Global Compact International Yearbook 2017

Conservation. This class-in-a-bus, which
is fitted with interactive tools and laboratory
equipment, has already reached
out in its first two and a half years of
operation to nearly 15,000 children as
well as youth and adults in schools, on
beaches, and in various public places.
This outreach effort to bring education
about marine and environmental issues
closer to the people has enlisted the support
of the NGO’s team of professional
marine biologists, project coordinators,
and educators. More than half of the
Group’s personnel have also received
training on marine and lagoon life.
Other highlights of the “Respect Our
Coast” program include such projects as:
• the protection of endangered sea turtles
within a concerted network of government
and private-sector actors as well
as NGOs to safeguard the nesting sites,
including the publication of a handbook
to educate and raise awareness among
local communities;
• the Plankton Recycling Co-operative
Society, a facility for the recycling of
glass collected from hotels in the Bel
Ombre region, which has been operating
as a local cooperative since 2015;
• support to the Eco Schools Indian Ocean
Program, coordinated by Reef Conservation.
It aims at empowering students
to be the change our sustainable world
needs;
• Tikoulou, la légende de Bel Ombre, a comic
book launched in March 2017 to
provide children with a playful and
educational introduction to the rich
ecosystems and biodiversity of the Bel
Ombre region in the pristine south of
Mauritius. The book is distributed for
free through the “Bis Lamer” project;
• the Seabird translocation project, a
unique scientific project by the Mauritius
Wildlife Foundation to preserve and
regenerate the local seabird population
on the nature preserve of Ile aux Aigrettes,
an island southeast of Mauritius;
• regular beach cleanups with the Group’s
personnel and volunteers to promote
environmental awareness and preservation;
• annual closure of octopus fishing using
the “Bis Lamer” project to educate fishermen
on the importance of cooperating
with this national project.
Assessing and planning for the
future
Feeling that it would be difficult to predict
the effectiveness and sustainability
of its strategy without measurable and
observable data, Rogers commissioned
an assessment of the ecosystems contained
within the Domaine de Bel Ombre.
This 2,500-hectare nature sanctuary is
a high-end tourism, leisure, and cultural
destination rich in biodiversity. It
houses representations of all of the Island’s
ecosystems: river, forests, savanna,
beaches, lagoon, wetlands, and mangrove
ecosystems, among other attractions.
The protective and restorative measures
suggested include the development and
implementation of a lagoon management
plan, a directory for responsible
use of the lagoon by hotel guests, and a
biodiversity corridor.
At the heart of Rogers’ roadmap for developing
the Bel Ombre region is the setting
up of an Interactive Land and Marine
Research Centre, targeted to open at
the end of 2019. The Centre will deliver
high-quality interactive experiences and
learning opportunities to visitors. It will
use a participatory approach to discovery,
education, research, and ultimately empower
visitors – schoolchildren, tourists,
local communities, and the public at
large – to help conserve our ecosystems.
This state-of-the-art facility will also serve
as a research platform for marine biology
students from different national,
regional, and international institutions.
Sustainability, a philosophy of life
The different business sectors of Rogers
and the Rogers Foundation have been
focusing their efforts on the delivery
of projects premised on the following
Sustainable Development Goals: poverty
eradication in the Bel Ombre, developing
a sustainable region and coastal communities,
and regenerating life below
water as well as life on land. Rogers
places a high value on meaningful stakeholder
dialogue and concerted action as
part of the process of developing a balanced
economic, environmental, social,
and cultural future for the Domaine de
Bel Ombre. The Group has promoted
the socioeconomic integration of local
populations, which account for half
of the 1,500-people-strong workforce
within the region’s agriculture, tourism,
and property sectors. The program
is expected to provide additional opportunities,
with a special emphasis
on generating as many “green” jobs as
possible. For instance, environmental
consultants specialized in permaculture
and community involvement have
been contracted to take on board the
input of the inhabitants of Bel Ombre.
As suggested by the locals themselves,
a typical Mauritian village will also be
recreated to showcase local savoir-faire.
The Rogers Group is a listed international
services and investment company
founded in 1899 with expertise in fintech,
hospitality, logistics, and property.
Rogers & Company Limited
5th floor, Rogers House,
5 President John Kennedy Street
PO Box 60, Port Louis, Mauritius
Tel : 202 6522 Fax : (230) 208 3646
For more information, please visit:
www.rogers.mu
Global Compact International Yearbook 2017 141