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Environmental Education & Raising Public Awareness
Biodiversity Unit, Forestry Service
Mauritius

The Problem

Forestry Service is one of the public service under the aegis of the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Technology and Security which plays a crucial function in maintaining the ecological function in soil and water conservation and watershed management. Over the past years, the prime role of this service was to protect the whole of the central ridge of the table land of Mauritius and which is the great watershed in which all the large rivers take their rise. Building trust between citizens and the Forestry Service has always been considered as a vital element for a transparent, accountable and responsible public service. The following clearance, authorities, advice and issues of plants are provided by the service: Clearance to construct a structure near a river bank, in a road and mountain reserves after a site visit effected by forest officers. This service offers public a reliable and timely service with an effective feedback mechanism to listen the views of customers.
The Forestry Service has developed its own appropriate tools to deliver a faster and better service to the citizens. Capacity building and e-service since its re-organization has resulted in the automation of Effective Services Delivery and Total Quality Service with continuous improvement. Mauritius was once covered with rich native forest which was mostly exploited and replaced by intensive agriculture, human settlement and infrastructure. Today the native forests are estimated to cover less than 2% of the island with around 1% being compared of near pristine forests. The first settlers were the Dutch who exploited most of the accessible lowland hardwood forests, rich in ebony and other important species. The French were next to colonizing the island. State owned lands were given out as “concessions” to the French settlers. The British took possession of the island in 1810 and by then most of the native forests had completely disappeared except for a few inaccessible regions. These have been proclaimed as nature reserves and are living museums of our once rich indigenous flora and fauna. The native bird species declined from 30 to 9 species due to decrease of habitats and food.
It was only in the part of the 19th century that the importance of a permanent protective forests cover in the uplands was fully appreciated. It was realized that deforestation in the uplands could seriously jeopardize agriculture in the lowlands and damage to corals reef in the lagoons subsequently affecting fish catches and fishermen livelihoods. Due to the deforestation of the forest slopes in most of the regions of the island, significant erosion of top soil had taken place due to rainfalls. Most of the sedimentation ultimately reached either the lagoon or reservoirs. Part of it has been deposited in the natural river basins. Clearing of land by destruction of trees and shrubs along banks of rivers and their upper gradients for agricultural purposes was another factor responsible for siltation. Most of fresh water ecosystem was disturbed. Many species of fishes, shrimps and other aquatic life have disappeared.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
The key benefits resulting from the initiative are as follows: control of erosion by forest system; The assessment of the initiative taken by the Forestry Service showed that the volume of sediment erosion decreased with afforestation, particularly for the scenarios where more area was afforested, showing afforestation to be effective for the protection of sediment production. Support to agriculture through the provision of shelter and soil conservation. Most of the agriculture practices are located in the mid altitude region next to the forest lands.
Trees planted in the uplands effect the airstreams close to the ground surface significantly. They change the surface roughness, which means that a turbulent pattern of air stream is developed at relatively lower air-speeds. This again means that the resulting horizontal movement becomes slower from the friction and the wind is weakened.
A canopy also “lifts the airstreams” higher off the ground, thus creating a cushion of almost still air amongst trees. This regulation service provided by the sustainably managed forests in the uplands contribute to the well being of the farmers thus alleviating poverty and stress among the agricultural community people.
Support to tourism service and benefit-sharing, the Forestry Service has contributed a lot in the development of tourism sector of the island.
The tourism service of a sustainable forest ecosystem is generating benefit for both visitors to areas of natural beauty and the tourism sector including airline companies, hotels, local service providers and shops. The value of this service for visitors is represented by the consumer surplus they obtain from the eco-trip.
Support to fisheries and stopping damage to corals in the lagoons; Through the years, indiscriminate deforestation has led to denudation of the land and the loss of fertile topsoil to the sea. Many bays and lagoons in the South East and the region of Black River are today being threatened by the accumulation of terrigenous sediments.
Inner channels and passage ways in the lagoons were clogged with mud, rendering impracticable for navigation purposes.
A high percentage of corals were dead. The environmental factors affecting the reef and lagoon ecosystems were leading to a decrease in fisheries productivity and snorkeling by tourists.The initiative of reafforestation in the uplands and the protection of vegetations along the banks of rivers reduced and therefore contributed a lot in the better fish catch and improved living of the fisherman of the coastal communications. Poverty has been alleviated. Conservation of biodiversity; A biodiversity unit was set up to deal specially with the conservation of native forests and biodiversity.
The following salient features of the specific strategy proposed in the National Forest Policy have been successfully implemented; Conservation of biodiversity in Nature Reserves, maintains and other biodiversity rich areas,propagation of rare and endangered and indigenous plants, service delivery and implementation of Conservation Awareness Program in schools, national walks projects and guided tours in forests, promotion of Recreational Forestry, boosting up of the National Tree Planting Campaign.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
Mr S.A Paupiah, the late Conservator of Forest put the management of Forestry Service in perspective. He stressed that priority should be assessed to face the challenge of new sustainable Forest Management.
He created different units for the understanding of the socio-economic environment for all pro grammes and authorities involving watershed management, conservation of biodiversity, public relations and statistics; and he called for holistic approaches with people's perspective in the centre. To enable his target, a team of dedicated of forest officers were chosen and trained to head the units. Mr Paupiah advocated intensified use of e-service, networking and exchange of information at national and regional level and even at international level. The stakeholders involved were different ministries like Ministry of education and cultures, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Woman Affairs, Youths Club, schools, Scouts association, private sector, NGO's, religious leaders, politicians, academicians and researches.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Convinced that soil and water conservation management and biodiversity conservation strategies could not be alienated without a sustainable Forest Management; the following initiatives were taken and tools were used to face the challenges of change and therefore contributing better standard of living for all the citizens of Mauritius
• Policy, legislative and institutional framework
• Capacity building
• Reafforestation and afforestation
• Conservation of biodiversity in Nature Reserves and Biodiversity rich areas
• Raising Public Awareness
• Developing recreational forests
• Developing community forests

