Seychelles, the World’s Most Biodiveristy Conserved Islands to Host Regional Celebrations for WED 2014 in Africa

Press Release: Seychelles, the World’s Most Biodiveristy Conserved Islands  to Host Regional Celebrations for WED 2014 in Africa

Monday 2nd June 2014

The Seychelles, a tropical archipelago in the South Western Indian Ocean, regarded as a pioneer in environmental protection and conservation will host this year's World Environment Day (WED) regional celebrations on 4 June 2014, according to a joint announcement made by the Republic of Seychelles and the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Africa (UNEP-ROA). The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Climate Change” and the slogan is “Raise your Voice, Not the Sea Level”. “This year is an important year for islands, being at the frontlines of climate change and the cradle for endemic biodiversity, so let us all join hands to protect our islands as our planet will never be the same without our islands” says the Minister for Environment and Energy, Prof. Rolph Payet.
The impact of strong investments in safeguarding the environment is probably nowhere more visible than in Seychelles where Government, in partnership with the private sector, civil society and the international community has worked together to conserve biodiversity and curb environment degradation.  Today the country boasts 52% of its land territory as protected areas, several high profile world class achievements including its status as one of the island states with the lowest number of species extinction.  Since 1990’s local conservations have been mastering the art of island conservation by eradicating rats and relocation birds and other endangered species to the restored islands. Today eight of its islands have been successfully restored and eight of these islands now host new populations of endangered land birds, which were confined before on only one or two islands and thereby increasing their risks of extinction.
On Aldabra Atoll, the first World Heritage Site in the Western Indian Ocean, and the Seychelles equivalent of the Galapagos, the feral goat population that was threatening the largest population of wild giant population in the world was eradicated in 2012. After over four decades of successful conservation efforts the island has seen an eightfold increase in green turtle population from a population estimate of 500-800 individuals in 1960’s to up to 3100 to 5225 in 2012.   With recent investment in renewable energy Aldabra is now 100% reliant on solar energy. 
In 2010, President Michel dedicated 93% of Silhouette Island as a new national park designed and effectively managed for resilience to climate change, from a biodiversity perspective. Silhouette is the third largest granitic island in the Seychelles lying within a marine protected area and known as one of the most important biological hotspots in the Indian Ocean. In the same year, the Government made a decision to commit more than 50% of the terrestrial area of Seychelles as protected area.  This is the highest percentage of land any country has committed as protected area in the whole world. 
Yet, Seychelles, a 455-square kilometer nation comprising of 115 islands, with an estimated human population of 89,949, about 1500 species endemic of plants and animals including the entire world population of the Seychelles bare-legged Scops Owl, the Sooglossidae frog and the enigmatic Coco-de-Mer, the Guinness-book record for the world’s largest and heaviest seed, will sadly be affected by global warming and the impacts associated with climate change such as rising sea level, increases in sea surface temperatures, and ocean acidification if action by the global community is not taken now.
The Seychelles People believes in self determination and are tackling challenges head-on; by taking giant steps to reduce its climate impacts, provide clean, renewable energy and fresh water, manage tourism development in the most sustainable manner, restore habitats under pressure and dramatically scale up its efforts to protect the rich and endemic biodiversity.  Above all it has chartered a strategy and roadmap to adapt to climate change and extreme events which is bound to affect its main economic activities tourism and fisheries.The country has placed great importance on environmental sustainability and the promotion of blue and green economies as shown in the Seychelles Sustainable Development Strategy 2012-2020 and the draft Medium Term National Development Strategy (MTNDS) 2013-2017.
At the regional and international level Seychelles continues to advocate sustainable management of the world’s natural capital and the conservation of marine ecosystems.  In 2004, Seychelles warned the world that the Indian Ocean would lose all its coralline islands in 50 years if nothing is done to stop global warming. To mitigate the looming crisis, President James Michel launched the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) strategy held in Rome, which has today catalyzed island leadership for biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation in the Pacific and the Caribbean. Seychelles has recently committed to providing three years of financial support for GLISPA and is championing the launching of the Western Indian Ocean Coastal Challenge.
