Environmental research

1.1 Project Summary The Island of Rodrigues is particularly vulnerable to climate change and this has direct impact on its economy. Way back in the 1960s, Rodrigues was a successful peripheral economy with its agriculture largely organised on a household basis, yet with a flourishing export trade with mainland Mauritius. The major Rodriguan exports to Mauritius were fish, onions, lime, sheep and poultry on a regular basis. However, all these started to decline as from the 1970s. The severe drought condition of this period was the root cause for the downward trend in agricultural production (including backyard gardening), the mainstay of the economy, and low morale among the farmers community. Water shortage is also a major issue for domestic consumption and in most regions of the island water is distributed only a few hours per week. As shown in the Figure 1 below, the general trend is towards a reduction in rainfall in most of the catchment areas of the island. Figure 1: Mean annual rainfall in Rodrigues Source: Central Statistic Bureau According to the Commission for Water Resources, about 30% of water is captured by surfaces, 60% by boreholes and 10% from desalination plants. It is estimated that only 20% of the rainfall is collected. The total storage capacity is estimated to be around 23,000 m3 while total demand revolves around 9,000m3/day. Water supply varies between 4,500 m3/day in the dry period and 9,500 m3/day during the rainy season hence clearly indicating a water shortage in dry period. Facts on water in Rodrigues: Nearly 90% of households are connected in one way or the other to piped network. Most of the distribution system operates by gravity and not under pressure like in modern networks (UNDESA, 2009). Most of the water resources are nearly fully tapped. There is no tariff system in the island. Customers only pay a yearly connection fee of MUR 22 irrespective of the volume of water supplied. This fully subsidised system has heavy implications on the finances of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly (RRA). The farming community of Port Sud Est has suffered shortages in water supply for agricultural purposes in recent prolonged droughts. It has caused a significant reduction in the yield of vegetables in the valley of Port Sud Est and according to some community members, the production of vegetables was reduced by 70% during these years. There hence is a need to build resilience within the community to give them the ability to recover from the effect of that climatic load that has caused harm. Port Sud Est is supplied with water for agricultural purposes from the Lower Cascade Victoire (LCV) reservoir - capacity of 8000 m3. This Reservoir is fed from Upper Cascade Victoire (UCV) Dam - capacity estimated at 400m3 which is found about 600m upstream. A feeder canal links the 2 reservoirs via an overflow mechanism. The water flow schematic is shown in Figure 2 below: Figure 2: Schematic of water supply to Port Sud Est The LCV reservoir was constructed in early 2000 by the Rodrigues Regional Assembly so as to allow the farmers to harvest and store the maximum flood water. It is estimated that if the LCV reservoir is at full capacity, the village will be have access to enough water for one whole year. However, supply to village is compromised during drought season and some period of the year due to the following reasons: It is estimated that about 255m3 (according to the RTMC) of mud has accumulated in the LCV reservoir. The mud is deposited near the outlet of the reservoir and acts as a retainer of water during drought season and hence obstructs the flow of water. The 600m long feeder canal is flanked by some dense vegetation and is only fully covered along a length of 100m. Moreover, the landscape along the canal is steep and rocky in some places and during heavy rain periods, mud, vegetation and rocks obstruct the pathway. At some locations, the concrete joints are either cracked or have been washed away and hence causing further leakages in the water flow between the 2 reservoirs. The UCV dam is a river run built dam. The feeder canal is fed with water through an overflow mechanism. However, the dam is leaky at the base and hence water only flows in the canal during flash floods. The dam is also clogged at some places with mud from the high grounds. The aim is therefore to rehabilitate the access route to both reservoirs and undertake the necessary repairs and maintenance works to ensure that the farming community of Port Sud Est has access to water for agricultural purposes throughout the year. As an add-on value, the community will be empowered to implement a monitoring system to make sure that the infrastructure is always in optimum working condition. Given the UCV dam is located downstream one of the most prolific catchment area in Rodrigues, the Village of Port Sud Est should not be suffering from lack of water even during the dry season. Furthermore, any excess water can be collected and distributed to water stricken communities throughout the island during times of need. It is noteworthy that Port Sud Est is part of the South Eastern Marine Protected Area (SEMPA) which was set up with the assistance of the UNDP/GEF. The SEMPA project aims at protecting the biodiversity of the region and promote sustainable livelihoods and is currently under the aegis of the Commission of Environment. 1.2 Organisational Background and Capacity to Implement the project The Association Planteurs Port

Mauritius