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
Forest Policy;
The outdated National Forest Policy (1963) was reviewed and updated with the assistance of the Forestry Policy Division of the FAO. The new National Forest Policy was approved by the Government in 2006. It provides highest priority to the environmental functions of forests and non-consumptive uses of forests like recreation and ecotourism.
The basic objectives of the National Forest Policy 2006 are:
• Increasing tree planting in the catchment areas of rivers, lakes and reservoirs
• Conservation of the natural heritage of the country by preserving the remaining natural forests
• Promoting the development of inland recreation and ecotourism activities
• Ensuring the sustainable management of forests lands leased for Shooting and Fishing (deer ranching).
• Development of small forest-based businesses for poverty alleviation
• Improving the Forestry Service.

Training of staff:
1. Capacity building for Sustainable Land Management in Mauritius
2. Training in conflict resolution and conflict management
3. Training in development of criteria ad indicators for Small Islands Development States (SIDS)
4. Training in skills in development financial mechanism for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)
5. Training in valuation of forests goods and services
6. Training in defining key sectoral information needs e.g. supply and demand of forest products and services, trade, contribution of the Sector to the National economy
7. Training in identification of internal and external funding and how to access these funds.
8. Training in Deer Management, Monitoring and Evaluation.
9. Training in Ecotourism Management, Monitoring
10. Training in Forest Management
11. Training in Conservation of Biodiversity
12. Training in Forest Statistics
13. Training in Fire Fighting
14. Training in Nursery Techniques
15. Training in Taxonomy
16. Strengthening the legal and regulatory framework for efficient implementation of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)
17. Setting up of a Fire Control Tower at Signal Mountain

Program initiative: reafforestation and afforestation;
Project

1. Reafforestation of 100 ha of watershed
2. Reafforestation of clearfelled of State Forest Lands (300 ha)
3. Creation of new forest plantations on abandoned Tea Land
4. The National Tree Planting Campaign (Mauritius)
5. Reafforestation of a block of 17 ha on the degraded slopes of Port-Louis Hills at Signal Mountain
6. Tree Planting on Mountain, River Reserves and other privately owned forest lands

Program initiative: Conservation of biodiversity;
1. The Management of Nature Reserves (56 ha)
2. Rehabilitation of a lowland community at Mt. Brisee (10 ha)
3. Establishment of an Ex-situ facility for critically endangered upland native plants at Plaine Sophie
4. Ex-situ conservation of the rare and threatened plants of Mauritius
5. In-situ conservation management in biodiversity rich areas
Program initiative: recreational forests, environmental education and raising public awareness
1. Powder Mills Nature Walk
2. Arsenal Nature Walk
3. Mon Vert Nature Walk
4. Bras D`eau Nature Walk
5. Sophie Nature Walk
6. Ile D`ambre Nature Walk
Program initiative: community forests
1. Introduction of suitable species with artisanal values in degraded forest plantations
2. A pilot project to determine the potential use of native species to control soil erosion in the east

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
Challenges:
Mauritius has stepped into the 21st century with economic, social and environmental challenges. The Government realizes that environment is a key driver of creativity, innovation and competitiveness across the world. The long term economic success of Mauritius is not possible without environmental sustainability. The main obstacles were:
• Insufficient knowledge and awareness on local biodiversity
• Insufficient protection of biodiversity in privately owned-forest
• Destruction of habitat and eco-system
• Invasion by aliens species; and
• Insufficient knowledge for optimum use if traditional medicinal plants.

