Mauritius Introduces Bill to Deal with Floodwater in Drains

The Land Drainage Authority Bill, which provides for the setting up of a Land Drainage Authority to shoulder such responsibilities of managing and coordinating drain projects inclusive of the development and implementation of a land drainage master plan, was presented in the National Assembly by the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Jugnauth, on 28 March 2017.

During his statement at the second reading, the Prime Minister explained the rationale of the Bill which makes way for the establishment of an appropriate institution to ensure integrated, proactive and concerted efforts in the implementation and management of drain projects throughout the island to address flooding problems which remain a serious concern in the wake of daunting challenges facing Small Island Developing States owing to climate change.

Prime Minister Jugnauth recalled that Mauritius is highly vulnerable to flooding owing to the rise over the past years of high intensity rainfall over a very short span of time resulting in flash floods. He added that the country has already witnessed a number of such extreme climatic events with disastrous and pervasive consequences among which the flash flood experienced in Port Louis on 30 March 2013 which caused 11 fatalities and considerable damages to infrastructure and property.

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UN Photo/Tim McKulka

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