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

The paper describes a participatory approach using stakeholder mapping and 'barrier cards' to bridge the gap between national climate policies and local implementation in Mauritius. Findings reveal a strong predominance of national government in adaptation planning, with local actors often excluded from information and action flows. In the agriculture sector, the primary barrier is a lack of climate vulnerability data, while the fisheries sector faces institutional barriers related to a lack of accountability. The authors argue that prioritizing 'surmountable' barriers—those addressable with existing national capacities—is the most effective way to build climate resilience.

• The participatory methodology in Mauritius revealed that national government and national organisations dominate the planning and implementation of climate adaptation, while local actors remain limited in their inclusion.
• In the agriculture sector, the primary barrier to local adaptation is a lack of knowledge, evidence, and data regarding climate change vulnerability impacts, driven by perceptions of uncertain scientific data and a lack of expertise for long-term planning.
• In the fisheries sector, the main barrier to adaptation is institutional, specifically a lack of accountability in the implementation process, caused by factors such as short-term planning and a lack of direct contact between federal and local governments.
• Funding for climate adaptation in Mauritius is heavily concentrated at the national level, primarily flowing from international donors through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Empowerment to national ministries and research institutions.
• Information flows differ significantly by sector: the fisheries sector shows well-connected local communities, whereas the agriculture sector's local farmers are relatively isolated and lack direct information links from national research or meteorological bodies.
• The authors suggest that 'surmountable' barriers, such as the data gaps in agriculture, should be prioritised for 'easy wins' using existing national capacities before addressing more deeply rooted institutional barriers.

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} }