MNAs and DAs learn more on Seychelles NDCs, climate actions and the eco-district award

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MNAs and DAs learn more on Seychelles NDCs, climate actions and the eco-district award
MNAs and DAs learn more on Seychelles NDCs, climate actions and the eco-district award

Africa-Press – Seychelles. A half-day workshop for all members of the National Assembly and all district administrators on the awareness of Seychelles Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), climate actions and the eco-district award, continues today at the Roche Caiman District Administration.

The workshop, organised by Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment (MACCE), the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs and the National Assembly, was launched yesterday morning by the technical advisor for Climate Change in the MACCE, Wills Agricole. It was attended by a first group of MNAs and DAs while the rest are attending today’s session.

The aim of the two half-day workshops is to give all MNAs and their partner DAs an opportunity to learn more about Seychelles’ commitments to taking action on climate change and how they can help keep Seychelles on track to meeting these, to inspire and to motivate them to work collaboratively and to lead climate action in their districts to help achieve the NDCs, and become more eco-friendly, and to share resources to support community leadership and action on climate change, in particular the Eco-District Award Programme.

In opening the workshop, Mr Agricole stated that while it is true that our country’s contributions to global green gas emission is insignificant, the effects of global warming could have dire consequences on our national development effort and increase the current challenges we face in alleviating poverty.

“For these reasons, Seychelles NDCs will ensure that a qualitative, effective and coherent climate change adaptation and mitigation process takes place aligned with our current National Climate Change Strategy,” Mr Agricole said.

Seychelles first submitted its NDCs during the Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) in Paris in 2015, to fight climate change and to take actions to adapt to climate change impacts. Among some of our pledged commitments were for a reduction of our green house gas emission to 26.4 % by 2030, protection of the ocean and marine eco systems and to become more climate resilient by putting in place measures in all key sectors to protect our communities, infrastructure, ecosystems and the economy from the impacts of climate change.

Mr Agricole said that MACCE will continuously to engage on the international stage in climate change negotiations, specifically at the level of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change, to ensure that the country receives the necessary support for adaptation, education, awareness and resilience purposes.

S4S is currently implementing a project focused on promoting wider awareness of Seychelles’ international climate commitments made under its NDCs, and encouraging civil society, community groups and the private sector to take a more active role in helping Seychelles to achieve these. This project, funded by the GEF Small Grants Programme, is being implemented in collaboration with Hill2Ocean-Citizens (H2O-C) and is intended to complement and support NDC/climate change education and outreach work being done by the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment and other partners.

Michele Martin, an S4S board member, said that the reason for bringing onboard the MNAs and the DAs is to get them to be more on the alert on climate change issues that are impacting their communities which they can work collaboratively to tackle.

Apart from reviewing all proposed policies and laws with a climate lens, as decision makers, the MNAs can engage with government on the need to climate proof budgets so that the districts and communities are able to address climate related threats and risks among others, including ensuring that the country honours the internal climate change commitments. The DAs on their part can talk to citizens to understand how climate change is impacting on them and what they can do to mitigate its impact on their daily lives, among others.

The elected member of the National Assembly for Mont Buxton, Gervais Henrie, said that while most of the time the subject of climate change is reserved for people working in environment or is destined as a subject to big international conferences, while people in the community who are feeling the impact of climate change are not necessarily included in climate change conversations, the involvement of the MNAs and DAs, who work on the field, will help to better disseminate climate change issues to inhabitants.

He added that as members of parliament, they will be in position to look more closely at government’s programmes in terms of strategies, laws, policies and financing with regard to climate change and its mitigation.

Yesterday’s session included various presentations on climate change including onthe eco-district award competition. The participants also engaged in a climate change walk about in the nearby area of Roche Caiman to observe the impact of climate change, climate change action initiatives and potential for climate actions.

The workshop was facilitated by Michele Martin and Iris Carolus (S4S) and Jeanette Larue from the MACCE.

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