Japanese help for landslide management

A team from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing support to Mauritius in addressing the issue of landslide management. The Minister of Public Infrastructure, Nando Bodha, welcomed the initiative at the launching of a workshop on Sendai Disaster Risk Reduction Framework, Promotion of Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Reinforcement of Quick Response Capacity, held this Wednesday 10 February at Bagatelle. A team of four experts will assist the Landslide Management Unit (LMU). The second technical cooperation aims to achieve a comprehensive landslide hazard mapping programme, a centralised landslide hazard information system, as well as extensive countermeasures and rehabilitation works at critical landslide prone sites. According to Nando Bodha, landslides, rock-falls, coastal erosion and damages to the marine eco-system are some of the natural calamities that will affect Mauritius in the coming years. “We should seriously prepare ourselves to face these calamities, mitigate their effects and protect the lives of our citizens,” highlighted the Minister.