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Activities in Seychelles

Clearing Dark Clouds Hanging Over Paradise

As the plane as it makes its final approach to touch down at Seychelles International Airport on Mahé Island, locally known as Aéroport de La Pointe la Rue, one's mind is transported to a vision of paradise by the idyllic scenery below. White waves washing up the clean sandy beaches of mountainous forested islands are dotted with houses sprinkled along the lower reaches. The hues of blue sea and sky match in the bright sunshine lifting up the mood and creating a sense of expectation of good things to come.

Surely what can be wrong when everything looks just right? In an interesting twist of reversed roles, while man makes serious attempts to preserve the environment, the forces of nature threaten to destroy it.

PhotoA sandy beach at Beau Vallon in Victoria, Seychelles

The seemingly pristine clean sandy beaches are slowly being eaten up by the ocean. Coastal erosion is a problem faced by small island states. This seriously threatens some islands such as Seychelles, whose economy heavily relies on tourism. While attempts have been made to construct groynes to stop waves from lapping up the sand, this also serves to inhibit the movement of sand from one beach to another and vice versa. This is a natural phenomenon that should logically balance the overall volume of sand but in Mahé Island the currents wash away the sand, leaving some beaches bare.

PhotoAn eroded coastline in Mahe, Seychelles

In a bid to explore the causes and effects of sand movements and find solutions to this issue, the Government of Japan is supporting the Seychelles Ministry of Home Affairs, Environment, Transport and Energy (MHAETE) through the Study for Coastal Erosion and Flood Management in the Republic of Seychelles. Here, a highly experienced Study Team Leader, Mr. Hiroshi Hashimoto and several other Japanese Experts have been assigned.

The Study includes seminars and workshops to enhance the technical knowledge and managerial skills of counterpart personnel. Through JICA's counterpart training programme, Mr. Nimhan Senaratne, Director, and Mr. Hendrick Figaro, Drainage Inspector, Environmental Engineering and Wetlands Section, Department of Environment have already been trained in Japan. This kind of training enables the counterparts to actually observe and understand Japan's experiences and measures taken against flood control.

PhotoPresentation at Technical Committee Meeting by JICA Study Team Leader, Dr. Hiroshi Hashimoto

With the strong support from MHAETE, it is expected that by the end of the Study, coastal conservation and flood management plans will have been formulated, pilot projects implemented, and technology in these fields will have been successfully transferred.

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