Abstract

Scientific records and projections are proving the elevated risk of vulnerable freshwater resources being harshly impacted by climate change, especially on Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) like Mauritius. Adaptation measures to respond to those climatic impacts on water would require an integrated water resources management that includes obtaining the perception of the society’s consideration of the issue. As a result, due to progress being made in world economic integration and climate policies, a major change in thinking about freshwater is taking place in science and policy spheres. This paper aims at analysing the perception of a category of the Mauritian society, namely the working population, with regard to awareness as well as understanding of climate change and its impacts on water resources. The results of the study show that the educational level of respondents has an impact on both their awareness and understanding of climate change and the negative effects it has on our water resources. The findings can be of help to policy-makers engaged in the effective selection and implementation of realistic and targeted water-related adaptation measures all through- out the island.