Praslin, the second largest island of the Seychelles archipelago, is renowned as the island which has been most ravaged by bush fires over the years. This is evident from the various scars of red soil which still shows to date.

In order to ensure a better future for the island’s rich ecosystem it is necessary that such forest fires are prevented and a contingency plan established to remediate the situation, if ever another such calamity is to happen. It is the ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) to climate change in the Seychelles project which is supporting the implementation of a forest fire contingency plan.

Ecosystem Based Adaptation involves the management and rehabilitation of ecosystems through selected measures intended to increase the resilience to climate change. This includes forest and wetland rehabilitation to increase rainfall infiltration and reduce forest fire risks within the catchment areas. The project is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change in partnership with the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP), funded by the Adaptation Fund.

It proposes to enhance the coordination and efficiency in fighting forest fires through a participatory approach of stakeholders, including the Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA), Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA), Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), local non-governmental organisation Terrestrial Restoration Action Society of Seychelles (Trass), Praslin Watershed Committee (WSC) and the districts of Grand Anse and Baie Ste Anne.

Through the French embassy, the project sought the help of Reunion Island which is well experienced in forest fire management. This request was well received and EBA was able to cooperate with the Regional French Civil Defence Forces of Reunion Island to recruit two experts in forest fire management.

In February this year, the two experts visited Praslin and conducted an audit and needs assessment inventory as well as workshops with various stakeholders on the island. They also conducted a terrain and field analysis of affected sites, a survey of the Vallée de Mai and other reserves on Praslin.

From the audit, certain recommendations were made and among them the need for certain well-adapted equipment which will allow both the SFRSA and SNPA to fight forest fires in an efficient and timely manner.

These equipment include back packs to carry important tools and a water pump which can easily be fixed to the SFRSA trucks to reach difficult terrains.

The equipment were officially handed over by EBA to the SFRSA on Praslin in a small ceremony at the SFRSA base itself. French Ambassador Dominique Mas was the guest of honour at the ceremony, representing the cooperation between the EBA project and ‘Service Départemental d’Incendie et de Secours’ (SDIS) of Reunion Island.

In his address to the invitees, Ambassador Mas expressed France’s appreciation of the opportunity to help with this project which comes as a symbol of the strong diplomatic relations between the two countries, sharing common ideas on climate change and protecting the environment.

“Seychelles is very sensitive to climate change and rest assured that France is behind Seychelles to help protect the environment and guarantee a better future for our children. The firefighters from Reunion were honoured and motivated to pass on their expertise to the local agencies and we hope to continue this good relation in the future,” Ambassador Mas shared as he described the project as “a very special one” to him personally, in view that his son is a volunteer firefighter in France.

On his part, Hydro-geologist of EBA, Johan Mendez, thanked the French government for their support on the project as well as all agencies involved for their valuable contribution.

“This project is well adapted to help against climate change in our country of very high biodiversity. It is thus important that fire fighters work with SNPA, SIF, Trass and other local NGOs for a collaborative effort,” said Mr Mendez.

SFRSA welcomed the donation which will complement forest firefighting equipment which they had already and will be maintaining these equipment. The SFRSA is also involved in helping towards reforestation and the back packs will be especially useful to carry plants to affected areas.

SNPA chief executive Selby Remy who was also present, enlightened us of the role of SNPA in the project.

“SNPA is responsible for many terrestrial areas including the world heritage site Vallée de Mai. So fighting forest fires in areas which we maintain is one of our priorities. We did have some firefighting equipment but it was time that they be replaced and as we had the chance to partner on this project we found it ideal to invest some of our funds which have been scheduled for this purpose, to purchase our own equipment and do our part in protecting our natural heritage,” said Mr Remy.

Upcoming training will be conducted in the near future and several firefighters and representatives of SNPA will be venturing to Reunion Island for same. This will include observations of techniques used in Reunion to fight forest fires. A local watershed committee on Praslin comprising officers of the SFRSA, MEECC, SNPA, Trass and SIF has also been established for exchange of expertise. One of the purposes of the committee is to enhance the social resilience of local communities to climate change and the donation was made possible through the establishment of this committee.

Source : Seychelles Nation

Photos : Romano Laurence

Fire services in Seychelles is now equipped with a brand new appliance, the aerial ladder platform which can be used for high rescue and better firefighting action from above.

Yesterday, the representative of the Angloco Factory, Steve Hodgetts, the creator of this appliance, formally delivered the key to the Designated Minister, Macsuzy Mondon, who then passed it on to the chief fire officer Albert Rose in a ceremony at the Fire Services headquarters on Latanier Road. The ceremony was also attended by the Speaker of the National Assembly Nicholas Prea, members of the National Assembly and the Mayor of Victoria David Andre.

This occasion marks a big step in the development and achievement for the country’s fire services and this is also identified in their strategic plan.

“The particular vehicle meets our needs around operational response and is able to deal with some of the difficulties we will face particularly in fighting fires and performing rescue in high rise buildings. Being a tourism country whose port is patronised by large tourism vessels, this appliance will come in handy for rescue and fire should the need arises,” noted Mr Rose.

He also voiced out that fire services appliances are costly and thus within their allocated budget it is near impossible for them to replace vehicles, let alone buy specialised vehicles.

“That is why we are grateful for the investment made by the government in purchasing this appliance, in boosting our fleet capabilities, we will ensure that we are not relying on the likelihood of needing such an appliance, but on our readiness to receive any challenge,” added Mr Rose.

