Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Environmental Issues
The natural environment of Mauritius has paid a heavy price for the country's rapid eco-
nomic development. And despite recent economic setbacks, the government seems more
keen than ever to encourage more tourists - at least, the rich ones - to continue plugging
the gap left by a declining sugar industry and waning textile industry. However, the ex-
pansion of tourist facilities is straining the island's infrastructure and causing problems
such as environmental degradation and excessive demand on services such as electricity,
water and transport.
One area of particular concern is the amount of construction along the coast - almost
every beach has been developed, most of it tourist related. However, Mauritians are very
keen to put environmental concerns first: a proposal for a hotel on Île des Deux Cocos in
Blue Bay, for example, met with such fierce resistance that it has been abandoned. Con-
servationists also fervently (and successfully) combated plans to construct a highway
through the old forests in the southeast.
The government now requires an environmental impact assessment for all new building
projects, including coastal hotels, marinas and golf courses, and even for activities such as
undersea walks. Planning regulations for hotel developments on Rodrigues are particu-
larly strict: they must be small, single-storey, built in traditional style and stand at least
30m back from the high-tide mark. Since water shortages are a problem on Rodrigues,
new hotels must also recycle their water.
To combat littering and other forms of environmental degradation, the government has
established a special environmental police force charged with enforcing legislation and
educating the local population. To report wrongdoers, there is even a
hotline
( 210 5151)
.
If anything, the marine environment is suffering even more from overexploitation. The
coast off Grand Baie is particularly affected by too many divers and boats concentrated in
a few specific locations. In addition, silting and chemical pollution are resulting in extens-
ive coral damage and falling fish populations. In the west, dolphin-watching is an ex-
tremely popular activity for tourists; however, the sudden increase in operators has called
into question its sustainability. Choose your tour boat carefully - companies who do not
have the dolphins' wellbeing at heart should be avoided.
