Outline of the Project

Project Name

Project for the Development of Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Management System

Country

Republic of Mauritius

Date R/D Signed

Dec.14, 2020

Term of Cooperation

May 21, 2022 to Aug. 20, 2027

Implementing Organization

Ministry of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping: MoBEMRFS

Background

1. Current status and issues of the nature conservation sector development in the country and the purpose of this project

Republic of Mauritius (The following abbreviated Mauritius)has a population of 1.26 million and a land area of 2,040 km² (The area is about the same as Tokyo), consisting of Mauritius Island (1,865 km²) and other islands. The main island, Mauritius Island is surrounded by coral reefs, and there are mangrove forests (approximately 2,000 ha) in the brackish water area, and also three Ramsar wetlands on the island. These rich ecosystems support the livelihood of the residents and are the foundation of major industries such as tourism (8% of GDP, 10% of employment, EIU, 2018) and fisheries. These natural riches are considered national symbols by both domestic and international.

However, on July 25, 2020, a cargo vessel owned by a Japanese company, the Wakashio, grounded off the southeast coast of the country, causing a crack in the hull and spilling approximately 1,000 tons of heavy oil since August 6. The oil drifted into the coastal areas from the ship-grounding site. Since these areas include two Ramsar wetlands, nature reserves, mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and fish and shellfish including fishery species, and birds and small land animals living on the islands, which raises concerns about serious and medium to long-term impacts on the ecosystem and the livelihood of the coastal residents.

In response to a request for emergency assistance from the government of Mauritius, the Japanese government dispatched the Japan Disaster Relief Team (JDR) to conduct emergency support activities, including oil control operations and assessment of environmental and social impacts. Following this, a two-month Data Collection Survey was conducted from October of the same year. Through this survey, it was observed that the oil pollution in the mangrove forests along the coast and the coral colonies were affected by the increased turbidity of the seawater caused by the ship-grounding. In addition, it has been confirmed that coastal ecosystems have been significantly degraded by human activities in recent years, including increased sediment inflow into coastal areas and deterioration of water quality due to land use change, coral bleaching due to rising water temperatures caused by global warming, and excessive harvesting of fish and shellfish in coastal areas, as problems that existed before the ship-grounding incident. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) (2017-2025) states the importance of sustainable coastal ecosystem services as an urgent issue.

Although this was an incident in which the ship-grounding caused by a private company, it was an incident involving a ship owned by a Japanese company, and from this perspective, the international community is paying attention to Japan's actions. The conservation and restoration of the ecosystem in Mauritius is an urgent issue from the perspectives of (1) mitigating the impacts on the society and economy of Mauritius and (2) preserving one of the world's most precious biodiversity hot spots. It is expected to contribute promptly to the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems by seamlessly following the Japan Disaster Relief Team activities and Data Collection Survey. Against this background, the Government of Mauritius requested the Government of Japan to implement this project in May 2021.

2. Japan's and JICA's cooperation policies for Mauritius and the purpose of the project in the JICA Global Agenda

According to the " Country Assistance Policy for Respective Countries" (October 2017) for Mauritius, Mauritius plays a central role in the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), the Indian-Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), etc., and has a vast exclusive economic zone, which is a key element of the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)". It is considered a strategically important country in the fields of diplomacy and fisheries. The country's priority areas include "environment, climate change countermeasures, and disaster prevention" and the preservation of the country's ecosystem directly affects important industries such as tourism and fisheries and is also essential from the perspective of the country's sustainable development. This project also falls under "No. 17 Natural Environment Conservation" of "JICA Global Agenda", and will contribute to JICA's cooperation policy 2, "Protecting the Richness of Nature in Marine (Coastal) Areas.

This project contributes to the "Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts" and "Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development" of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and also contributes to the implementation of the NBSAP mentioned above.

3. Responses of other aid agencies

The United Nations, France, the United Kingdom, India, and others have dispatched experts in oil control, environmental monitoring, and ecosystem conservation as emergency assistance. UNDP, the European Union, the Indian Ocean Commission, and others have been providing assistance for ecosystem conservation and sustainable marine resource management since before the ship-grounding incident, and plan to continue such assistance.

The Overall Goal

Conservation and restoration of the coastal ecosystems affected by the ship-grounding and other anthropogenic impacts are progressed toward the recovery to healthier and more resilient status than that before the incident through the integrated coastal ecosystem management system.

Project Purpose

In order to effectively and robustly conserve and restore the coastal ecosystem affected by the ship-grounding and other anthropogenic impacts, an integrated coastal ecosystem management system is established.

