Why do we need an EIA?
The evolution of environmental assessments in Mauritius EIA is one of the most important tool for sound decision making and for achieving sustainable development.
Mauritius first adopted formal procedures for EIA in June 1993 following the amendment of the Environment Protection Act (EPA) 1991. In order to further consolidate and reinforce the institutional and legal framework for the protection of the environmental assets of Mauritius and a sustainable development, a new Environment Protection Act is in force as from 5 September 2002 to amend to Mauritius first adopted formal procedures for EIA in June 1993 following the amendment of the Environment Protection Act (EPA) 1991. In order to further consolidate and reinforce the institutional and legal framework for the protection of the environmental assets of Mauritius and a sustainable development, a new Environment Protection Act (EPA) was enacted on 5 September 2002.
The EPA 2002 introduced the Preliminary
Environmental Report (PER) for activities having less environmental impacts as
compared to undertakings which require an EIA Licence.
The EPA 2002 was repealed in 2024. On 1 August 2024, the Environment Act (EA) 2024 came into force. The EA 2024 has re-introduced Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) for plans and programmes as well as for smart cities and it also provides greater transparency and public participation in PER, EIA and SEA mechanisms.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
EIA is a study that predicts the environmental consequences of a proposed development. It evaluates the expected effects on the natural environment, human health and on property. The study requires a multi-disciplinary approach.
The EIA compares various alternatives by which the project could be realized and seeks to identify the one which represents the best combination of economic and environmental costs and benefits. Alternatives include location as well as methods, process technology and construction methods.
EIA is one of the most important tools for sound decision making and for achieving sustainable development.
Mauritius first adopted formal procedures for EIA in June 1993 following the amendment of the Environment Protection Act (EPA) 1991. In order to further consolidate and reinforce the institutional and legal framework for the protection of the environmental assets of Mauritius and a sustainable development, a new Environment Protection Act is in force as from 5 September 2002. The EPA 2002 provides for environmental stewardship, greater transparency and public participation in the EIA mechanism as well as a streamlining of the EIA procedures. The EPA 2002 also specifies the contents of the EIA.
Undertakings requiring an
EIA licence are listed in Part B of the Sixth Schedule of the Environment Act
2024. The EA 2024 also empowers the Minister to request an EIA for any non-
listed activity, which, by reason of its nature, scope, scale and sensitive
location could have an impact on the environment.
1. Asphalt plant, other than an asphalt plant set up temporarily for the purposes of a project by a public department
2. Assembly of motor vehicles
3. Block making plant manufacturing above 10,000 blocks per day
4. Bulk processing, storage and handling of petroleum products, coal, petrochemical products, and liquefied gas exceeding 200 cubic metres
5. Clinic and hospital, including animal hospital
6. Construction of airports and runways, except for the construction of runways in the Island of Agaléga and the Island of Rodrigues
7. Construction of breakwaters, groynes, jetties, floating pontoons, revetments and seawalls, except for the construction of –
(a) jetties in the Island of Agaléga; and
(b) the jetty associated with the new runway at Plaine Corail Airport in the Island of Rodrigues
8. Construction of dam and dyke
9. Construction of marinas
10. Conversion of forest land to any other land use
11. Creation of, and/or development on, barachois
12. Deep sea water extraction and associated activities
13. Desalination plant, except for desalination plant in the Island of Agaléga
14. Distillery
15. Dyehouse
16. Fish farm in the fish farming zones under the Fisheries Act 2023
17. Fishing port
18. Foundry, smelting plant or metallurgical work having a total daily capacity to melt more than 2,000 kilogrammes
19. Golf course
20. Harbour dredging operation, construction and development
21. Hazardous waste facility
22. Highway and mass transit system, except for the light rail transit system known as the Metro Express Project and undertaken by Metro Express Ltd, a company with registration no. C16142606.
23. Hotel or any Government approved hotel scheme, including extension, with first boundary within one kilometre of high water mark.
24. Housing project and apartments above 50 units within one kilometre of high water mark other than housing projects implemented by the National Housing Development Company Ltd and the New Social Living Development Ltd, except housing project and apartment above 50 units within one kilometre of high water mark in the Island of Agaléga.