How were they overcome?
The Forestry Service being one of the major stakeholders in environmental protection in improving the existing system for a better and efficient protection of forest biodiversity through:
1) The setting up of a platform for discussions from individuals, private forest owners, private organization and other Government Departments which are involved in different ways and to varying degrees in the conservation of biodiversity and protection of forests.
2) The sensitizing campaign started at the very base with the school children for a better tomorrow. To date the remaining 1.9% of land area under native species will be at stake if not protected.
3) Rehabilitation of the Nature Reserves and other biodiversity rich areas.
4) Massive propagation of indigenous/endemic plants in Greenhouse and tree seed centre
5) Institute a tree planting culture through National Tree Planting Campaign supported by a landscaping and advising team of forest officers.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Financial:
The functioning of the forestry service does not depend on resources from other funding sources other than its own capital budget approved by the Ministry of Agro Industry and Fisheries and this service neither uses the facilities at its disposal to generate resources from outside.
Substantial progress has been made through redeployment of human resources within limits of existing budgets.
An annual budget of 2 millions rupees is allocated and judiciously used for Rehabilitation and Nature Reserves and Nature Walks Parks Projects. Up to now 12 million rupees has been sent to promote the initiative. The speed of implementation depended on the rate at which projects were planned and executed.

Technical and human resources:
The forestry service has developed its organizational capacity and special expertise in several fields of activities.
The monitoring, evaluation and review were carried out in house. Progress were monitored, recorded, certified and approved by the head of service in a monthly basis.

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
How is the project being sustained and replicated?
Sustainable management of forests and environmental education are the dual objectives of the Forestry Service in its changing role of recreational and social forestry. With its focus o education and participation, the Forestry Service supports in the inclusion of all groups in the community in the decision making process; Six nature walks namely:
1. Powder Mills Nature Walk
2. Arsenal Nature Walk
3. Mon Vert Nature Walk
4. Bras D`eau Nature Walk
5. Sophie Nature Walk
6. Ile D`ambre Nature Walk
in different accessible regions of the island.

Monvert Nature Walk project has been created to supplement the conservation awareness program. In this project, Visistor's/Interpretation constructed and are being used as focal point for awareness and outreach activities. It provides space for local communities and school children to express themselves, have a random walk in nature where in-situ and ex-situ conservation works are being undertaken by this service.
it is the intention of the Forestry Service to disseminate:
1. Information awareness and benefits of environmental protection in Mauritius which contribute to maintain global biodiversity
2. Awareness and benefits of carbon sequestration by the forests where net increases in the growing stock and biomass result in more carbon being captured than is returned to the atmosphere thus reducing the greenhouse effect on the world climate.
3. To provide facilities in the forests for leisure and recreation improving the quality of life.

Replicability:
There has been exchange scheme in the filed of environmental education and plant conservation wit the National Parks and Conservation Service and other private sectors and other ministries.
A National Tree Planting Campaign has been launched for beautification program of Mauritius where more than 600,000 plants have been offered free of charge to different institutions of the island with technical know-how. An interactive interest with different institutions has given rise to a common denominator: a better and greener Mauritius for the new millennium.

An essential common goal of information and awareness-raising on environmental and conservation of biodiversity inspires the desire to act for the cause of environmental protection by all major stakeholders including Ministry of Education, Youth Women, Private Sector, Religious Leaders, Politicians, Academicians and Researchers.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
Feedback on the initiatives and its results was obtained through focussed grouped discussions, personal interaction,frequent peer reviews and records of inputs and outputs.
It was a pleasure to note that the feedback shows a developing and remarkable empathy and a positive behavior and attitude towards the environment and shows concern for a sustainable forest management and conservation of biodiversity for evolution and maintaining the systems of the biosphere.
About half of the uplands are solely managed for soil and water conservation and watershed management which amount to 12000ha of planted forests excluding the private sector participation.
The impact of the initiative of environmental education and conservation awareness in schools has been great and significant. Pupils of all ages have shown great enthusiasm and interest in the project have learn much about ecology and biodiversity
The project has initiated the young to create a healthy forest environment that will satisfy the needs and aspirations of present and future generations for goods and services from our forests in a sustainable manner.
The relationship between Forest, agriculture, fisheries and tourism has been significant and remarkable. The initiative of watershed management and water and soil conservation has contributed in the enhancement of agriculture and fish catch in the lagoons. Poverty has been alleviated considerably. The number of tourists snorkeling in the lagoon has increased considerably as lesser and lesser corals are at stake due to reduction of sedimentation in the lagoon thanks to the different initiatives of the forestry service.

What next?
Education for a better and greener Mauritius through e-tool to create more and more tender ambassadors who can propagate the message of the key concepts wise use of the forests and its components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to a long term decline of biodiversity, therefore maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations of the island.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Biodiversity Unit, Forestry Service
Institution Type:   Government Agency  
Contact Person:   Rajmohunsing Rutty
Title:   Forest Ranger  
Telephone/ Fax:   +230 674 0003/670 7254
Institution's / Project's Website:   +230 674 3449
E-mail:   forest@intnet.mu  
Address:   Forestry Service, Curepipe
Postal Code:  
City:   Curepipe
State/Province:  
Country:   Mauritius

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