AGP Executive Report

Mauritius Wildlife: The Mauritius kestrel’s recovery from just four known birds in 1974 to around 600 at its peak is a landmark conservation success. The species remains endangered, with habitat loss still a concern. Invasive Species: The common myna, which thrives in Mauritius, features in fresh coverage of invasive birds and the challenges of managing their populations. Ocean Protection: A debate over deep-sea mining highlights uncertainty about potential damage to marine ecosystems; India holds an exploration block on the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean, while regional governments continue to discuss ocean governance.

Invasive Species: Australia’s renewed campaign against the common myna highlights a familiar challenge for Mauritius, where the introduced bird also thrives. The species is listed among the world’s worst invasive species, but past eradication drives have often seen numbers rebound. Ocean Protection: A Ghanaian warning over deep-sea mining carries regional weight: India holds an exploration block on the Carlsberg Ridge in the Indian Ocean, while the damage to seabed ecosystems remains uncertain. Western Indian Ocean: At the Nairobi Convention’s COP12, Seychelles called for stronger regional cooperation to protect marine biodiversity and coastal environments. Island Biodiversity: A new account of the dodo’s extinction revisits Mauritius’s emblematic loss and the wider risks human activity poses to island wildlife.

Invasive Species: Common mynas, an introduced bird that thrives in Mauritius, are listed among the world’s 100 worst invasive species. Efforts to control them can falter when populations rebound, raising questions about long-term management. Island Biodiversity: A new look at the dodo’s extinction casts Mauritius’s lost bird as a warning about human impacts on island wildlife. Ocean Governance: Seychelles used the Nairobi Convention’s COP12 to renew calls for regional cooperation on marine protection and sustainable ocean livelihoods — priorities shared across the Western Indian Ocean. Biodiversity Targets: A global review warns that protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030 will not be enough if nature continues to decline across the remaining 70%.

Sustainability Innovation: The Zayed Sustainability Prize named finalists for 2027 after a record 10,233 entries, including projects restoring degraded soil and rebuilding heat-resilient coral reefs. Climate Finance: A new analysis warns that high sovereign borrowing costs can make clean-energy investment harder and slow the transition. Invasive Species: The common myna, found in Mauritius and listed among the world’s worst invasive species, is again prompting debate over how to manage introduced wildlife. Mauritius’s Lost Wildlife: The dodo’s extinction remains a stark reminder of human impacts on island biodiversity. Western Indian Ocean: Seychelles renewed its commitment to marine protection and regional cooperation at the Nairobi Convention’s 40th-anniversary meeting.

Biodiversity: A new analysis warns that protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030 will not stop biodiversity loss if the other 70% is poorly managed — a key concern for island ecosystems such as Mauritius. Invasive Species: A report on Australia’s fight against the common myna notes the bird also thrives in Mauritius, and questions whether trapping and culling can keep populations in check. Regional Oceans: At the Nairobi Convention’s COP12, Seychelles renewed its call for regional cooperation to protect marine biodiversity and coastal environments across the Western Indian Ocean. Mauritius’s Extinction Legacy: A history of the dodo argues that the bird’s fate offers a warning about human impacts on island wildlife.

Invasive Species: A report on Australia’s campaign against common mynas notes the birds also thrive in Mauritius and are listed among the world’s worst invasive species, renewing questions about how island ecosystems manage introduced wildlife. Indian Ocean Seabed: A warning over deep-sea mining highlights regional stakes: India holds three exploration contracts, including a new 10,000-square-kilometre block on the Carlsberg Ridge, while international rules remain unsettled. Ocean Protection: At the Nairobi Convention’s 40th anniversary conference, Seychelles reaffirmed its support for stronger regional ocean governance, marine biodiversity protection and sustainable coastal livelihoods. Wildlife Recovery: Mauritius’s pink pigeon offers a conservation success story: captive breeding helped lift the wild population from just 10 birds in the early 1990s to an estimated 400–480.

Invasive Species: A report on Australia’s campaign against the common myna notes the bird also thrives in Mauritius and is listed among the world’s worst invasive species. Repeated trapping efforts can bring temporary declines, but populations may rebound. Biodiversity: As global talks review the 30×30 conservation target, experts warn that protecting designated areas will not stop biodiversity loss unless farms, forests and other working landscapes are managed too. Mauritius’s pink pigeon offers a local conservation lesson: captive breeding helped a population once down to just 10 birds recover to an estimated 400–480. Ocean Protection: COP12 of the Nairobi Convention adopted 15 decisions to advance protection and sustainable management of the Western Indian Ocean, with Mauritius among the region’s member states. Meanwhile, India holds a new seabed exploration contract on the Carlsberg Ridge; a debate on deep-sea mining warns that potential environmental damage remains unclear. Water Security: An analysis of Mauritius’s recurring water disruptions argues the crisis is rooted in governance and infrastructure failures, not simply a lack of rainfall, and warns the island could move from water stress to scarcity.

Water Security: A new analysis argues Mauritius’s recurring supply disruptions are rooted less in rainfall shortages than in governance failures, delayed infrastructure and how water is managed. Ocean Protection: Western Indian Ocean governments, including Mauritius, concluded the Nairobi Convention’s COP12 with 15 decisions to strengthen marine protection and sustainable development across the region. Invasive Species: A report on Australia’s efforts to control common mynas notes the introduced birds also thrive in Mauritius, raising wider questions about managing invasive wildlife. Island Biodiversity: Mauritius’s pink pigeon recovery offers a conservation bright spot: from just 10 birds in the early 1990s, the wild population has grown to an estimated 400–480.

