Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Citadelle Endemic Forest Project, an initiative of the Fondation Ressources et Nature (FORENA) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change and the GEF Small Grants Programme of the United Nations Development Programme, was launched, today at the Citadelle in port louis , by the Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano.
This project, funded by the Mauritius Union Assurance Group (MUA) and spanning over four years over one acre of land, aims at having a positive impact on the microclimate as well as reducing the temperature in Port Louis.
The Lord Mayor, Mr Mahfooz Moussa Cader Saib; the President of FORENA, Mr Manoj Vaghjee; the Chief Operating Officer of MUA, Mrs Delphine Ahnee; and other personalities were also present at the launching ceremony.
In a statement, Minister Ramano reminded that Mauritius is considered as being one of the most vulnerable countries on the planet due to the adverse effects of climate change, be it the rise of seawater level or of the temperature.
As such, he highlighted, there is a need to plant the maximum number of trees in a bid to mitigate effects of climate change. He underlined that the Citadelle Endemic Forest Project, which is being implemented over a one-acre site exposed to heavy rainfall and erosion, is a laudable initiative from FORENA, the GEF Small Grants Programme, and the MUA.
Government, he indicated, is also undertaking a series of measures, such as the shift towards renewable energy, and the greening of the M2 motorway project, so as to combat climate change.
Nonetheless, the implication of all stakeholders, such as Non-Governmental Organisations, the public at large, and Government, is necessary to effectively and successfully fight against climate change in Mauritius, he observed. Minister Ramano also seized the opportunity to appeal to the private sector to be more implicated in environment protection activities and projects.
For his part, Lord Mayor Cader Saib commended FORENA for the implementation of the Citadelle Endemic Forest Project, before emphasising that the Municipal Council of Port Louis has approved the setting up of an endemic garden comprising of some 300 plants at Les Salines.
This project, he stated, will span over some two acres and will be implemented within the next two months. Three green spaces, namely at La Tour Koenig, Cassis and Port Louis, will also be created soon, he added.
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