Climate Change: Mauritius Scrutinizes Its Spending for Better Protection
Climate Change: Mauritius Scrutinizes Its Spending for Better Protection
Christina Vilbrin
Friday, 17/10/2025 - 14:30
Cyclones, floods, heavy rains, and bushfires... Mauritius is at the forefront of the increasingly pronounced effects of climate change. Aware of this vulnerability, the country has committed to a thorough assessment of public spending related to climate and disasters, laying the groundwork for a climate budget tracking mechanism. These efforts are detailed in the Mauritius Country Report published this week by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Context
Mauritius faces a growing vulnerability to the effects of climate change. A large majority of the recorded disasters on the territory are climate-related. The Mauritius National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Strategic Framework 2020–2030 has identified no less than 41 types of potential hazards, ranging from hydro-meteorological, environmental, and biological risks to chemical, geological, and technological risks. The most frequent events are climate-related: cyclones, torrential rains, floods, and bushfires. Additionally, there are progressive threats such as rising temperatures and sea levels.
Conscious of these challenges, Mauritius has conducted an assessment of disaster and climate-related spending and has initiated the introduction of regular climate budget tagging. According to estimates from the 2017-2018 Budget, climate-related public spending accounted for 2.25% of GDP, with 77% directed towards adaptation and 23% towards mitigation.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation
Country Expenditures
Total Expenditures (Main)
- Amount: Rs 38.92 billion
- 15.1% of total expenditures by Vote
- 5.2% of GDP
With "low relevance" expenditures: Rs 39.84 billion
Total Expenditures including Marginal Spending: Rs 145.06 billion
- 56.1% of total expenditures by Vote
- 19.3% of GDP
Weighted Spending for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation
Total Expenditures (Main)
- Amount: Rs 22.5 billion
- 8.7% of total expenditures by Vote
- 3% of GDP
Including "low" and "marginal" expenditures: Rs 23.9 billion
Disaster Response Expenditures
Amount: Rs 213 million (1% of spending on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation)*
Note: Information from the Ministry of Finance shows that current spending on disaster response amounts to Rs 1.03 billion.
*Average 2023-2024
A Roadmap Already Developed
Mauritius is in the process of establishing a "green budget tagging" system, spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance. In this framework, projects are underway to integrate disaster risk reduction into the budgeting process. To date, at least 32 countries worldwide have already adopted similar reforms including climate budgets and/or disaster risk reduction. "A roadmap and detailed guidelines have been developed to support this initiative. The roadmap sets the objectives for 'green budget tagging' in Mauritius, specifies the methodology to follow, and establishes a timeline for a phased deployment of the reform over a three-year period," the report states.
Good to Know
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), as part of the Resilience Building and Disaster Response Management program in the Indian Ocean, are currently supporting the Ministry of Finance in Mauritius in a strategic approach: improving the coordination and integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into national budgeting and financing processes. Mauritius is also receiving support from the French Development Agency.
Did You Know?
Expenditures related to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation are distributed among 34 ministries, departments, agencies, and special funds. The main institutions responsible for these expenditures are the Ministry of Health, police services, the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, among others.
Christina Vilbrin-Le Bon / Source: The Mauritius Country Report from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction entitled "Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Budget Tagging"