Mauritius Eyes Rodrigues Desalination Success to Solve Water Crisis

MAURITIUS is looking to adopt desalination technology from Rodrigues to combat persistent water shortages on the mainland, following a successful official visit by the Minister of Energy and Public Utilities.

Minister Patrick Assirvaden, visiting the island from 14 to 16 April, announced that the “Rodrigues experience” could serve as a blueprint for Mauritius, particularly for regions currently struggling with severe supply issues.

Impressive Technical Solutions

During a site visit to the Pointe Cotton desalination plant, accompanied by Deputy Chief Commissioner Johnson Roussety and Commissioner Christiane Agathe, the Minister expressed his admiration for the infrastructure.

“The Rodrigues experience is a success. We have a lot to learn from their approach,” Mr Assirvaden stated, noting that he was “impressed” by the technical solutions tailored to the island’s specific geographical and climatic constraints.

Addressing Northern Shortages

The push for desalination is primarily targeted at the north of Mauritius, where more than three constituencies face recurring water scarcity.

The crisis currently impacts local residents and small-scale farmers who depend on regular access to water.

The region’s vulnerability is exacerbated by its reliance on a single major storage facility, the La Nicolière reservoir.

Minister Assirvaden highlighted that diversifying water sources is now essential to reduce the network’s fragility during droughts or periods of high demand.

Technical Groundwork

Extensive technical analyses have already been conducted in Mauritius to evaluate the feasibility of desalination. The government has:

• Modelled various implementation scenarios.
• Assessed required water volumes.
• Studied available technical options.

A Call for Better Governance

Mr Assirvaden attributed the success in Rodrigues to rigorous planning, structured organisation, and constant monitoring.

He argued that there is no reason these practices cannot be adapted for the mainland.

However, the Minister issued a stern reminder regarding project management, insisting that Mauritius must understand why previous projects have failed and ensure better follow-up and stakeholder coordination.

“Before finalising anything, it is essential to work thoroughly on these projects and build on best practices,” he concluded.

Source: Defi Media