Tropical oceans play major roles in the natural variability of the world climate, and islands are key sources of long term ocean hydro-climatology data. However, very little inventories of water resources are available on islands. This study will be conducted in Mauritius, one of the few well documented areas located at the 20 degree South altitude. This research will be conducted at the country scale, to address the “scale mismatch” that characterizes on the - ground water governance for a more substantial contribution to water security research. This study will answer the following applied hydro-climatology questions: 1) How much does large-scale climate variability influence annual and seasonal rainfall variability in Mauritius? and 2) what are the impacts on regional water availability of different climate and demand scenarios?

The data, approaches and general conclusions pertaining to this study will be shared with local academic institutions involved in water-related research to promote further research on Mauritius and surrounding small Indian Ocean islands. This project will engage local experts, stakeholders and policy makers and set the stage for further discussion about water resources management and policy for the benefit of the rapidly growing economy and fragile ecosystems. Understanding the past relationship between climate, water and human activity can help optimize the management of water resources in the face of climate, land and population change, through an informed use of alternative strategies such as new reservoirs, interconnection of pipe networks and improvement of native forest cover in catchment areas.