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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and ProjectsA series of measures is being implemented to enhance the quality of life of vulnerable groups namely the elderly, persons with disabilities, the needy, widows and orphans, substance abusers, inmates of charitable institutions, homeless (clochards), and beneficiaries from the National Solidarity Funds.
These measures include:
(1) Free issue of blankets to old age and needy persons;
(2) Free issue of wheelchairs to disabled persons;
(3) Free issue of spectacles to visually impaired persons in receipt of social aids;
(4) Free issue of hearing aids;
(5) Cash assistance to fire victims;
(6) Funding of prosthesis to needy disabled persons;
(7) Pensions to different categories of persons such as oldage, widows, disabled, orphans,
etc.
Status
No information is available.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
No information is available.
* * *
This information is based on Mauritius' submission to the 5th Session of the
Commission on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 4 June 1997
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
The Ministry of Health (MOH) is primarily responsible for population issues, including the
implementation of population programmes.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
The Ministry of Health (MOH) contributed to writing the chapter on population in the
National Development Plan.
The governments' view on fertility level and population growth is satisfactory. Its
population policies aim to maintain the status quo with fertility at replacement level.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
No information is available.
Status
Mauritius is one of the few countries that has achieved its demographic transition in
quite a short period of time. The population was about 700,000 in 1962, growing at a rate
above 3% per annum, and projected to reach about 2.7 million by the year 2000. However,
with the implementation of a national family planning programme, the population growth
rate has decreased to about 1% per annum at present, and the present population size is
about 1.2 million. The average number of children per couple was 6 in 1962 compared to 2
at present. In fact, during the period of 1985-1986, fertility was below the replacement
level. However, after 1989, the fertility rate increased slightly, reaching 2.36% in 1992.
Since then efforts have been made to bring down and maintain fertility at replacement
level.
Challenges
No information is available.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
FinancingThe Central Government finances all population programmes.
Cooperation
No information is available.
* * *
This information is based on Mauritius' submission to the 5th Session of the Commission
on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 4 June 1997
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
The Ministry of Health is responsible for this sector through vertical programme units:
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
Mauritius' national priority is the reduction of non-communicable diseases (NCD) and
perinatal problems.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
Governmenal action to enhance the population's health includes:
Tobacco-related actions:
Alcohol-related actions:
Status
Major diseases and percentage of the total burden of disease in Mauritius (1993):
Challenges
Mauritius faces certain difficulties in the health sector:
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
No information is available.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
Financing of health care services accounts for 3.5% of the GDP, of which 40% comes from
private sources.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the
World Bank provide technical, material and financial assistance.
Cooperation
There is intersectoral collaboration between various ministries, local institutions, NGOs,
and international organizations.
* * *
This information is based on Mauritius' submission to the 5th Session of the Commission
on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 4 June 1997
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Manpower planning, training and human resource development, in general, are cross-sectoral
issues and involve a great number of partners. Since the creation of the Ministry for
Human Resources, Development and Reform Institutions, linkages have been have been
established with different organisations. The Ministry is respondsible for the elaboration
of policies, ensuring there is enough capacity to meet manpower and training needs,
coordiante activities in these fields with the private and public sectors, both on a
national and international base. In line with its misson, linkages have been developed
with the IVTB, the implementing arm of the Ministry for Vocational Training, other
Ministries, parastatal training institutions and NGOs.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
No information is available.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and PlansOne of the guiding principles of Mauritius' National Environmental Policy concerns environmental education and awareness.
The Ministry for Human Resources, Development and Reform Institutions has the following tasks:
-Integrate the Government's manpower resources, and vocational and technical training
policies and programmes;
-Ensure that skills formation remains abreast of new technology;
-Match the needs of industry, business and individual clients with relevant quality
training programmes;
-Review periodically projected manpower needs as opposed to current manpower resources;
-Ensure that the infrastructure and other facilities are available and suitable for
training purposes;
-Encourage private sector participation in the provision of training;
-Facilitate and coordinate manpower training and development programmes for Government,
private enterprises, other national and international bodies;
-Provide a career information and business consultancy service.
It is expected that the capacity-building exercise will enhance the ability of the
institutions to respond to new long-term issues rather than concentrating on immediate
problems and to tie information together to enable people and institutions to track many
aspects of sustainable development in an integrated fashion.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
Several NGOs assist in raising awareness of environmental issues among the public.
Programmes and Projects
The government of Mauritius provides an environmental education programme aimed at raising
awareness of the nature of pollution problems, and increase commitment and motivation to
finding solutions.
The reorientation of education towards sustainable development is characterized by:
In addition, the Government of Mauritius has embarked on a major training programme for
officers of the public sector for the development and strengthening of institutional
structures. The training programme emphasised on the following:
- environmental planning and management;
- waste and water management;
- coastal zone management;
- environmental impact assessment; and
- the Basel Convention.
