Infrastructure: Support of Rs 800 M from the EU at Rodrigues airport

The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Mauritius, Vincent Degert, presented the Sustainable Integrated Development Plan for Rodrigues (SIDPR) for the period 2023-2032). It was during the Development Partners Group Meeting at the EU headquarters in Port-Louis. This plan was prepared by ten experts.

Vincent Degert explained that Rodrigues has seen major infrastructure developments in recent years, such as fiber optic cable, and will soon put in place new infrastructure (airport and port development, etc.), which will lead to significant changes in the landscape of the island, including economic, social and environmental.

“These infrastructures are all important for the socio-economic development of the island. However, it is essential that development be carried out with a long-term vision, and which integrates environmental and social considerations, as well as economic ones”, he explains.

The EU, through a blended finance instrument, will in fact grant a grant of 16 million euros (Rs 800 million to the airport development project. "Construction should start this year", explains the EU Ambassador adding that "the EU is supporting major investments with the aim of improving the socio-economic development of our partner countries. And the EU's environmental and social impact requirements are very stringent.” He emphasizes that the EU requires that any investment must take these aspects into account.

The development plan was elaborated on sustainable development, economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social sustainability, as well as the vision of the Regional Assembly to transform Rodrigues into an “ecological island”.

The Sustainable Integrated Development Plan for Rodrigues has thus identified eight priority sectors, namely: sustainable water production and distribution, conservation and preservation of the environment, organic farming, sustainable tourism, blue economy , Renewable Energy, including Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Land Use Planning and Management, and Small and Medium Enterprises.

Vincent Degert indicates that the EU funded the update of the 2009 Integrated Sustainable Development Plan for Rodrigues. The project is now complete and the recommendations are approved by the authorities, he says. “Now that we have a development plan for the next ten years, it is time to think about how to implement this plan and achieve these goals together. For this to happen, ‘we need the mobilization of the necessary resources. He points out: “This is the purpose of the meeting today – to develop a Donor Matrix for the actions/projects identified in the SIDPR. »

The meeting was co-chaired by Lisa Singh, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mauritius, and Vincent Degert, in the presence of the Chief Commissioner of the Regional Assembly of Rodrigues, Johnson Roussety, and representatives of several institutions, such as the Agency Française de Développement, the World Bank, the African Development Bank and several diplomatic missions.