[Blog] Mauritius needs vast long-term actions essential for its security

Facing the menaces of war in the region, of extremes of climate change (roasting under extreme heat, freezing cold, intense hurricanes, floods and droughts, sea-level rise, etc.), under such emergencies, each country, big or small, must be prepared. Even more so for small, isolated islands such as Mauritius, Rodrigues, Agalega, Seychelles, Comoros, Maldives, Réunion.

Just consider these 2 cases: how do we function without petrol (at present 100% imported)?

How do we function without cargoes of rice, wheat, grains etc? (70 to 90% of these basic needs at present imported).

Action needed as from now 2025 (to be covered in the 2025-26 Budget under long-term action) to be completed fully up to 2040 (during this and the next two 5-year mandates, 2030-2035, 2035-2040). For achieving energy security and food security through self-sufficiency.
Comments: We produce only 30% of the food we eat. We import 70%, including all rice and flour. Poor Mauritius!

We produce only 17.6% of the energy we use from renewables (from sun, wind, hydro, biomass). We massively use the non-renewable resources, charcoal and petrol, which we import, the price of which will continue to rise until they suddenly become unavailable on the world market to little Mauritius. The present situation makes Mauritius dependent on exporters, and makes the population vulnerable for the supply of the key products of food and energy.

This is a call to our new, responsible, and proactive government to launch vast long-term actions essential for Mauritius' food, energy and water security, all essential for life! Specifically, this is an appeal to the PM and VPM and to the Minister in charge of energy (Hon P. Assisvaden) and the one in charge of agriculture and food security (Hon A. Boolell). Already we are implementing several small projects such as saving energy, producing your own food, etc.

1.    Energy security must be achieved, through the vast replacement of petrol vehicles by electric ones, the electric metro covering the entire island, and a major shift to renewables (sun, wind, hydro, biomass) for electricity production. (At present, see Le Défi Quotidien of 4.2.25: 82.4% énergie fossile (importée : charbon et pétrole) contre seulement 17.6% renouvelable.) The main equipment needed for the production of electricity from the sun are solar panels, 100% of which have to be imported. Studies have revealed that our situation with regard to wind and to sunshine is excellent, making it certain to achieve up to 100% renewables in a few years. There is also the huge benefit that, once installed and working, energy from sun and wind is free!
2.    
The future of harvesting solar energy. Solar energy harvesting technology is increasingly utilized as an alternative to electricity generated by fossil fuel. While various methods of solar energy harvesting exist, they all fundamentally use the sun to perform work in a specifically desired way, thus eliminating the need for fossil fuel use altogether.

The combined results of renewable energy production from sun, wind, hydro and biomass is the only future for the world and of course for us. We cannot miss that bus!

Take the example of Denmark, which in some months satisfied 100% of all its energy requirements from wind and sun, with so much excess that energy is exported to Germany!

See proposed budget measures below:

2.    Food security through self-sufficiency (now standing at 70% imports and only 30% locally produced)
At a time when entire sections of the planet are suffering from the extremes of climate change (roasting under extreme heat, freezing cold, intense hurricanes, floods and droughts, sea-level rise, etc.), under such a planetary emergency, each country, big or small, must play its part in combatting climate change. The new government has stated very early its intention to do so. At present, this remains a declaration of intention, with only a few actions started, such as the "Produce Your Own Food" project, Plan d’Urgence pour les Planteurs, etc. Apart from self-sufficiency in energy, our achieving food security is an essential aim. Without it, if and when a supply becomes rare, unavailable on the world market, or cargo costs too high, our population could starve like the people of Gaza.

3.    Water is life. Fresh water from nature (i.e. the rain cycle) is essential for all humans, animals and plants. Our need to improve and efficiently manage water resources and water distribution and use. Water from nature in the form of rain, via rivers and reservoirs, via underground water, individually harvested by each family, via modern technologies such as cloud-seeding and seawater evaporation using massive solar and wind power.
Knowing our combativity and initiative, we surely will gradually achieve this self-sufficiency in basics (rice and flour, grains and chicken & meat, energy and fresh water), without forgetting medical supplies, and basic equipment, either locally manufactured, or imported from reliable suppliers. Transportation regionally and nationally, within our region and the rest of the planet. And communications with each other, with and from government, with the Indian Ocean and African neighbours and with the rest of the world.

Minister of Finance to consider these tentative budget measures below:

1.    Increase tax on all imported petrol vehicles (10%, 20%?)
2.    Reduce tax on imported electric vehicles to zero
3.    A Rs 200,000 grant from government for each purchase of an electric vehicle.
4.    A grant from government for the conversion of presently owned petrol vehicles into electric-powered.
5.    Extension of the metro to cover the entire island, so that Mauritius can continue to completely function when petrol becomes unavailable.
6.    A grant for each low-income household and an obligation to others, hence to all, to install solar panels to produce at least 50% of the household’s electricity requirement, by 2025/26/27.
7.    Citizens to buy (cost deducted from income tax) and install in each yard solar lights (now available in Mauritius) so that at night the residential areas will be lighted, which will have positive effects on security as well.
8.    All industries, factories, offices to purchase and install solar electricity generation for up to 50% of requirements, with the appropriate income tax deductions.
9.    Any other measure to reduce dependency on fossil fuel and increase share of renewable energy.
10.    Other measures as proposed by researchers, by MARENA.

Dr Michael Atchia
(Ex Programme Director, UNEP; Ex President, Mauritius Academy of Science & Technology; D.Sc. University of Salford, Manchester, UK; co-author of Environmental Management, John Wiley, 1995)
mklatchia@intnet.mu
18 June 2025