ReCoMaP project

The last three months have been very interesting with project implementation for the GIF team, on both Grand Anse Praslin and Denis Island. The project in question is related to integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), funded by the European Union under the Regional Coastal Management Programme (ReCoMaP).


Entitled “Modelling coastal zone management scenarios in Seychelles using Denis Island and Grand Anse Praslin as pilot sites” this project aims to.address the management issues and user conflicts so as to develop Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) models and technical tools for application on other coasts of Seychelles.

Initiation of this project has been interesting as it allows us to work very closely with local communities dealing with several coastal zone issues, which range from sand movement, coastal hydrodynamics, beach cast and turtle nesting grounds. One of the key aspects of this project which was greatly considered in stakeholder workshops (See next post) is the identification of key community members to form the steering committee at each pilot site. The steering committee will assist greatly in the project implementation, namely in data collection which in the end, will provide the tools to develop an ICZM model and its functioning mechanism at the end of the project. This essential tool will provide the management framework that ensures stakeholders’ operations, meet government policy objectives and at the same time respect the rights of other stakeholders in the community. In the end, it will also provide guidance on environmentally-friendly operations.
There is also a wide array of overarching national stakeholders, namely Ministry of National Development (GIS Unit), Ministry of Environment Natural Resources and Transport (Environmental Engineering and Wetlands Section) and the Planning Authority. At the end of the project, we hope that such key model developed will be adopted at national level, in order to better understand and hopefully manage our coastal zone and its abundant resources.

Please click on the link below to read the full Newspaper article produced prior to the stakeholder workshop for each site:

www.nation.sc/index.php?art=19332