Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa Water & Sanitation & Hygiene May -June 2017 | Page 21

2017
A: Mauritius has a very small landmass, we have a very
huge space of 2.2 million km and I think what the ocean
summit helps us to do is to bring back to the fore these
multiple challenges or opportunities that the ocean as an
entity presents to the economy of Mauritius. As I said,
one of the areas will be sustainable fishery, which can
be flagged into the economy. Mauritius and in the South
West Indian Ocean fisheries are threatened, with up to 30
percent of the fish stock over-exploited or depleted and
40 percent fully exploited. The poor management of this
sector has amounted to a n annual loss of about USD 225
million. So, any change, even half a degree increase in temperature
of the water, is not sustained by the animals living out
there and they will disappear and that is a thing that we
do not want to envisage. Now, some countries want
to backpedal on climate change agreements, it’s very
unfortunate because many countries have fought very very
hard to contain emissions. Large economies like India
have started a global alliance on renewal energy, China has
also made pledges, but it would be unfortunate that any
country pulls out of this agreement because we are not
talking about the short term but about the long term and
for the larger good of humanity.
However, the ocean is not only fish, it is also sustainable
tourism as well as renewable energy, including wave
energy, amongst others. For those countries that feel that they still need fossil fuels
to grow the economy, green technologies have shown that
it is possible to sustain growth with same. It is proven and
I don’t think people have to shy away from the fact that by
disinvesting in fossil fuels their economy will still progress.
Clean energy is the answer.
Q: The health of our oceans is critical for the survival
of humanity. We have seen that despite all the
international conferences and commitments, all the
ecosystems of our planet are collapsing one after the
other. How will this conference help to change things
globally, but equally locally?
A: For me, the ocean cannot and should not be taken as
a dumping ground or a carbon sink. We should also take
stock of effluents coming from the rivers as all the runoffs
eventually end up in the sea. Plastic pollution is also a very
big issue because we know that a lot of damage is being
done to wildlife because of un-recycled plastic. These
conferences help us to see visually the impact of these
polluting activities. They also bring live images, testimonies
from people who have first-hand experiences. They help
to change the mindset of people. They also try to bring
people to think differently, sustainably. We need to change
the way people do business, the way people look at the
ocean, we need to have a completely fresh look at these.
Q: Climate change is a major challenge for the
survival of humanity, and we have seen that the
United States of America has started to back-pedal
on climate change agreements. How do you perceive
this change of policy from a major carbon dioxide
producer?
A: To me, climate change is the biggest threat to humanity
because it will impact not only on the ocean but also
all the ecosystems on earth. It will impact the loss of
many species; already 17,000 are threatened and when
these species disappear, they reduce the resilience of our
ecosystem. I always say biodiversity underpins life on earth
and it also in the ocean as well. This balance in the oceans
ecosystem is very very fragile.
Q: What are your hopes and expectations for the
ocean summit?
A: The hope is that those who made pledges deliver on
them. We are not too far off the tipping point, but I think
all is not lost. We need to act fast and deliver on results as
well as on commitments. Our future depends on it.
Q: Nearly two years into your term as President of
the Republic of Mauritius, how do you perceive the
question of gender equality in Mauritius, and are
things are improving?
A: Post-independence Mauritius had a very low per capita
income of around 200 USD. Several decisions had been
taken since then to ensure the well being of the people
and one such decision was to make education free for
all in 1976. Education is an enabler and ensures social
mobility of people. At that moment in time, parents did
not have to make choices of whether to educate their sons
or daughters.
Over 40 years down the line we have seen the
transformation that this decision has had. The percentage
of women in many professional spheres has increased.
The medical, judiciary, teaching professions have more
than their fair share of women’s representation. We may
be weak in terms of percentage at board levels or in
politics but I think that it is work in progress. My message
is very clear on this issue… any country that wants to
make progress cannot afford to ignore 52 percent of its
workforce and talents.
Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • May - June 2017
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