When Tropical Cyclone Chido battered the island of Mayotte on Dec. 14, 2024, it left unprecedented devastation in its wake. Wind speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour ripped roofs off homes, uprooted trees and damaged critical systems. The strongest storm to hit the French territory off the southeast coast of Africa in 90 years left thousands without access to clean drinking water.
The Veolia Foundation responded swiftly, deploying its Veoliaforce experts to join forces with the French Red Cross and NGO Solidarités International. Their rapid response was made possible by pre-positioned Aquaforce 2000 units on Reunion Island, strategically placed there in preparation for the cyclone season. These innovative mobile water treatment stations, developed by the Veolia Foundation specifically for the humanitarian sector, can quickly purify local water sources, delivering clean drinking water within hours.
The recovery in Mayotte is one of more than 1,500 projects and nearly 200 skills-based missions that the Veolia Foundation has carried out since its inception in 2004, exemplifying its commitment to ecological transformation and humanitarian aid.
To better understand Veolia's role in Mayotte, we spoke with Vincent Renault, Projects Execution Director at SIDEM, and Théo Pouillet, Commissioning Manager at OTV, both business units of Veolia Water Technologies.
Can you describe your mission in Mayotte and the role you played in this intervention?
Vincent Renault: I left for Mayotte on Christmas Eve for two weeks, as part of the Red Cross team, for which the Veolia Foundation provided equipment and volunteers. Though it meant adjusting my holiday plans, the mission was for a good cause and Veolia made sure everything was well-organized.
Théo Pouillet: I arrived in Mayotte on Jan. 7 with the second rotation of volunteers. Our role was to produce drinking water for the people of Mayotte and to continue the actions of the first rotation, which had arrived around Dec. 20. They were responsible for operating the production sites while our team focused on increasing capacity and maintaining water production work on the island.
What were the biggest technical and logistical challenges you encountered on site?
VR: Logistically, we were fortunate to be integrated into the Red Cross team, which has extensive experience and sufficient means for this type of mission. The Red Cross found accommodation and transportation for us, so we were in good hands. At the technical level, the main challenge was finding water points that had sufficient flow to treat the water and were in close proximity to the populations in need.
How did your respective Veolia entities support you in this experience?
VR: SIDEM fully supported my mission by granting me leave and helping reorganize my workload, delegating some tasks. My colleagues sent many supportive messages during the mission and provided technical support and expertise whenever needed. This wasn't unusual for SIDEM, as it has previously supported volunteers for missions, notably in Saint-Martin a few years ago following Hurricane Irma.
TP: My situation was a bit special since I'm based on Reunion Island (to the East of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean), but still serving in Saint-Maurice, France. Being just a two-hour flight from Mayotte, I was perfectly positioned to help. The Foundation’s director contacted me directly, knowing my location, and my management in France approved my volunteer work immediately. Though I wasn't an official Foundation volunteer yet, my commissioning expertise and proximity made me an ideal candidate. My colleagues in France and Reunion were very accommodating, adjusting schedules to make this mission possible.
What were the reactions of local populations to your intervention and access to drinking water?
VR: The drinking water issue in Mayotte existed before, but Cyclone Chido made it far worse. The population that was traumatized by the cyclone welcomed us with open arms. Many had lost their homes, struggled to access food, and lacked access to water. Under these conditions, our help was greatly appreciated. We were able to restore access to both drinking and utility water.
What struck you the most personally during this mission?
TP: As luck would have it, I was on the island of Mayotte just two days before the cyclone to perform maintenance on the station, which gave me a stark before-and-after perspective. The island’s landscape was completely transformed — virtually no trees remained rooted, almost all of them split. Even if we had arrived two to three weeks later, the island still would have been a wreck. The scale of destruction was truly shocking.
Why were Aquaforce 2000 units used for this mission in Mayotte?
VR: The Veolia Foundation has long relied on Aquaforce 2000 units for their ease of deployment. They are readily transportable by air, simple to retrieve on-site and completely autonomous, requiring no external power supply. Their robustness and proven track record in field operations over several years made them the ideal choice.
What is the advantage of the ultrafiltration, activated carbon and disinfection module used by the Aquaforce 2000?
TP: Ultrafiltration effectively removes most small particles — bacteria, slight mineral pollutants, mud and small stones — all pre-filtered and retained in the membranes. Activated carbon eliminates unwanted tastes from bacteria or pollutants while the chlorine solution is easily administered through a small dosing pump. This compact module is specifically designed to treat water of moderate quality. In Mayotte, where rainfall had created muddy conditions and high levels of bacteria contamination, including Escherichia coli and fecal matter, the combination of ultrafiltration and disinfection ensures safe drinking water, which is why the Aquaforce 2000 was right for the job in Mayotte.
How has this mission enriched your expertise as a Veolia Water Technologies employee?
VR: This mission allowed me to experience some aspects of water treatment I don’t typically encounter in my regular role. I'm not always in the field; I don't often do laboratory analysis. I learned a great deal about water treatment techniques in a short time. The mission taught me the whole process, from deploying a water treatment unit and analyzing needs to evaluating locations and optimizing the different parameters. Above all, seeing people drink clean water directly from our unit was incredibly rewarding.
What advice would you give to colleagues who would like to become Veoliaforce volunteers?
VR: I strongly encourage all colleagues to volunteer. There are very varied opportunities, from short-term development missions in France to field missions abroad. There are missions for all roles, for all skills — you don’t need to be a technical expert to join the Veolia Foundation. We have interesting projects with the new Aquaforce units and their optimization. We’re also training people to use this equipment and build a pool of volunteers ready for quick deployment in the field.
As Mayotte continues to recover from the devastating impacts of Cyclone Chido and subsequent Storm Dikeledi, the Veolia Foundation remains actively engaged on the ground alongside its partners.
More info about the Veoliaforce Sponsorship program and Veoliaforce Missions.
©pictures from Guillaume Binet / MYOP and Marie Magnin