Western Indian Ocean: COP12 of the Nairobi Convention adopted 15 decisions to advance ocean protection and sustainable development. Mauritius was among the region’s 10 parties, with the meeting marking 40 years of cooperation. Mauritius Water: An analysis of the island’s recurring supply disruptions argues the crisis is driven by governance failures and underused water resources, not an absolute lack of rainfall. Biodiversity: Mauritius’s dodo offers a stark lesson in the vulnerability of island wildlife and how human impacts can drive extinction. The pink pigeon tells a recovery story: from about 10 birds in the early 1990s, captive breeding helped rebuild the wild population to an estimated 400–480.

Ocean Protection: Western Indian Ocean nations, including Mauritius, agreed on 15 actions at the Nairobi Convention’s COP12 to advance marine protection and a sustainable blue economy. The meeting marked 40 years of regional cooperation and brought together the region’s 10 member states. Water Security: A new analysis argues Mauritius’s water shortages stem less from a lack of rainfall than from structural and governance failures. It cites 2025 rainfall of 3,402 million cubic metres, while some households reportedly receive water for only a few hours a day. Wildlife Recovery: Mauritius’s pink pigeon population has rebounded to an estimated 400–480 birds from just 10 in the early 1990s, following captive-breeding efforts.

Western Indian Ocean: COP12 of the Nairobi Convention closed with 15 decisions to advance ocean protection and sustainable development, as Mauritius and nine other member states marked 40 years of regional cooperation. Water Security: A new analysis argues Mauritius’s recurring supply cuts are driven less by a lack of rainfall than by governance failures and delays, with some households receiving water for only a few hours a day. Weather Preparedness: Meteorological teams from Mauritius and three other island nations trained on free data tools to bring scattered weather and water records together, supporting services such as flood warnings. Wildlife: Mauritius’s pink pigeon has rebounded from about 10 wild birds in the early 1990s to several hundred, but research warns that genetic diversity remains low and needs continued conservation work.

Western Indian Ocean: The Nairobi Convention’s COP12 adopted 15 decisions to advance ocean protection and sustainable development, with Mauritius among 10 regional members marking 40 years of cooperation. Water Security: An analysis of Mauritius’s water crisis argues that shortages and rationing stem largely from governance failures and underused water resources, rather than a lack of rainfall. Weather Services: Meteorological teams from Mauritius and three Indian Ocean neighbours trained on free, open-source tools to organise weather and water records, which can support flood warnings and forecasts. Wildlife: Mauritius’s pink pigeon has rebounded from about 10 birds in the early 1990s to several hundred, but conservationists warn that low genetic diversity remains a risk.

Water Security: An analysis of Mauritius’s recurring water cuts argues the crisis is driven less by a lack of rainfall than by governance failures and delays. Some households reportedly receive water for only a few hours a day, with recent disruptions lasting days. Western Indian Ocean: COP12 of the Nairobi Convention ended with 15 decisions to advance ocean protection and sustainable development. Mauritius was among the 10 member states involved in shaping the region’s blue-economy agenda. Wildlife: Mauritius’s pink pigeon has rebounded from about 10 birds in the wild around 1990 to several hundred through captive breeding and releases. But researchers warn that genetic diversity remains a concern for its long-term survival. Weather Preparedness: Free, open-source tools are helping meteorological services in Mauritius and other island states organize scattered rainfall, river and storm records—information that can support flood warnings and forecasts.

Water Supply: Mauritius’ water crisis is being blamed on governance failures, not a lack of rainfall. Households in some areas receive water for just two to three hours a day, and recent outages have lasted for days. Western Indian Ocean: COP12 of the Nairobi Convention adopted 15 decisions to advance ocean protection and sustainable development across the region, with Mauritius among the ten member states. Wildlife: Conservation work lifted Mauritius’ pink pigeon population from about 10 birds in the early 1990s to several hundred, but low genetic diversity remains a threat to its long-term survival. Weather Readiness: Meteorological teams from Mauritius and three other island nations trained to use free, open-source tools to organise weather and water records—data that can support flood warnings and forecasts.

Climate Debate: A new commentary calls climate change a defining moral challenge and urges people to speak more openly about its risks and costs. Ocean Governance: At COP12, Mauritius joined nine other Nairobi Convention parties in backing 15 decisions to advance protection and sustainable development across the Western Indian Ocean. Water Security: An analysis of Mauritius’s supply disruptions argues that governance and infrastructure failures—not an absolute lack of rainfall—are driving the crisis. Weather Readiness: Meteorological teams from Mauritius and three other island states trained on free data tools to make weather and water records more useful for forecasts and flood warnings. Wildlife: Mauritius’s pink pigeon has rebounded from around 10 wild birds in the early 1990s to several hundred, but conservationists warn that low genetic diversity remains a threat.

Weather Services: Mauritius joined Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles for training in a free weather-data tool that can help small services organize records and improve flood warnings and forecasts. Wildlife: Mauritius’s pink pigeon has recovered from about 10 wild birds in the early 1990s to several hundred, but conservationists warn that low genetic diversity remains a threat to its long-term survival. Indian Ocean: Mauritius’s Rezah Badal was elected vice-chair of a UNESCO ocean science panel, which aims to strengthen regional research, forecasting and sustainable marine management. Climate Diplomacy: Mauritius President Dharam Gokhool attended the Pacific’s Pre-COP gathering, where island leaders called for deep, rapid and sustained emissions cuts.