25. Incineration of municipal solid waste, quarantine waste, medical and clinical wastes, except for the construction of incinerators, for quarantine and medical waste, at the Plaine Corail Airport in the Island of Rodrigues
26. Industrial manufacture of alcoholic beverages
27. Lagoon dredging and reprofiling of sea-beds
28. Land clearing and development in or on environmentally sensitive areas
29. Landfill
30. Manufacture of batteries
31. Manufacture of dangerous chemicals, chemical fertilizers and pesticides
32. Manufacture of lime
33. Manufacturing and/or blending and/or packing of cement
34. Manufacture of pharmaceutical products
35. Modification of existing coastline such as reprofiling, coastal protection works and removal of basaltic and beach rock, except for urgent rehabilitation works as approved by the Minister after adverse weather conditions
36. Municipal wastewater treatment plant
37. Offshore sand mining
38. Parcelling out of land exceeding 5 hectares –
(a) otherwise than by way of division in kind among heirs;
(b) to be allocated to persons other than such persons as may be approved by the Minister to whom responsibility for the subject of agriculture is assigned and who are –
(i) bona fide occupiers of housing units forming part of sugar estate camps owned by sugar millers or sugarcane planters;
(ii) bona fide occupiers of housing units forming part of tea estate camps;
(iii) workers affected by the closure of a sugar factory; or
(iv) workers opting for the Voluntary Retirement Scheme
39. Petroleum refinery
40. Power generating plants, including extension and decommissioning, and excluding photovoltaic farms below 2 megawatts
41. Pulp and paper manufacture
42. Rearing of monkeys
43. Rock quarrying
44. Sea outfall
45. Shipyard and dry dock
46. Stone crushing plant, other than a stone crushing plant set up temporarily for the purposes of a project by –
(a) a public department;
(b) the Metro Express Project and undertaken by Metro Express Ltd, a company with registration no. C16142606;
(c) the National Housing Development Company Ltd; and
(d) the National Social Living Development Ltd
47. Sugar factory or refinery, including extension
48. Tannery and leather finishing
49. Transfer station for solid waste
50. Used or waste oil treatment and disposal
51. Shopping malls on land of surface area exceeding 5 hectares
52. Telepheric projects
53. Industrial-scale composting plant (above 5,000 tonnes per year)
Undertakings requiring a Preliminary
Environment Report (PER) are listed in Part A of the Sixth Schedule
of the Environment Act 2024. These undertakings of a lesser scale and by their
very nature, are not highly polluting.
PER is a short form of EIA and this preliminary analysis is undertaken to identify the impacts associated with the proposed development and the means of mitigation. PER is also a tool to ascertain whether the project can go ahead as proposed or whether there are sufficient likely significant adverse environmental impacts to warrant a full EIA.
List of undertakings requiring a Preliminary Environmental Report as per Part A of the Fifth Schedule to EPA 2002 to amend to List of undertakings requiring a PER Licence/ Approval
1. Construction of heliports, including helipads
2. Coral crushing and processing
3. Creation of bathing areas by mechanical means
4. Depot for at least 50 buses and any other heavy duty diesel driven vehicles
5. Discotheque or nightclub*
6. Food processing industry, excluding small and medium enterprises
7. Foundry, smelting plant or metallurgical work having a total daily capacity to melt not less than 500 kilogrammes nor more than 2,000 kilogrammes
8. Galvanising industry
9. Housing projects and apartments of 30 to 50 units, within one kilometre of high water mark, other than housing projects implemented by the National Housing Development Company Ltd, the New Social Living Development Ltd and housing projects in the Island of Agaléga
10. Industrial-scale laundry and dry-cleaning within one kilometre of high water mark
11. Land reclamation and backfilling
12. Manufacture of animal feed
13. Manufacture of ceramics
14. Manufacture of paint, pigment and varnish
15. Manufacture of photographic films
16. Manufacture of plastics and plastic products
17. Manufacture of rubber products
18. Mechanical removal of marine flora such as marine algae in the lagoon
19. Quarantine station for livestock
20. Ready-mix concrete plant, other than a ready-mix concrete plant set up temporarily for the purpose of a project undertaken by a public department
21. Rearing of –
(a) more than 125 cattle heads;
(b) more than 1,000 goat and sheep heads; or
(c) pigs
22. Rearing of poultry above 15,000 heads
23. Recycling plant
24. Rendering plant
25. Sawmill
26. Slaughter house
27. Textile industry associated with washing, bleaching and printing
28. Timber treatment plant
29. Industrial-scale composting plant (less than 5,000 tonnes per year)
NOTE:
*Application for PER licences for night clubs should be in compliance with the guidelines for night clubs prepared by the Ministry of Tourism.
