Africa-Press – Mauritius. A technical exchange mission between Mauritius and Réunion Island, organised by mru2025, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) and the French public agency, Conservatoire du Littoral, is being held in Mauritius from 8 up to 12 December 2025.
In this context, a workshop focusing on the theme ‘Un littoral pour tous: vers un projet de territoire partagé’, was held this morning in Port-Louis.
The Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Rajesh Anand Bhagwan, was present on the occasion.
In his keynote address, Minister Bhagwan expressed appreciation of the initiative, which brings together stakeholders sharing the common ambition of protecting the beauty and integrity of the coasts. He rejoiced that the core purpose of this exchange mission is to observe and compare both islands’ experiences and co-develop realistic solutions that take into account the expectations of the communities.
The Minister recalled that the beaches of Mauritius and Réunion Island which form an essential part of the countries’ identity, community, and wealth; constitute a key pillar of the tourism industry; and are a sanctuary of biodiversity.
In the light of the numerous threats related to climate change and human-induced consequences that are adversely impacting the coasts in Mauritius, Mr Bhagwan called for renewed commitment and coordination to address current and future challenges.
He made a plea for cross collaboration between the private and public sectors together with NGOs to move forward with unified actions. On that score, he indicated that the Ministry is considering to bring together all stakeholders under a single entity to ensure better planning, coordination and decision-making.
On that occasion, the elaboration of a National Beach Code of Conduct was also announced. It will delineate the dos and don’ts and required beach etiquette, with the underlying principles such as, respect for others; contributing to a friendly atmosphere; and maintaining a clean beach environment.
Objectives of the mission
This technical exchange mission, benefiting from the financial support of the Resilience of Indian Ocean Coastal Zones programme, aims at bolstering regional cooperation between Mauritius and Réunion Island.
Its objectives are to, namely: formalise an official partnership between Mauritius and the Conservatoire du Littoral to support the implementation of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Mauritius and to explore the possibility of setting up a Mauritian ‘Sentier du Littoral’ inspired from the French model, adapted to the local context and based on a participatory and territorial approach.
