This project is funded by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Université Paris Cité for a period of 24 months. It is co-managed by Maud Devès, Associate Professor, Université Paris Cité and Olivier Borraz.

Summary: 
 

The French department of Mayotte, located in the Comoros archipelago, faced a significant water shortage in 2023-2024, revealing the territory's extreme vulnerability. The public authorities attributed the crisis to a late rainy season and to climate change, but the causal factors are, as is often the case, more complex (e.g., rapid population growth, previous crises not assimilated, insufficient knowledge and ineffective management of water resources). This research project aims to understand why - and how - the recent crisis in Mayotte, despite being a recurring problem, took the authorities by surprise.