Livestock rearing on a smaller scale up to125 cattle heads, up to 1,000 goat and sheep has to be carried through self-adherence to the Environmental Guideline: livestock rearing including cattle, goat and sheep for self-adherence available on this Ministry's website.
For pig rearing, prior to an application for PER licence, clearance from the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries (Agro-Industry and Food Security Division) shall be obtained.
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
SEA is a systematic decision-support process, aimed at ensuring that environmental and other sustainability aspects are effectively considered. SEA is an evidence-based instrument, aiming to add scientific rigour to policy, plan and programmes-making, by using suitable assessment methods and techniques.
With a strategic-based methodology, the objectives of SEA are to:
- Include environmental issues in the planning and programming cycle as early as possible,
- Discuss and assess the major strategic options,
- Ensure an iterative tracking to assist in the decision of choosing the best options that allow sectoral, environmental and sustainability objectives to be achieved, and
- Assist in the implementation of strategic decisions.
Mauritius has a limited area of land suitable for development. Rapid economic growth over the past decades has seen increasing pressure on land resources, with rising demand for urban and infrastructural expansion as well as to support the agricultural, industrial, manufacturing and tourism sectors. In turn, this has resulted in significant impacts on the environment, with an increase in pollution load, land clearing and traffic congestion.
Urban development has changed the environment landscape through the expansion of paved and impermeable areas, thus contributing to increasing flood hazard, especially in low-lying areas, amongst others. In certain parts of the island, inappropriate zoning and inadequate land-use planning have resulted in an incompatible development, with the siting of industries in close proximity with residential areas. Inadequately planned and improperly managed areas have created new risks, which are threatening to erode current development gains.
Furthermore, given that most prime land is already committed, future development is being envisaged on difficult sites, such as Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs), including mountain slopes, islets, wetlands and sites prone to landslides and flooding. In addition, land-use planning and development is becoming more complex due to emerging challenges such as climate change, droughts, flash floods and landslides, amongst others.
In view of these emerging challenges, SEA has been re-introduced in the EA 2024 in order to help decision makers to incorporate environmental and sustainability objectives in the formulation of policies, plans and programmes, which are aimed at proper land use plan
List of undertakings requiring a SEA Licence/ Approval
| S.N. | Sectors | Types of development |
| 1. | Environmentally sensitive areas | Restoration of large and important ESAs |
| 2. | Fisheries | (1) Plans and programmes in major aquaculture projects (2) Marine spatial planning |
| 3. | Energy | (1) Reform in the energy sector (2) Introduction of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and other fuel (3) Exploration and exploitation of oil, gas and land minerals |
| 4. | Industry | (1) Development of industrial estates (2) Petroleum hub |
| 5. | Transport | Plans and programmes on the construction of tramways, elevated and underground railways, suspended lines or similar lines of a particular type used exclusively or mainly for passenger transport or highways |
| 6. | Waste management | (1) Solid waste master plan (2) Municipal sewerage network (3) Hazardous Waste Master Plan |
| 7. | Water management | Plans and programmes including dams and reservoirs |
| 8. | Tourism | (1) Coastal Waterfront Development (2) National Tourism Plan |
| 9. | Real Estate Developments and Smart Cities | Plans and programmes of real estates and smart cities, including development of new towns |
| 10. | Port area | Bunkering activities in the port area |
| 11. | Others development above 20 hectares of land | (1) Animal parks (2) Theme parks (3) Amusement Park |
| 12. | Multiple undertakings | Undertakings listed in Part A and Part B of this Schedule in one location or different locations |
| 13. | Agriculture | Major plans and programmes, in agriculture, having environmental implications
|
PER/EIA/SEA for Public Interest Undertakings
As per Section 31 of the EA 2024,
(1) Where the undertaking of a public department is needed in the national interest, public interest or for the economic development of Mauritius, the Minister may, on an application made by the relevant public department, declare that undertaking to be a public interest undertaking.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), no PER, EIA or SEA licence shall be required to commence, alter or modify a public interest undertaking.
(3) Where an undertaking is declared to be a public interest undertaking under subsection (1), the relevant public department shall not commence, alter or modify the undertaking unless an application for a PER, an EIA or a SEA approval is made to the Ministry.
As per Government Notice No. 33 of 2025 dated 7 April 2025, the application for a PER Licence, an EIA licence and a SEA Licence under sections 33, 40 and 47 respectively of the EA 2024 shall be subject to the following processing fees:
- PER Licence - Rs 10,000
- EIA licence - Rs 50,000
- SEA licence - Rs 100,000