More recently at the Rio+20 conference the Vice President of Seychelles, Danny Faure stated that if Seychelles was able to complete a debt for adaptation to climate change swap that can create a funding stream of at least US$2.5 million per year, the Seychelles would establish important areas of its EEZ as protected areas, including no take zones. In January 2014, Seychelles partnered with the United Arab Emirates and organised the first Blue economy Summit in Abu Dhabi, an event which attracted leaders from around the world and galvanized support for this new approach in enabling islands achieve sustainable development.
Historically, Seychelles shifted from an agrarian economy based on cinnamon and coconut to one that is today heavily dependent on tourism and fishing. Both sectors contribute over 40% towards the Gross National Product, and the rebound in the tourism sector is expected to generate an increase of more than 3.5% of the island’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)in 2014 and 2015. Seychelles efforts to become a knowledge society has been marked by the establishment of the world’s smallest university in 2009 and the establishment of an international financial centre.
Considering its structure with heavy dependence on tourism and fisheries, which makes it highly vulnerable to global shocks and climate change, Seychelles’ economy cannot afford to bear the costs associated with environmental degradation in the long-term. “In response to such threats, we have developed a Sustainable Development Strategy – Seychelles vision 2011-2020, that provides a roadmap where environmental integrity, social equity and economic growth are in tune with each other with the ambition to lead Seychelles to be firmly established globally as a committed leader in sustainable development. The establishment and conservation of a thriving environment forms the foundation for our social and economic development” Minister Rolph Payet said.
The strategy is complemented by a number of sectoral policies; for example a strategy to transform La Digue Island into a first eco-capital of Seychelles with electric vehicles, renewable energy for housing and sustainable tourism and traditional agriculture. Another key area is the renewable energy. Seychelles is almost entirely dependent on imported fossil fuel for its energy supply.  The current Seychelles Energy Policy sets a target of 15% contribution of renewable energy to the final energy mix by 2030. The aim is to increase and promote energy conservation practices as well as the appropriate utilization of renewable energy resources and clean technologies to reduce the production of greenhouse gases and other pollutants so as to safeguard both the environment and human health.
UNEP representative and Regional Director for Africa, Mounkaila Goumandakoye said: “The SIDS can be the blueprints of innovative approaches to sustainable development. As the regional host of the regional celebrations of this year’s World Environment Day ahead of the historic United Nations Environmental Assembly, Seychelles, as a pioneer in environmental protection and conservation, will have the opportunity to showcase these initiatives and set an example for many SIDS facing similar challenges and for rest of African countries who can learn from this example.”
The Seychelles and UNEP have implemented several projects on Law and regulatory regimes to support resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production and greening of national economies. On the 22th of May 2014, they have launched a pilot project aimed at building capacity for coastal Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) SIDS, with the view to strengthening the climate change resilience and adaptive capacity of communities and societies in SIDS with high dependence on ecosystem services provided by healthy tropical coastal ecosystems. 

WED 2014 Celebrations events in Seychelles will take place over 2 days. They will focus on Biodiversity Fair and Exhibition to commemorate the International Year the SIDS featuring competitions under the theme “‘My Island, My home”, and a letter to the UN Secretary General on the Young Islanders’ aspiration for 2012. The second highlight is a national musical variety show, followed by a series of public debates and media programmes.

About World Environment Day
The celebration of World Environment Day began in 1972 and has grown to become one of the main vehicles through which the United Nations encourages positive action for the environment. WED activities take place year round but climax on 5 June and engage millions across the globe.
Through WED, UNEP enables everyone to realize not only the responsibility to care for the Earth, but also reminds one and all of their individual power to become agents of change. Every action counts, and when multiplied by a global chorus, becomes exponential in its impact.
Join the regional WED community to make this day happen. Register Your Activity Today and Be Counted.
For more information, contact: ROA Information Officer, Angele.Luh@unep.org
Related Links:
WED - http://www.unep.org/wed/
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands- http://www.ramsar.org/cda/en/ramsar-documents-list-anno-seychelles/main/ramsar/1-31-218%5E16191_4000_0__

http://www.greenafricadirectory.org/aldabra-atoll-home-to-seychelles-largest-off-grid-renewable-energy-system/