learned
from past experience underline the need to revisit our institutional and
legislative frameworks in order to foster adequate enforcement of
policies and legislation with a view to ensure coherence with sustainable
land management principles and requirements.
As a matter of fact, we need to rethink our development model to remain
on the sustainable pathway. As such we require to adjust and consider a
deep transformation of our environmental, economic and social
landscape, in line with the vision of the Prime Minister for a “Maurice Ile
Durable”.
My Ministry is therefore in the process of developing a proper framework
by translating the MID Vision into a concrete policy through a Ten Year
Strategy together with a first Three Year Action Plan. Mott MacDonald
Ltd (UK), which is a well known British consultancy firm, has been
awarded the contract for the preparation of the Ten Year Strategy and
the 3 Year Action Plan. Work by the Consultants has started in February
following a visit to Mauritius by the Team Leader and the Sustainability
Specialist of the project. The MID Policy and Strategy Document is
expected to be finalised by the end of May 2012, whereas the Action
Plan would be ready by the end of July 2012. Relevant Ministries and
stakeholders would thus have the opportunity to have their own priority
projects included in the Action Plan. Sustainable land Management will
be given due consideration in this process.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We all have one common goal: that Mauritius be recognized and cited as
a model of sustainable development all over the world. To move towards
Maurice Ile Durable, there is need for ownership and commitment. It is
therefore imperative to have the active collaboration and effective
participation of Ministries and Stakeholders concerned for a coordinated
approach towards sustainable land management. The ultimate objective
is to work together as one team and one nation, to forge ahead and
achieve our goal of a “Maurice Ile Durable”.
I am convinced that this workshop will inspire collaboration and dialogue
among various stakeholders present. With these words I wish you all
fruitful deliberations during the workshop.
I thank you all for your attention.
D.V.