Status
During the past 15 years, there has been an evolution from industries which demanded fewer
skills, less complex technology, with a ready source of manpower, to industries with
state-of-the-art technology, multiple skills and a situation of near full-employment. This
makes the country more vulnerable on the international markets, faced with competition
from emerging African and Asian economies. Furthermore, the situation of near-full
employment is not uniform in all sectors. All these events culminated in 1991 with the
setting up of the Ministry for Human Resources, Development and Reform Institutions.
Challenges
With rapid economic and technological changes, the need for a more flexible and skilled
manpower is being felt. The economic challenges facing our export driven economy with
trade liberalisation and the crumbling down of protectionist barriers have given a new
thrust to human resource development.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
Various programmes, including discussions, projection of video films, and distribution of
pamphlets are being carried out to increase public awareness. Talks promoting training are
being held in schools, and workshops and seminars are being held for NGOs.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
No information is available.
Cooperation
No information is available.
* * *
This information is based on Mauritius' submission to the 5th Session of the Commission
on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 4 June 1997
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Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
Settlements are under the responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Town and
Country Planning, the Ministry of Environment and Quality of Life, the five urban
authorities (Municipalities), and the four rural authorities (District Councils).
A new Housing and Human Settlements Division, properly staffed, is being established
within the Ministry of Housing, Lands and Town and Country Planning.
Decision-Making: Legislation and Regulations
The two basic sectoral laws, the Building Act and the Town and Country Planning Act, are
being or will soon be amended to promote a more efficient application of proper building
and planning standards, enhance the role of the local authorities in housing and planning
issues, and provide a more efficient framework for human settlements development. It must
be emphasized that human settlement issues are given due consideration, whenever relevant,
in all major projects undertaken by both the public and private sectors. Environmental
Impact Assessment Reports are now commonly required by the Ministry of Environment.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
Efforts are being made by the municipalities in the five townships which group half of the
population, to provide satisfactory services for drinking water, sanitation, solid waste
disposal and transport. For the urban and rural poor, for whom environmental priorities
remain improved housing and the provision of basic services at affordable costs, the
government has oriented its policy to facilitate both access to durable housing and
housing financed by low and middle income groups.
A key element of the government's policy aims to provide decent, durable, and adequate
housing for every household. The country is moving steadily towards this goal as currently
three-quarters of Mauritian families already own their own houses. The current policy aims
to facilitate access to residential land and home ownership to all social classes, to
insist on the provision of adequate infrastructure and services in all residential areas,
and to require adequate disposal of wastes. Thus, control is exercised to prevent the
dumping of waste into water courses or the sea, to collect hazardous wastes, and to
dispose of sewage sludge properly. Regarding the former, a special programme is being
implemented to eliminate pit latrines and cases of night soil collection, replacing them
by flush or proper sewage systems. In the same spirit, a special fund is being set up to
improve and upgrade the state of human settlements across the country.
Decision-Making: Major Groups Involvement
No information is available.
Programmes and Projects
No information is available.
Status
No information is available.
Challenges
It must be admitted that in the area of energy, a firm strategy needs to be adopted to
lower the level of emissions and reduce the harmful effects of vehicular transport.
However, positive changes are likely to occur in the next few years.
Capacity-building, Education, Training and Awareness-raising
Several scholarships have been available from the United Kingdom, India, Australia, and
France for training courses in town and country planning, and possibly in housing in the
near future.
Public authorities have increased awareness among the population of the process of
urbanization in the country, its merits as well as negative effects on the physical
environment and the deterioration that might occur in towns. The importance of land
management and sound living conditions is also being increasingly understood.
Information
No information is available.
Research and Technologies
No information is available.
Financing
Funds for human settlements development are obtained mostly from government sources. Since
1990/91 substantial loans have been obtained from Malaysia and China, by the National
Housing Development Company, the implementation arm of the government's housing programme,
for the construction of housing estates in favour of low and lower middle income groups.
Loans for construction on private sites are available, generally at concessional rates of
interest, from the Mauritius Housing Company, which is financed by the government and
private insurance companies. Commercial banks also provide loans for housing construction
but at higher rates.
Cooperation
Mauritius cooperates with mainland Africa, especially with the southern and eastern areas,
through meetings and seminars which are often held under the auspices of UNCHS-HABITAT. In
recent years, SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) has shown interest in joint
action in human settlement matters. Mauritius attended preparatory meetings for Habitat II
in Uganda (1994) and Johannesburg (1995), and attended the Habitat II conference itself.
* * *
This information is based on Mauritius' submission to the 5th Session of the Commission
on Sustainable Development, April 1997. Last update: 4 June 1997
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