Africa Adaptation Programme Republic of Mauritius

1. Informed decision-making for Climate Change adaptation Activities and lessons learned in Mauritius Africa Adaptation Programme Republic of Mauritius 15 November 2012 AAP Country Conference “Celebrating our successes”

2. Outline • Context / AAP Mauritius framework and strategy • How AAP Mauritius has made possible generation and use of robust data and information to enhance decision-making? • Future programming • Challenges • Opportunities

3. Observed and projected Climate Change impacts in Mauritius Being a SIDS Mauritius is extremely vulnerable to Climate Change: • Observed impacts • Rise of temperature • Decrease of annual rainfall • Sea level rise • Significant beach erosion and beach loss • Coral bleaching • Projected Impacts • Agriculture • Lagoon/corals/beaches and tourism • Climate-related disasters • Water scarcity

4. AAP Mauritius intervention logic • Objective of AAP Mauritius • Mainstream climate change considerations in key sector developmental plans, policies and institutional frameworks • Project Outputs • Introduction of long-term planning tools, • Strengthening of leadership capacities and institutional frameworks, • Implementation of climate-resilient policies and measures, • Devising financing options, • Generation of knowledge as well as sharing of findings at all levels. • Capacity Building Activities • Policy Review and Action Plan Formulation • Research and Dissemination • Sharing of Climate Data and Information • Demonstration Projects

5. Strategy for enhanced decision-making 1) Need assessment – with stakeholders’ inputs 2) Data generation / gathering – with stakeholders’ inputs 3) Data analysis / compiling 4) Production of report including recommendations / strategy and action plan – with stakeholders’ inputs 5) Validation workshop with stakeholders 6) Capacity-building workshop for stakeholders 7) Advocacy targeting decision-makers

6. Disaster Risk Reduction: Data generation and sharing • Data procured from Mauritius Meteo Services and compiled • Vulnerability assessment based on SLR scenarios and mapping for inundation, flooding and landslide risks • Printing and distribution of maps to national authorities, especially at local level

7. Sectoral analysis for key sectors:Data generation and sharing • 4 key sectors of the economy: Agriculture, Fisheries, Tourism, Water • Compilation of existing scientific data, socio-economic surveys, gaps in institutional framework identified

8. Data servers:Data generation and sharing • University of Mauritius equipped with Data Server and training in Climate modeling organized • Climate Change information center based at Min of Environment for data sharing between institution and for the general public • Agricultural Decision Support System: Server and training to analyze the results + data shared with CC information center

9. Support to research:Data generation and analysis • Funding of 12 Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation research projects linked with: • Water resource • Agriculture and fisheries • Endemic biodiversity • Coastal management • Energy • Coal and bagasse ashes reuse

10. Demo projects:Evidence based on demonstration • Coral farming, sea censors, endemic garden, salinity meters and mangrove plantation • Advocacy through success stories: evidence-based decisions

11. Climate Change policy framework:Data compilation and sharing • Compiling others AAP reports/results/studies for harmonization and delivering of inclusive message to high-level policy-makers • Including recommendation and investment plan

12. Outputs achieved thanks to informed generation and sharing • Climate Change Bill prepared (for 2013) • Updated guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment • Updated guidelines for Integrated Coastal Zone Management • … would not have been possible without prior data generation and sharing to support them for decision makers

13. Climate Change knowledge fair:Information sharing • Gathering of all stakeholders to demonstrate achievements and share successes at a national level • Networking • Awareness raising • Side events

14. Sustainability • Indicators of success: • Stakeholders are aware that the data exist • Stakeholders know where to access the data • Ownership to be monitored in the long-term • Evaluation and future programming • Final evaluation to highlight successes and remaining gaps, especially in terms of ownership • Results to be monitored / strengthen in next phase

15. Opportunities and challenges for future programming • Data ownership has to be addressed and negotiated country by country • Build capacities in institutions producing knowledge and receiving it, not only decision-makers but also technicians • Precisely target the audience: “decision-makers” is too broad - Data generation and making the data understandable and convincing for decision-makers from public and private sector, different levels, different technical backgrounds • Information/robust data vs. level of uncertainty of CC impacts No regret scenario as a basis for pragmatic and efficient advocacy? • At the end of the day the decision is political: question of risk acceptability, short vs. long-term, political agenda: importance of raising public awareness for pressure on policy-makers

16. Thank you