Background

According to FAO, about 89% of the Seychelles is forested. More than 45% of the forests are within national parks or other conservation areas. Overall, the deforestation rate is not significant and most results from local communities harvesting building materials and fuelwood. While the forestry sector is considered marginal to the national economy, the indirect economic and environmental benefits are considerable.

Framework

Forestry legislation in the Seychelles tends to be dated and there is a lack of guidelines and practices for sustainable forestry management. The Forestry Sector Master Plan identified improved forest protection and conservation as well as better management of protected areas as priorities under the 2000-2010 Environment Management Plan of the Seychelles.

Actors

Implementation

To date, the Seychelles have not started preparing formally for a REDD mechanism.