Seychelles advocates for enhanced disaster risk reduction financing |11 April 2025

Seychelles advocates for enhanced disaster risk reduction financing

Seychelles has successfully championed the cause for sustainable and inclusive disaster risk reduction financing for small island developing states at the high-level policy forum on Accelerated Financing for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Oslo from March 25–26, 2025.

Represented by the Minister for Internal Affairs, executive director of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the chief risk management officer of the Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD), Seychelles highlighted the critical need for flexible and context-specific approaches to resource mobilisation for disaster risk reduction (DRR).

In his opening panel address, Minister for Internal Affairs Errol Fonseka, underscored Seychelles’ multi-dimensional risk profile, coastal vulnerabilities, and economic reliance on tourism. He showcased examples of disaster risk reduction (DRR) integration, including coastal restoration and resilience measures at critical infrastructure points. The minister also introduced a broader "basket of risks" approach, encompassing natural hazards, cyber threats, drug and human trafficking, and called for greater international support to build domestic capacity, enabling Seychelles to prioritise DRR within national budgets and reduce reliance on official development assistance (ODA).

For his part, DRMD’s chief risk management office, Daniel Cetoupe echoed the minister’s message during panel 5 on financing for development. He advocated for flexibility in funding structures, sustainability of support, and harmonisation of frameworks. Mr Cetoupe emphasised the need for financing models that reflect small island developing states (Sids) diversity and realities, ensuring long-term project viability aligned with national capacity.

Seychelles also held successful bilateral engagements with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Bank, resulting in commitments to:

•         Establish a national disaster loss data tracking system;
•         Support the development of a resource mobilisation strategy for the Implementation of the Costed Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy (2021–2030);
•         Provide technical and financial support for the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).

These developments significantly advance Seychelles’ national resilience agenda and its commitment to financing DRR through coordinated, sustainable resource mobilisation.

The high-level policy forum brought together global leaders, technical experts, and financial institutions to deliberate on innovative approaches to financing DRR. Seychelles actively participated as a Sids, sharing its national experience, priorities, and resource mobilisation needs to support the implementation of the Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2021–2030.

Seychelles will now finalise terms of cooperation with UNDRR and the World Bank, accelerate the development of the Resource Mobilisation Strategy for DRR (2021–2030), and prepare concept documentation and financing framework for the NEOC project.

Contributed