The 84,000 Seychellois, being islanders living in the middle of an ocean, are amongst the most vulnerable communities to climate change.

According to climatologists, global warming is causing the ice reserves on the planet to melt faster. The consequence is the sea level rise of between 2.5 millimetres and 4 millimetres a year presently.

 It has been predicted that in 80 years time the surface of the ocean will have risen by between 17 and 32 centimetres.

As part of Seychelles’ continuing campaign in favour of the environment, President James A Michel has launched the Sea-Level Rise Foundation, a global initiative to defend island homes by way of adaptation to climate change. He introduced the Sea-Level Rise Foundation to the First Global Island Partnership Meeting in the Italian capital of Rome on 25th September 2007.

Seychelles, through the Sea-Level Rise Foundation, wants to evoke the attention of the world to the climate-change dangers faced by whole nations and their cultures, particularly the coastal communities. In a compelling address at the Rome meeting, President Michel said: “When you live on an island, climate change is a reality that you wake up to face every day. The fisherman sees it every day as he takes to sea. Every child sees it when returning to his favourite beach to play.”

Sea level may have risen by another 40 centimetres by the year 2115.

Seychelles has already been hit by the effects of climate change. A warmer ocean has caused mass coral bleaching. And although the coastal barrier which is also a habitat for fish, is slowly adapting to climate change, the ugly head of global warming is a threat to the tourism and fishing industries, the two pillars of the Seychelles economy.

“Much of our coastlines have already experienced loss over the last five years. In some areas in Seychelles, we may have lost over 50 metres of the coastal plateau,” President Michel told the Rome meeting.

The Rome meeting was to get island leaders to continue working together to take significant actions for conservation and sustainable livelihoods on islands. In Mauritius in January 2005, following the deadly tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean the month before, President Michel and his Palau homologue launched the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) as a means of mutual assistance and support for island states coping with climate change. Leaders are now promoting the development of the partnership into a bigger international island movement for actions.

“While we need to continue our efforts to empower islands to progress towards sustainable development, it is even more important to engage the world in global action, rather than global debate, “the Seychellois President said in Rome.

The increase in the national per capita greenhouse emissions in developed countries, along with the melting of the polar ice, is another peril faced by islands and low-lying areas around the world.

After the Sea-Level Rise Foundation launching in Rome, and true to Seychelles’ role as a world leader in environmental protection, President Michel announced further actions his island-country would take to adapt to climate change.

Seychelles will, as the first step, be declaring part of Silhouette island as a new national park designed and effectively managed for resilience to climate change, from a biodiversity and sea-level rise perspective.

Silhouette is the third largest granitic island in the Seychelles group, lying within a marine protected area and known as one of the most important biological hotspots in the Indian Ocean. The island is known for its virgin and untouched forest.

“And this deserves formal protection,” said President Michel in Rome.

At least eight species of plants, one endemic family or rare frogs and other biodiversity thrive on Silhouette.

“But the threat of climate change, invasive species and others are forever looming,” added the President.

With this new addition Seychelles will have more than 50% of its land territory under formal protection. There are already 14 marine protected areas.

“On Silhouette, we have the opportunity to partner with two hotels and create a novel public-private NGO partnership to demonstrate how we can all work together to address those emerging challenges. This is just one example illustrating why we feel the GLISPA vision needs to incorporate collaboration and partnerships with the private sector,” said President Michel.

The other action is to have a faculty in the proposed Seychelles University devoted to research and innovation on environmental issues.