GOS-UNDP-GEF Outer Islands Project
Project Overview Seychelles existing protected area system is primarily situated in the Inner (Granitic) Islands of the country. The Outer Islands of the Seychelles make up more than half of the total number of islands within the archipelago and include nine of the twenty Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Seychelles, but at present there only two fully gazetted protected areas in the Outer Islands: (i) Aldabra Special Reserve (15,260 ha terrestrial and 23,100 ha marine) and (ii) the African Banks Protected Area (2 ha terrestrial and 3 ha marine), as well as two declared Nature Reserves (Boudeuse and Etoile, each less than 1 ha.).
The project seeks to promote the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial and marine biodiversity in the Seychelles’ Outer Islands by expanding the protected areas system and strengthening protected area management, supported by broad-scale ecosystem planning and sustainable land management activities to conserve ecosystem functions. Goals & Objectives The project (2014-2020) focuses outputs and activities to achieve both biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management goals:
1. Enable Biodiversity Conservation The project supports the official establishment of five new protected areas in the Outer Islands, encompassing 1,237 hectares of terrestrial ecosystems and 76,258 hectares of marine ecosystems. The project specifically supports: (i) assessment of the current state (biodiversity, infrastructure, management, resource uses, etc.) of the proposed Protected Areas (ii) gazetting, boundary setting and zoning of the new Protected Areas (iii) strengthening of management structures and the preparation of management plans for each Protected Area, as well as a strategic business plan for four of the Protected Areas (iv) development of functional and well-trained team of Protected Area staff working in collaboration with private sector partners at each new Protected Area. 2. Enable Sustainable Land Management The project ensures the establishment of the necessary institutional framework (information and planning systems) to support integrated management of the new Protected Area sites that not only addresses Biodiversity conservation but also reduces land degradation impacts. The project specifically supports: (i) development of a decision support system to enable integrated natural resource management decision-making. (ii) creation of land use plans and an Ecosystem-Wide Zoning and Master Strategy (for the entire Outer Islands). (iii) the restoration of degraded terrestrial ecosystems impacted by unsustainable activities. (iv) the prevention and control of invasive alien species, many of which impact both ecosystem functioning and the rehabilitation processes of native ecosystems. |
|
