After Chido, Mayotte is relying on traditional materials to rebuild

In the back-mangrove of Bouéni Bay (southwest), Omar Massoundi sharpens his chainsaw at the foot of a bamboo grove. The stalks cut by the team of technicians in integration that he supervises will not all end up abandoned there: some will be given to the company Lilo Bambou, which will build agricultural shelters with them.

"In any case, it's going to be cut down, so it might as well be used," summarizes Eloi Contant, from the Mayotte Bird Study and Protection Group (Gepomay), which manages the site.

In the hinterland or along the roadside, dense clumps of bamboo are visible everywhere. Although classified as an invasive alien species (IAS), authorities recommend its "development," as it remains in demand "for numerous uses."

"Our grandparents used bamboo for long-lasting constructions," recalls Omar Massoundi, hoping to see solid buildings made from this local material revived.

In Coconi, Louis Dossal, founder of Lilo Bambou, transforms the plant into frameworks, cladding, or roofing. The result: light and elegant structures, where interwoven beams create an airy design. "The structures we built out of bamboo before the cyclone held up," he assures us.

For architect Thibaut Fung Kwok Chine, his partner, bamboo offers a unique advantage: "It is the only material available locally and quickly".

In the weeks following Chido's arrival, they built an emergency bamboo greenhouse together. This artisanal sector still needs to become more structured in order to be competitive.

Bamboo is not the only traditional material making a comeback. Compressed earth bricks (CEBs) are also experiencing a resurgence on the island.

Earth brick

Composed of 70% excavated earth, 25% sand and 5% cement, BTC had its golden age in the 1980s, when the Société immobilière de Mayotte (SIM), the main social landlord in the territory, built around 14.000 homes with this material.

But the arrival of concrete, a change in SIM's strategy and new standards led to its abandonment in the early 2000s.

The Art Terre association is working on its rehabilitation. In 2022, it obtained validation of professional standards allowing its use. "Since then, BTC has been in high demand for public contracts," emphasizes Dominique Tessier, director of the Council of Architecture, Urbanism and the Environment (CAUE) of Mayotte.

SIM has committed to reintegrating 20% ​​of it into its future constructions, explains Melvyn Gorra, the coordinator of Art Terre. "It's a little more expensive than concrete blocks," he concedes, but "the costs balance out" thanks to the insulating qualities of the material.

Benoit Gars, installed at the head of the Public Establishment for Reconstruction and Development (EPRD) of the archipelago, mentioned at the end of September at the HLM congress in Paris the creation of a "center of excellence" around the BTC.

Objective: to develop training, research and local production to create a genuine "sector" capable of competing with concrete. Because compressed earth blocks (CEB) still need to prove themselves.

"Individuals don't necessarily trust these materials," laments Dominique Tessier. Specialists also point out that BTC requires regular maintenance, which hinders its adoption.

But for Melvyn Gorra, BTC houses have proven themselves. Those dating from the 80s "have withstood cyclones and earthquakes, and are still standing," he emphasizes.

As with bamboo, the main challenge remains production. Only three brick factories exist in Mayotte, producing approximately two million bricks per year. Among them, the company Terre & Eau 976, headed by Madi Madi Halidi, is still struggling to make its mark on the reconstruction effort.

The company director nevertheless remains hopeful of regaining "the momentum that existed before." A new machine should allow him to increase production from 400.000 to six million bricks per year by the end of 2025. The next step: training young bricklayers to rebuild a skilled workforce.