Seychelles is a Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the South West Indian Ocean in Africa. The country comprised of 115 granitic and coralline low-lying islands with a majority of the population centred on three island namely Mahé, La Digue and Praslin. The islands are highly vulnerable to climate change due to their geographic location and high exposure to hazards including storms, flooding, landslides, and destruction of coastal property and livelihoods. Annual sea level rise is expected to increase according to scientific projections, a change that would challenge the recovery of Seychelles' coral reefs. It is also anticipated that the dry season will be drier whilst the wet season will be wetter, causing concerns over water shortage, food production and loss of fishing and recreational tourism activities.

Policy highlights:

• The low-lying and densely populated coastal settlements in Seychelles, especially Mahé and La Digue, and the surrounding critical habitats are vulnerable to climate change hazards such as sea level rise, flooding, destruction of critical infrastructure and loss of livelihoods
• The GIVRAPD project focused on three main areas for adaptation planning and coastal resilience including biophysical and vulnerability assessment, cross-sectoral and multi-stakeholder participatory planning and the use of micro-insurance as an adaptation strategy
• Integrated management across coastal and marine sectors and joint planning with stakeholder groups are enabling conditions to build the adaptive capacity at the community level for local action.

Picture: David Stanley