Mauritius Hydrographic Services Bill: Hydrography to become a new pillar for marine territory protection
The Mauritius Hydrographic Services Bill aims to provide a legal framework for hydrographic activities, transforming how Mauritius governs its vast maritime space of nearly 2.3 million km² in the Indian Ocean, including the extended continental shelf of Rodrigues and the co-managed area with Seychelles on the Mascarene Plateau. Previously, these activities were handled by a specialized unit within the Ministry of Housing and Lands without a specific legal basis. Shakeel Mohamed, Minister of Housing and Lands, stated that this bill will enhance the country's capacity to manage its maritime territory through improved knowledge from nautical charts and bathymetric surveys. The legislation is also expected to yield significant environmental benefits. Rajesh Bhagwan, Minister of Environment, emphasized that hydrographic data, which includes information on water depth, underwater relief, currents, tides, and seabed characteristics, is crucial for understanding and responding to coastal transformations. Mauritius faces increasing environmental challenges such as rising sea levels, coastal erosion, cyclones, and marine submersion, with over 37 kilometers of coastline already affected by erosion. Reliable bathymetric surveys will help improve understanding of erosion and accretion, prevent costly errors in coastal protection, and inform interventions based on scientific data. The bill supports the national climate change adaptation strategy, with hydrographic data feeding into a natio