The efforts to acquire such a vehicle was started by former chief fire officer Andre Morel. In October 2017, the contract to construct such an appliance was granted to Angloco Factory, located in England. The contract included the manufacture of the aerial ladder platform on a Scania chassis cab, testing, acceptance programme and delivery of the finished vehicle to Seychelles. The construction of the appliance was carried out at the Bronto Factory in Finland and further sent to the UK for the finalisation and the installation of the firefighting equipment.

“However, there was a delay in the construction of the vehicle for less than one year due to a shortfall of R2.6 million which was under negotiation for further funding from the Ministry of Finance. Work started in July 2018, nine months after the contract was signed and took less than a year to complete the total investment of R12.6 million funded by the Seychelles government,” explained Mr Rose.

Mr Rose personally visited the factories to inspect the finishing work and also to sign the acceptance certificate before shipment of the vehicle. Then the vehicle was shipped to Seychelles and arrived on September 16, 2019.

This new appliance is quite large and the ladder reaches up to 32 metres.

“Due to its dimensions and manoeuvrability, it will be limited to certain areas, but it delivers the very latest in technology. It is an instrument which will enable our firefighters to resolve incidents quicker and safer,” said Mr Rose.

He concluded his speech by thanking the government for making this investment and secondly, he thanked the members of the National Assembly who fought very hard for the funding for the project to materialise.

Pastor Pascal Payet, a former chief fire officer, blessed the new vehicle and placed it in the hands of God.

A group of 15 staff including six fire-fighters have been identified to operate this appliance.

Sa dife lo landfill La Digue ti okazyonn gro lafimen entans

En dife ase entans ti ganny raporte lo en parti landfill l’Union Estate,La Digueyer granmaten apre ki bann zabitan dan sa rezyon ti’n santi e vwar gro lafimen.

Responsab relasyon piblik kot Lazans Servis Tenny Dife ek Sovtaz, Msye Jones Madeleine, in dir ki ti anviron 5.40 bomaten ki stasyon ti ganny enformen lo sa dife e en masin ti ganny deplwaye pour al verifye me ti bezwen demann ranfor akoz dife ti ase gro e entans.

“Sa dife menm si i pa ti lo en tro gran sirfas, i ti dan fon. Ti avek led en excavator ki ti vir salte anba lao ki sa dife ti ganny met anba kontrol dan anviron 1erdtan avan i ti tennyen konpletman 4erdtan plitar,” Msye Madeleine i dir.

Apre sa zot in kontinyen fer bann swivi toule erdtan pour asire ki dife pa repran.

Msye Madeleine i dir i pa ankor kler kwa ki’n okazyonn sa dife me i posib ki i’n pran lo limenm a traver dekonpozisyon bann diferan kalite salte ki annan lo sa landfill.

Lo son kote sef egzekitiv lazans ki zer salte, Msye Flavien Joubert, ti dir avek SBC ki ti annan bokou plis lafimen akoz sa bann kalite salte kot dife ti’n pran e bann zofisye tenny dife ti bezwen konbat sa dife atraver gro lafimen entans.

Source: Seychelles Nation

Dife in konpletman detri en lakaz an tol dan semen Kato ki form parti distrik St Louis. Sa lensidan dife ti ariv yer apremidi.

Zofisye relasyon piblik kot Lazans Servis Tenny Dife ek Sovtaz, Msye Jones Madeleine, ti dir zournal Seychelles NATION ki zot ti ganny alerte lo sa lensidan dife ver 4er29 apremidi e zot ti deplway 3 masin dan landrwa kot dife ti’n pran.

Msye Madeleine i azoute ki zot ti ganny enpe difikilte pour konmans tenny dife akoz ti annan en difil elektrik PUC ki ti’n kase e ti pe fer spark.

Malgre ki dife in konpletman detri sa lakaz an tol, Msye Madeleine i dir ki son bann zofisye in reisi anpes dife propaz dan en lakwizin ek en lasanm ki trouve obor sa lakaz.

Servis litilite piblik (PUC) ti fer fas pandan wikenn avek en lensidan dife ek poto elektrik tonbe swivan en deboulir later. 
Lazans servis tenny dife ek sovtaz (SFRSA) ti bezwen entervenir Sanmdi bomaten pour tenny en dife dan en lofis lo premye letaz kot batiman administrativ PUC, Maison de Malavois ki sitie lo Laveni Bois de Rose. Sa dife ki dapre konpran ti’n konmans dan plafon, in parsyelman detri sa plafon enkli serten bann lekipman ki ti dan sa lofis.

Lazans servis tenny dife ek sovtaz (SFRSA) in rikord son premye ka dife serye pour sa lannen. Sa ti en dife ki ti konpletman detri en lakaz de lasanm La Gogue yer bomaten.

Sa lakaz an tol ti pour Robin ek Philomen Joseph. Zot ti pe reste la ek zot de pti zanfan.

Ti ver 8er 45 ki Lazans servis tenny dife ek sovtaz ti ganny alerte par vwazen ki ti annan sa dife e dapre son portparol, Jones Madeleine, pa ti pran zot bokou letan pour ariv kot sa lakaz ki ti’n deza anflanm. Trwa masin tenny dife ti ganny deplwaye pour tenny sa dife.