During an official meeting attended by Florence Caussé-Tissier, French Ambassador to the Republic of Mauritius, on 15 February 2022 in Port-Louis, Catherine Bonin, BRGM's Director of Innovation and Commercial and International Activities at BRGM, André Pouillès-Duplaix, AFD's Local Director, and Renganaden Padayachy, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Mauritius, signed a tripartite agreement for the study of coastal risks.
© AFD
The contract – funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and worth €960,000 for BRGM – was signed on 15 February 2022 in Port Louis (Republic of Mauritius). The aim of the project is to carry out studies covering the entire coastline of the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues. Various Mauritian ministries and institutions will be involved in the Steering Committee for this study, which will last 24 months.
Reducing vulnerability to climate change in the islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues
The study will specifically focus on coastal erosion and coastal flooding caused by the austral swells and cyclones that the two islands are subject to. It will provide the Mauritian government with the data required to understand and assess the coastal risks and help reduce the islands' vulnerability to these events, while taking into account the expected impact of climate change.
The operational methodology that will be implemented includes mapping the types of risk and the vulnerability along each section of the coast and identifying high-risk areas. The data and results obtained will ultimately enable the Mauritian government to set up action plans to mitigate risks and protect people and property.
A specific fund to finance technical surveys and promote the exchange of experiences aimed at addressing the needs of countries that benefit from French state development aid
The AFD has set up a specific fund called the Fonds d'expertise technique et d'échanges d'expériences (FEXTE [Fund for Technical Surveys and Exchanges of Experience]), which is designed to help countries that receive French state development aid meet their needs in terms of technical expertise and experience.
The FEXTE funding will be implemented through a technical partnership between BRGM and the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change of the Republic of Mauritius.
To add an extra dimension to its expertise, BRGM will join forces with Météo-France (Indian Ocean Directorate, La Réunion), the University of Limoges (Geolab laboratory, UMR 6042) and the University of Mascareignes (Republic of Mauritius).
