Environmental Protection and Conservation Organisation (EPCO)

Since 1988, we have been dedicated to the conservation and protection of the environment in Mauritius. 🌎💚

Our mission: to preserve our planet for future generations. 🌱✨
✊🏽✊🏽 "Conserve what our children deserve"

👉🏽 More info on www.epco.ngo Background history:

EPCO is a non-governmental organization founded in 1987 and registered with the Registrar of Associations on 24th of November 1988, unde

r the provisions of the Registrar of Association Act, 1978, Government of Mauritius, Indian Ocean. EPCO is in consultative status with the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council)/United Nations/ DPI (Department of Public Information) and is also accredited with UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification). EPCO is also a member of the GEF (Global Environment Facility) NGO Network as well a WIOMSA (Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association). EPCO is also a member of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) since December 2013. Became of a member of Global Network for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) since 2015. Educational campaigns with primary and secondary schools
3. Event management and organization – World Environment Day/World Wetlands Day
4. Workshops on wide range of environmental problems (climate change, marine ecosystem, environment awareness)
5. Poverty alleviation projects/Community-based projects
6. Scientific and technical projects
7. Data collection – Beach monitoring, snail trail of destruction, vulnerability indexes
8. Corporate Social Responsibility Projects
9. Consultancy on environmental managements
10. Internship/Volunteering Programmes
11. Handmade/recycled crafts (Made in Heaven)

C. Project History:

PROJECTS and WORKSHOPS ATTENDED

PROJECTS IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
YEAR PROJECT TITLE

2015 - Bicycle Rally Campaign - Ride for the Planet - Global Power Shift Mauritius - In collaboration with the Ministry of Youth & Sports, the Ministry of Environment – Around 100 participants – To promote the use of recycle materials and also to reduce our carbon impact on the Environment. The participants were given recycled material to decorate their bicycle with clear messages on how to adapt to climate change.

2014 ‘Cocoponic’ – The use of coconut fibres to produce fruits and vegetables in Agalega.

2013 ‘Coco nu la vie’ – The use of coconut by-products to manufacture tourist handicraft items.

2012 ‘Lekol Fam Pecheur’ – A training centre for wives of fishermen living below poverty line, where they are trained to produce handicraft items using naturally discarded waste product.

2012 Vivo Energy – The distribution of free household gas tubes to replace old ones. Around 3000 were distributed to selected rural areas around the island. The poor marginalised were the ones targeted. It was an initiative of Shell Mauritius.

2009 ‘Protection of Environment’ day – in collaboration with Grand Baie & Poudre D’Or Organising committee

2008 Made in Heaven Project launched – with the support from 9th European Union Fund through the Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP)

2008 Exposition ‘What is Climate Change?’ – in collaboration with Riviere du Rempart College and with the support of UNDP/GEF/SGP

2007 Halting the snail trail of destruction - – with the support from 9th European Union Fund through the Decentralised Cooperation Programme (DCP).

2007 Exposition ‘Biodiversity and Climate Change’ – in collaboration with Bamboo college and with the support of GEF/small grants programme

2007 Study on beach erosion at Flic en Flac and impact of Gamede cyclone on Pereybere Public beach

2006 ‘The production of artificial burrows using discarded concrete electric poles’ – with the support of UNDP/GEF/SGP

2006 Sensitization campaign at Rivulet Terre Rouge Estuary Bird Sanctuary on the occasion of ‘World Wetland Day’

2006 Determination of the vulnerability of coastal villages to extreme weather conditions – with the support of small grants programme and Global Environment Fund (GEF)

2005 Beach monitoring at Butte a l’Herbe and Mont Choisy Public beaches in collaboration with St Jean Scouts and St Jean Parish Club

2004 Campaign against the use of aluminium cans

2003 Campaign against the use of Plastic bags – in collaboration with MEDCO trinity college

2002 Carnaval with theme ‘Anou pren compte nu l’environment’ (awareness campaign ‘being responsible towards our environment’)

1994 Awareness campaign/sand castle competition to promote the importance of our white sandy beach done at Pointe aux Sables – in collaboration with the municipality of Port Louis

1994 Exposition aimed at raising awareness on the Environment – in collaboration with the municipality of Vacoas/Phoenix

1992 Environment week – in collaboration with Trinity College

1991 Environment week at Montagne Longue

1990 Awareness campaigns at public beaches (Mont Choisy, Flic en Flac) on the use of public bins and keeping our beaches clean, installation of signboard ‘Our beaches are our pride, keep them clean’

1989 Workshop at Montagne Longue ‘Man and his immediate environment’

1988 Cleaning of Mont Choisy Public beach – in collaboration with Medco trinity

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS ATTENDED

DATE CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

October 2015 - Participated in the Ninth (9th) Scientific Symposium of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) in Durban, South Africa. October 2015 - Participated in the GEF Council Meeting CSO Consultation and the 49th GEF Council Meeting held in Washington, DC

July 2015 - Participated in the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GNDR) – Regional Consultation Southern and Eastern Africa held from 28th to 29th July 2015. July 2015 - Participated in the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Expanded Constituency Workshop (ECW) held in Kampala, Uganda from the 20th to 22nd July 2015. March 2015 - Participated in the United Nation World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction with other regional members of GNDR which was held in Sendai, Japan from 14th – 18th (http://www.wcdrr.org/home)

Nov 2014 - Participated in the International Conference on Evaluating Climate Change and Development that was held in Washington D.C from the 4-6 November 2014. The CEO attended personally this conference (https://climate-eval.org/events/2014-conference/about)

June 2013 - Participated in the Global Power Shift Conference organized by 350.org held in Istanbul, Turkey. Dec 2013 - Youth representative of EPCO attended the ICPD Global Youth Forum, held in Bali. Oct 2012 - Participated in the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Expanded Constituency Workshop (ECW) held in Arusha, Tanzania. June

2012 - Participated in the UNCCD training course on “The Role of Civil Society Organizations in combatting desertification” held in Ankara & Konya, Turkey. Oct 2011 - Participated in the 7th Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) Scientific Symposium held in Mombasa, Kenya. Oct 2011 - Participated in the 10th Conference of Parties (COP10) organized by the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Changwon Conference Centre, Changwon City, South Korea. Feb 2011 - Participated in the 2nd special session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST - 2) and the ninth session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC - 9) organized by the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at the World Conference Centre in Bonn, Germany. Aug 2009 - Participated in the 6th Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) Scientific Symposium held in Reunion Islands. Oct 2007 - Participated in the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) workshop on Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) held in St. Lucia, South Africa. Nov 2007 - Participated in the Western Indian Ocean Lab Project (WIO – LAB Project) in Nairobi, Kenya. Oct 2008 - Participated in the International Fair for Women Environmental Entrepreneurs at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN’s) World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain. July 2008 - Participated in the 12th Biennial conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) held at the University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, England. May 2008 - Participated at the International Workshop on Evaluating Climate Change and Development held at the Bibliotheca Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.