Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, Mauritius being a small island developing state is highly vulnerable to climate-related hazards such as severe tropical cyclones, flash floods, sea-level rise, massive beach erosion and heat waves among others. As such, the country and our people are at great risk and are exposed to changing climate conditions and crisis. Having registered our first climate related disaster in 2013 with the death of 11 of our citizens, Mauritius has put in place its first major legal and institutional framework to mitigate climate risk and response to climate emergencies. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act was enacted in 2016. During the last 10 years, various shortcomings of this legal framework have been highlighted especially when two workers tragically lost their lives during the Belal cyclone torrential rain in January 2024. Being part of the Ministerial Committee presided by my colleague, hon. Minister Reza Uteem, I am informed that the new legal framework on torrential rain to protect the lives of workers without discrimination will be a reality shortly. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, climate issues are cross-sectional and intersect with many Ministries and institutions. My Ministry, which has been historically responsible of Evacuee Centres for cyclonic conditions, has seen its mandate in 2015 extended to open the 156 Evacuee Centres under its responsibility, upon a request from the National Emergency Operations Command (NEOC) in the event of torrential rain, flooding or any other national disasters. These Evacuee Centres are supplied with basic amenities such as bottle water, biscuits, bake beans, now, canned tuna and yoga mats. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am further informed that in accordance with the Social Aid Regulations 1984, a cyclone allowance of Rs250 is payable to persons per night spent at the Evacuee Centres and a flood allowance amounting to amounting to Rs250 is payable for damaged foodstuffs per person per day for a maximum of three days upon presentation of a Police Memo. When this new Government took office, based on the responsibility or pre/post responsibility of my Ministry, I reframed this Ministry’s role in the context of climate crisis unfolding in the Republic of Mauritius and on its people. I created a Climate Unit in my Ministry to work for the recognition and integration of the concept of climate-related victims within climate policy frameworks of the new Government. The climate crisis is not only an issue of reduction of carbon emission under Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for countries like ours. Climate crisis has become a living reality generating climate-related victims with loss of lives, personal belongings and affecting the very livelihood of the people, especially the most socially vulnerable and the climate vulnerable people. Thus, my Ministry has reshaped the climate policy of our country towards what is called the climate jargon “adaptation and mitigation” with emphasis, on the affected people, that is, climate-related victims. The hon. Member is right in asking on measures put in place or being envisaged to mitigate the effects on vulnerable peoples and assistance provided to those affected. The Social Integration Division of my Ministry has, for the past several years, had several projects.

If you have got long to go, you can circulate the answer – if you so wish. You have already taken more than five minutes.

Yes. I can circulate it. That is not a problem, with pleasure. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Thank you.

Can I put a supplementary?

Yes, of course, you can put a supplementary.

Thank you, hon. Minister – a very interesting subject. Will the, hon. Minister be agreeable with me that social protection to climate change is a bit underrepresented in our NCD 3.0, as it is mostly related to absorb the impact shocks but not a sustainable social protection system? I mean a system which should look into environment and development process through cross sectoral policies to avoid and minimise residual loss and damage. May I know whether Mauritius applied for any funds under the Loss and Damage Fund created during COP 28 to strengthen resilience and to help people affected or victims of climate change?

I thank the hon. Member and this is in fact the next part of my answer – I will circulate. I am just mentioning that there are several mitigating measures that we are envisaging (flood proofing, flood barriers, properly equipped Evacuee Centres, providing water harvesting system, early warning systems and maybe relocation of socially vulnerable and climate vulnerable people) and that we will be presenting together with the Ministry of Environment. In fact, the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) and some of the measures will be presented in the conference that will be held in Mauritius – the Mauritius Climate Investment Fund. What we are aiming at is trying to get the global climate fund to be used for climate related victims. Most of these funds, because of the budgetary constraints, will be kind of non-budgetary but external or other source of fund. Thank you.

Thank you. FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL KREOL – CONCEPT & ORIENTATION REVIEW – TOURIST ATTRACTION