Seychelles National Climate Change Strategy 2009.

This Seychelles National Climate Change Strategy (NCCS) is a cross-setoral policy document. The Vision is: To minimise the impacts of climate change through concerted and proactive action at all levels of society. The strategic priority objectives are: 1. To advance our understanding of climate change, its impacts and appropriate responses. 2. To put in place measures to adapt, build resilience and minimize our vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. 3. To achieve sustainable energy security through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 4. To mainstream climate change considerations into national policies, strategies and plans. 5. To build capacity and social empowerment at all levels to adequately respond to climate change.
Agriculture is only 3% of the Seychelles GDP, but with the global food crisis, the issue of national food security has taken the highest priority in Seychelles. In Seychelles, the fisheries sector constitutes the second major pillar of the economy and contributes significantly to food security, a level of reliance which confers high vulnerability to climate change. The impact of climate change on agriculture and fisheries, locally and globally, will also have an indirect impact on nutrition. To advance the understanding of climate change, its impacts and appropriate responses, the NCCS proposes a number of strategies, including: Establishment of sustainable longterm monitoring programmes in strategic areas, with focus on climate scenarios, risk assessments and adaptation; Identification of gaps and research priorities required to predict the impacts of climate change in Seychelles; Development of capacity to manage, analyse and present such data in a manner in which it can be useful for guiding policy and influencing adaptation.
The NCCS seeks to make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable. Proposed actions include: Identify climate sensitivity and develop relevant ecological and socio-economic indicators for the artisanal fisheries subsector; Develop ecosystem modeling for climate-sensitive fisheries; adoption of coping approaches with regards to the management of protected areas for resilience to climate change; Implement fisheries-independent monitoring system for coral reef fisheries resources that incorporates resilience indicators; Develop social and ecological resilience in exploited marine ecosystems through adoption of an ecosystem-approach in fisheries management plans; etc.
The NCCS seeks to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems through actions such as: Assess levels of disease/pest control resistance in climate-related sectors; Determine adaptation opportunities in fisheries considering socio-economic conditions, fishing pressure, and international trade; Evaluate and implement new plant varieties, strategies for pest and invasive control for agriculture and forestry, to cope with changed climatic conditions.
In order to prevent and reduce the potential impacts of climate change on the country's development, the SCCS sets preliminary guidelines for mainstreaming climate change into sustainable development as a national cross-sector programme addressing matters of policy, institutions, capacity building, civil society involvement and a 5 year action plan. To put in place measures to adapt, build resilience and minimize our vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, the strategies proposed in he NCCS include: Identify priorities for adaptation, especially in critical sectors; Assess and improve ongoing management activities and their contribution to adaptation; Establish financing mechanisms for adaptation; etc.