COVID-19 and social sustainability: the case of Mauritius

Social sustainability, alongside environmental and economic sustainability, is one of the three key dimensions of sustainability. Unlike environmental and economic sustainability, social sustainability is often missing from research and practice related to sustainability efforts and policies. Using in-depth qualitative interviews and official document review this article studies the COVID-19 pandemic response of the small island developing state, Mauritius. Using the Opp, Susan M. [2017. “The forgotten pillar: a definition for the measurement of social sustainability in American cities.” Local Environment 22 (3): 286–305] framework for social sustainability, this research finds that Mauritius had both successes and failures in maintaining and promoting social sustainability on the island nation and are at a crossroads with respect to the future of social sustainability on the island. Although the island nation holds an impressive record in engaging in social sustainability efforts, longstanding inequalities were exacerbated during the pandemic and the changed economic outlook may jeopardize the small island's momentum towards their 2030 sustainability goals.