The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (MEECC) of Seychelles and the University of Seychelles (UniSey) have teamed up to develop a long-term research programme to make the country’s coastal communities and low lying ecosystems resilient and responsive to climate change.
The development of this research programme is part of the GEF-funded project ‘Ecosystem-based Adaptation through South-South Cooperation’ (EbA South), a joint initiative of UNEP and China that aims to help vulnerable communities in Africa and Asia-Pacific to adapt to the impacts of climate change by improving their capacity to plan, implement, finance, research and legislate in support of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA).
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two parties was signed on Friday, 5 August 2015 at the premises of UniSey.
“The MoU signed today is tackling climate change at its root by including it as part of the curriculum studies in the university as a long-term research and monitoring programme with the support and involvement of the staff of UniSey” said Wills Agricole, Principal Secretary for Energy and Climate Change, when explaining the purpose of the MoU. He explained that the EbA South project is currently carrying out different activities on the islands of Praslin and Mahé - including trainings, the setting up of a nursery for mangrove and coastal vegetation propagation and planting, restoration of wetland channels and inter-connecting culverts, and many more.
UniSey vice-chancellor Dennis Hardy commended the ministry for its tremendous commitment towards the environment. He noted that even if Seychelles is a paradise on earth, the forces of climate change are being felt deeply. A project like EbA South is extremely important in preventing ecosystem degradation on the islands.