Output

1. The Coastal Ecosystem Management Committee (CEMC) is established and held regularly to supervise conservation and restoration activities of the coastal ecosystem impacted by the ship-grounding and other anthropogenic impacts.
2. Coastal ecosystem monitoring is properly conducted in line with its guideline and Integrated Marine Monitoring Strategy (IMMS), and the results are utilized to evaluate and improve the implementation of activities under conservation and restoration plan
3. Information collection survey necessary for the restoration, habitat protection and ecotourism in the coastal ecosystem is carried out, and action plans for those activities are developed as part of conservation and restoration plan.
4. Action plans on restoration and ecotourism developed in Output 3 are implemented as activities in collaboration with local communities, NGOs and private sector, and the progress and outputs are reported to CEMC.
5. Awareness of local communities, people in Mauritius and tourists to the conservation and restoration of the coastal ecosystem is raised through the activities of communication, education and public awareness (CEPA).

Project Activities

1.1	Establish CEMC with a document of description on its structure and function, and hold its meeting at least once a year, participated by stakeholders including government, NGOs and private sector concerning to the conservation, restoration and sustainable utilization.
1.2	Develop a conservation and restoration plan of coastal ecosystem, which includes action plans developed in Output 3.
1.3	In accordance with supervision of CEMC, evaluate and improve activities under action plans on restoration and ecotourism, referring to the analysis in Activity 2.4.
2.1.	Strengthen the capacity of institutions and NGOs through trainings to implement ecosystem monitoring properly in line with IMMS and guideline on coastal ecosystem monitoring.
2.2.	Improve monitoring guideline on coral reef, seagrass bed and mangrove ecosystems including indicators, methods and locations, which enable to detect the change in coastal ecosystem which was affected by ship-grounding other anthropogenic impacts on coastal ecosystem.
2.3.	Carry out coastal ecosystem monitoring in accordance with the guideline in collaboration among relevant institutions and NGOs.
2.4.	Report the monitoring results regularly to the CEMC, in order CEMC to evaluate and improve the activities under conservation and restoration plan and other relevant activities in the Project area
2.5.	Improve BBMPC's facilities for monitoring surveys and primary treatment of the collection samples.
3.1.	Collect existing information, carry out surveys on coastal ecosystem and identify the status of degradation of the coastal ecosystem and its services caused by the ship-grounding and other anthropogenic impacts and climate change.
3.2.	Develop a restoration action plan on the coastal ecosystem.
3.3.	Carry out surveys to identify important habitats which secure a healthy ecosystem and supply a higher number of larvae, seeds and propagules.
3.4.	Develop action plan for the protection of important habitats including establishment/revision of marine protected areas and strengthening of their management including monitoring/patrol system.
3.5.	Carry out surveys on ecotourism resources, the status of their utilization and necessary information for ecotourism development.
3.6.	Develop an ecotourism action plan.
4.1.	In accordance with the restoration action plan developed in Output 3-1, implement pilot activities in the habitats in coral reef, seagrass bed and mangrove ecosystems where are highly prioritized for restoration as the degradation progressed.
4.2.	In accordance with the ecotourism action plan, implement pilot activities on community-based ecotourism with necessary capacity building.
5.1.	Improve exhibition facilities in BBMPVC (and AFRC) to raise awareness on ecosystem and biodiversity of coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves and their conservation, and functionalize the facilities as information and education center
5.2.	Carry out environment education programmes in collaboration among the government, research institutions and NGOs in order to raise awareness of students and local communities to the coastal ecosystem conservation
5.3.	Share information on the project purpose and activities using communication tools such as website, SNS, booklets, brochures, etc., to raise awareness of local communities, public, tourists and foreigners, who are interested in the coastal ecosystem

Inputs
[Japanese side]

1. Experts
   [Long-term Experts]
   - Project Coordinator/Environment Education
   [Short-term Experts]
   - Team Leader/ Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration
   - Deputy Team Leader/Coral reef ecosystem /conservation and restoration
   - Seagrass/conservation and restoration
   - Mangrove conservation and restoration
   - Ecosystem Services Assessment 1 / Ecotourism
   - Ecosystem Services Assessment 2
   - Environmental Education/ Facility Design
   - Chemical analysis and monitoring 1
   - Chemical analysis and monitoring 2
   - Satellite imagery analysis
   - Inter-donor Coordination / Inter-organizational Collaboration Support
2. Provision of the equipment (Vehicle, Boat, equipments necessary for monitoring survey)
3. Training
   Training in Japan and/or other countries

Inputs
[Mauritian side]

1. Allocation of Counterpart Personnel (Project director, Project manager, Project submanager, AFRC, MOI and other relevant institute staff)
2. Office space (in AFRC and BBMPC) with furniture and utility cost (electiricity charge, water charge) , relevant facility for project activity
3. Coordination with other stakeholders (including coordination within CEMC)
4. Local cost (GoM's travel expenses, vessel for project activity, fuel expenses, seminar/meetings related budget)
5. Running expenses necessary for the implementation of the Project