Mauritius Country Report

The report identifies Mauritius as highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly in its coastal zones, and maps the role of higher education institutions in addressing these risks. While universities show strength in mitigation and renewable energy research, there are significant gaps in adaptation research, long-term baseline data, and transdisciplinary collaboration. The document argues for a more integrated approach to CCD, emphasizing the need for curriculum innovation, improved data sharing through a national repository, and stronger partnerships between academia and government.

• Mauritius is highly vulnerable to climate change as a Small Island Developing State, with specific risks including accelerating sea level rise and increasing tropical cyclone intensity that could cause half of the beaches to disappear by 2050.
• Observed climatic changes in Mauritius include a temperature rise of 0.74°C compared to the 1961–1990 mean and a decreasing trend in annual rainfall of approximately 8 percent since the 1950s.
• Climate change poses severe threats to the Mauritian economy, with projected reductions in cane yield between 34 and 48 percent and sugar yield between 47 and 65 percent if rainfall decreases by 10 to 20 percent and temperature increases by 2°C.
• There is a significant lack of long-term baseline data and standardized information on marine ecosystems, coastal erosion, and the interaction between the physical environment and ecosystems.
• University research in Mauritius is predominantly focused on mitigation, renewable energy, and environmental economics, with less evidence of research dedicated to adaptation.
• Higher education institutions generally integrate climate compatible development (CCD) issues into existing courses rather than offering specialized CCD degrees, and there is limited experience with transdisciplinary teaching approaches.
• A critical institutional gap is the absence of a national research plan for climate change and the lack of a centralized repository for sharing climate data and research findings.
• There is a shortage of specialized individual capacity in areas such as climate modelling, GIS, environmental economics, and the operation of green technologies.
• While various networks exist, they are described as fragmented due to the lack of a coordinating body or a national centre of excellence for climate change.

APA

Urquhart, P., & Lotz-Sisitka, H. (2014). Mauritius Country Report. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SARUA-Vol2No4-Mauritius-Country-Report.pdf

Chicago

Urquhart, Penny, and Heila Lotz-Sisitka. Mauritius Country Report. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SARUA-Vol2No4-Mauritius-Country-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Urquhart |first1=Penny |last2=Lotz-Sisitka |first2=Heila |title=Mauritius Country Report |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=May 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SARUA-Vol2No4-Mauritius-Country-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{urquhart2014mauritius, author = {Urquhart, Penny and Lotz-Sisitka, Heila}, title = {{Mauritius Country Report}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/SARUA-Vol2No4-Mauritius-Country-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }