Seychelles Wetlands Policy and Action Plan 2019-2022.

This new Wetland Policy 2019 - 2022 acknowledges that wetlands are essential for sustainable development and that wise use is paramount. In that sense, it seeks to promote a sustainable management of Seychelles wetlands, in order to improve ecosystem services, to increase resilience to climate change and to deliver biodiversity. The action plan, provides the framework for policy implementation, and captures existing programmes of work, sets ambitious targets and grasps new opportunities such as the involvement and leadership of civil society to manage local resources of national importance. The Purpose of the Wetland Policy is to: 1. provide a basis for the sustainable management of wetland resources in order to provide ecosystems services, increase climate change resilience and enhance biodiversity; 2. drew together diverse legislation and policies to provide a coherent frame work for wetland management; and 3. fulfill the country’s commitment to MEAs including, but not limited to, The Ramsar Convention.
The Government of Seychelles shall: 1. protect wetlands because of their roles in providing diverse environmental services ranging from the provision of fresh water, disaster risk reduction, the specific unique biodiversity status of our freshwater ecosystems, and the socioeconomic and ecological importance of our coastal wetlands; 2. take appropriate actions to fulfill its international obligations in the domain of wetlands as set out in inter alia the Ramsar Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on Migratory Species in so much as they pertain to Seychelles and its national circumstances; 3. implement its national commitments as set out in the Seychelles Sustainable Development Strategy, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and as embodied in the national pursuit and development of the Blue Economy 4. adopt the principles of Ecosystem based Adaptation whereby the conservation, sustainable management and restoration of ecosystems can help people adapt to the impacts of climate change, where existing biodiversity cultural or landscape values shall not be negatively impacted by such intervention; 5. protect, restore and enhance wetlands with the support of and implementation by Government Agencies, Arms’ Length Bodies, NGOs, CBOs and other civil society groups; 6. take actions to reduce the imminent threats to wetlands, namely Invasive Alien Species, over-exploitation and built development and develop legislation, regulation and policy to mitigate these threats. 7. Facilitate the protection, restoration and recreation of wetland systems by supporting local, national and international funding instruments including the allocation of international donor funds for biodiversity conservation and Ecosystem-based Adaptation; and 8. commit through the development, implementation and periodic review of the Action Plan to the conservation and sustainable use of its wetlands, including the designation and management of protected area classifications to conserve endemic and threatened wetland biodiversity and to cooperate internationally as appropriate to further those ends.
The working objectives of the policy are to: promote and facilitate research and monitoring that will enable a comprehensive inventory of wetlands to be compiled, provide information to guide management and to measure change over time, especially related to climate change; ensure that wetlands are effectively protected by increase and enhance implementation of legislation including improved area coverage, the development and implementation of management plans and legal enforcement; ensure that wetlands are effectively protected by increase and enhance implementation of legislation including improved area coverage, the development and implementation of management plans and legal enforcement; strengthen and align wetland management to National Plans and Policies and ensure that opportunities to fulfill the commitments to MEAs are maximised and reported; to engender the involvement of Civil Society including NGOs, CBOs and other groups in the management and safeguarding of wetlands and engender active participation in catchment management and the wise use of water resources; and to increase public understanding and support for sustainable management of wetlands though education and awareness.
The policy will be implemented through the Wetland Action Plan 2019 -20 (Annex 1) which is a detailed, verifiable and time defined implementation plan based on the Policy Objectives.