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On October 15, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions (R/D) with the Government of the Republic of Mauritius on two technical cooperation projects: the “Project for the development of Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Management System” and the “Project for the improvement of livelihood of coastal communities through sustainable development of Blue Economy.”

Mauritius, being home to various corals and marine life, is blessed with a rich ecosystem registered as a Ramsar wetland site. However, the deterioration of coastal ecosystems has become an issue in recent years. Global warming has raised water temperatures causing corals to bleach, and there has been excessive harvesting of fish and shellfish. In addition, the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the ship grounding with oil spill that occurred in July last year have affected the lives of residents and major industries such as tourism and fisheries.

The Project for the development of Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Management System supports the establishment of ecosystem monitoring systems by stakeholders such as government agencies and local NGOs, as well as the formulation and implementation of plans for ecosystem conservation and restoration, with a goal of restoring more resilient coastal ecosystems. The “Project for the improvement of livelihood of coastal communities through the sustainable development of Blue Economy” aims to restore and improve the livelihoods of coastal communities and promote the "Blue Economy" initiative to sustainably develop the economy and society while protecting the sea through the formulation of fishery management plans and the enhancement of the capacity of fishing people. Both of the projects will contribute to SDGs Goals 13 and 14.

Details for the projects are provided below.

[Basic project information]

Country	Republic of Mauritius
Project title	Project for the development of Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Management System
Planned implementation period	63 months
Executing agency	Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping(MoBEMRFS)
Target region	Mauritius' southeastern coastal region
Specific project details (provisional)	Through the following initiatives, the development of an integrated coastal ecosystem management system to contribute to the recovery of healthier and more resilient coastal ecosystems is targeted. (1) Establishment of a Coastal Ecosystem Management Committee (2) Collection of basic scientific information through ecosystem monitoring (3) Formulation and implementation of action plans that support ecosystem conservation/restoration and ecotourism to improve livelihoods of communities (4) Conduct awareness-raising activities for local communities and tourists

[Basic project information]

Country	Republic of Mauritius
Project title	Project for the improvement of livelihood of coastal communities through the sustainable development of Blue Economy
Planned implementation period	42 months
Executing agency	Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping(MoBEMRFS)
Target region	Mauritius' southeastern coastal region
Specific project details (provisional)	Through the following initiatives, an effective livelihood improvement strategy will be formulated to contribute to the recovery and improvement of livelihoods of coastal communities. (1) Drafting and testing of pilot activity plans for the improvement of livelihoods (2) Planning of coastal fisheries management and enhancement of implementation systems (3) Enhancing fishing peoples’ capacity for offshore fishery development