(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles is among countries in the region that will benefit from a $49.2 million grant which aims to address the issues of climate change in the western Indian Ocean islands. 

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) will provide a $38-million-dollar grant to help non-governmental organisations in Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles to carry out ecosystem-based adaptation projects, also known as natural or nature-based solutions, to climate change. 

The other $11.2 million is a grant from the US-based Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund which empowers civil society in developing countries to protect the world’s biodiversity hotspots. 

Wills Agricole, Seychelles’ national focal point for GCF - the South Korea-based fund, said this is a milestone to be celebrated by all as community groups and the local private sectors are going to benefit from these climate funds. 

Wills Agricole, Seychelles’ national focal point for GCF - the South Korea-based fund, said this is a milestone to be celebrated by all as community groups and the local private sectors are going to benefit from these climate funds. (Ministry of Environment) Photo License: CC-BY

“We will measure the success of the project by how efficiently we can reach vulnerable people and give them the tools and funds to better cope with climate change. Seychelles will continue to drive such paradigm-shifting approaches to cope with climate change because we must prepare adequately for this reality,” said Agricole.

Ecosystem-based adaptation is the use of the natural environment, more specifically biodiversity and ecosystem services such as wetlands, mangroves and seagrass beds, to help people increase their resilience, reduce their vulnerability and adapt to the effects of climate change. 

Agricole, who is also the Principal Secretary for Energy and Climate Change, said that “the project unlocks opportunities to strengthen the response to climate change in Seychelles and the western Indian Ocean. It will adopt integrated approaches which enhance the climate resilience of ecosystems and infrastructure.” 

He added that “despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Green Climate Fund has proven its commitment to help developing countries address climate change by operating in a more agile, adaptable and virtual way. We are, therefore, pleased to have the GCF as a partner in this fight.” 

Ecosystem-based adaptation is the use of the natural environment, more specifically biodiversity and ecosystem services such as wetlands, mangroves and seagrass beds, to help people increase their resilience, reduce their vulnerability and adapt to the effects of climate change (EBA project, Facebook) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

Seychelles is part of another regional project with Comoros, Madagascar and Mauritius which is being processed by the GCF, this time for $74 million. It will strengthen meteorological, hydrological and climate services in the four island countries. 

Seychelles – 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean - also has four projects of its own in the pipeline. While the ecosystem based adaption project will provide grants to civil society, it will also, among other activities, promote the involvement of and partnerships with the private sector to encourage them to join the fight against climate change.