Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Mauritius using a participatory approach

This research paper presents a participatory methodology used in Mauritius to identify and overcome climate adaptation barriers in the agriculture and fisheries sectors. The study highlights a strong predominance of national government in planning and implementation, with limited inclusion of local actors, and identifies specific knowledge and institutional barriers that hinder local adaptation actions.

• The participatory methodology revealed that climate adaptation in Mauritius is dominated by national government and national organisations, resulting in the limited inclusion of local actors in the adaptation process.
• In the agriculture sector, the primary barrier to local adaptation is a lack of knowledge, evidence, and data regarding climate change vulnerability and resources for planning. This is caused by perceptions of uncertain scientific data and a lack of expertise for coordinated long-term planning.
• In the fisheries sector, the main barrier to adaptation is a lack of accountability in the implementation process. This is attributed to several institutional causes, including the absence of a strategic approach to funding, a lack of direct contact between federal and local governments, and short-term planning.
• Information and funding flows in the agriculture sector are heavily concentrated at the national level. Information to local farmers is limited and channelled through cooperatives, while funding for adaptation primarily supports national research and policy-making.
• The fisheries sector exhibits better connectivity and information flow at the local level compared to agriculture, with the National Disaster Committee serving as a central hub for information at the national level.
• The study suggests that the knowledge-based barrier in agriculture can be addressed quickly through practical actions such as developing a climate change data centre and strengthening capacity, whereas the institutional barrier in fisheries is more deeply rooted and will take longer to resolve.

APA

STANTON, M. B., & DOWNING, T. E. (2014). Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Mauritius using a participatory approach. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Working-Paper-Identifying-and-lifting-climate-adaptation-barriers-in-Mauritius-using-a-participatory-approach.pdf

Chicago

STANTON, Muriel BONJEAN, and Thomas E. DOWNING. Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Mauritius using a participatory approach. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Working-Paper-Identifying-and-lifting-climate-adaptation-barriers-in-Mauritius-using-a-participatory-approach.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=STANTON |first1=Muriel BONJEAN |last2=DOWNING |first2=Thomas E. |title=Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Mauritius using a participatory approach |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2014 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Working-Paper-Identifying-and-lifting-climate-adaptation-barriers-in-Mauritius-using-a-participatory-approach.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stanton2014identifying, author = {STANTON, Muriel BONJEAN and DOWNING, Thomas E.}, title = {{Identifying and lifting climate adaptation barriers in Mauritius using a participatory approach}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Working-Paper-Identifying-and-lifting-climate-adaptation-barriers-in-Mauritius-using-a-participatory-approach.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }