Launching of a new wetlands restoration project by Nature Seychelles

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On Thursday, May 23 2024, the European Union Ambassador to Seychelles H.E. Mr Oskar Benedikt participated in the launch of a new EU-funded project at Nature Seychelles’ Centre for Environment and Education at Roche Caiman.

The project, titled “Improving Climate Adaptation and Environmental Governance through Local People and Co-Management in Seychelles,” will be implemented by Nature Seychelles in Seychelles and has received €218,000 in funding support from the EU.

It will boost cooperation between government agencies, the private sector, and NGOs for collaborative wetlands management in Seychelles, and will offer opportunities for cooperation and partnerships among diverse actors.

The launch occurs on the heels of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), which is on May 22 2024, whose theme this year is “Be part of the Plan”.

Dr. Nirmal Shah, CEO of Nature Seychelles, says the 2024 theme is a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by supporting the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, also known as the Biodiversity Plan.

“The upcoming project is exactly that. Nature Seychelles thanks the EU and the Ministry for its recognition that management of the environment is everybody’s business, and in fact everybody’s right,” he said.

“The project responds to the clamour for environmental equity, climate justice and “the right of every person to live in and enjoy a clean, healthy and ecologically balanced environment,” as enshrined in the Seychellois Charter of fundamental human rights and freedoms. The project will publicly recognise champions who are investing time, expertise, and resources into wetlands conservation.”

According to H.E. Mr Oskar Benedikt:  “The launch of this important project happens while we celebrate the EU month in Seychelles. It is the moment when we take stock of and appreciate the long-standing partnership between the EU and Seychelles, a partnership lasting already half a century. The launch of this grant today together with our new bilateral programme covering the period 2021-2027, which I signed with the Foreign Minister earlier, bear testimony to the continuity of this partnership in key areas such as environmental protection.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles.

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