Mauritius: Mauritius beaches risk disappearing in 50 years [5/7]
Audio 02:16
Night view of Port-Louis, the capital of Mauritius.
© Peter Kuchar / Wikipedia
By: Abdoollah Earally Follow
3 min
Two phenomena linked to climate change worry Mauritian scientists.
The temperature has already risen by 1.36 degrees on the island and the erosion of the beaches is accelerating, to the point that they could disappear in 50 years.
To save time, Maurice undertook major engineering works three years ago.
Objective: protect 14 kilometers of coastline and villages.
But in some places, the displacement of residents is now being considered by the authorities.
Advertising
For some residents who have enjoyed a house near the sea from generation to generation, however modest it may be, this life will only be a memory for decades to come.
Sabeena Ramma, a resident of Saint-Martin, in the southwest of Mauritius, helplessly witnesses the rise in sea level right outside her door: “
All the relatives, when they come to me, they say wow!
What a beautiful place to live.
Right on the water, wow!
I answer them, come when the sea is rough
”.
Here, not only is the sea advancing, but it is even more unpredictable.
Sabeena and her two neighbors will sooner or later have to seek refuge elsewhere.
According to data from the Ministry of the Environment, for the past 45 years, from 1987 to 2020, the sea rises by about 5 millimeters per year.
This is significantly more than the world average of 3.6 millimeters.
Unsuitable artificial solutions
The impact is fully visible in the locality. At the edge of Saint-Martin, in Bel Ombre, the scenery of the coast has changed. Blocks of stone replaced sand to protect the coastal road and the inhabitants. An artificial beach has been created. Not necessarily the best approach, says oceanographer Vassen Kauppaymuthoo. “
What is the solution for Mauritius
? Put rock walls and create an artificial beach like the beach I'm on, which is made up of calcarenite, rocks that have been crushed to create grains of sand, or there are solutions more based on nature
? Today, most scientists agree that nature-based solutions are needed.
"
The Mauritian scientist proposes the planting of mangroves and lianas, more resistant to fight against erosion on the coast.
Vassen Kauppaymuthoo, also an environmental engineer, calls for planting corals in the sea to break the waves and ultimately recreate a sustainable ecosystem.
The method is applied to Mont Choisy, a busy beach hard hit by erosion.
Several million euros of work carried out
The works started since 2019 across the island have already cost 9 million euros, according to Ramchurn Seenauth, head of the department responsible for coastal zone management at the Ministry of the Environment.
“
Most of the funds come from the national budget.
We had the assistance of the Kyoto Protocol adaptation fund to carry out work on Mont Choisy beach in the north where artificial reefs have been placed
, ”he explains.
The temperature in Mauritius has increased by 1.37% over the past 70 years.
Scientists worry that the devastating threshold of + 2% degrees is coming sooner than expected.
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Africa
Mauritius
Environment
Weather