SEYCHELLES and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change:

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Seychelles is a small country comprising of a series of approximately 115 small granitic and coralline islands. These islands are scattered over an area of an Exclusive Economic Maritime Zone (EEMZ) and cover an area of 1.37 million square kilometers with rich bio-diversy of flora and fauna. The total area of these islands is about 445 square kilometers while the population is estimated at 73,000 inhabitants. Most of the population of Seychelles and its principal economic activities are concentrated i the coastal plains - which in many ares lies below the mean sea-level. For example, Mahe, the main island has approximately 88 % of its population living on the coast since most of its area consists of central highlands which are inaccessible to development and human settlement. Therefore the only way further expansion and urbanization can take place is by reclamation from the sea.

Alphose, Farquahar, Amirantes, and Aldabra are the coral islands of economic importance. In contrast with the granitic islands, these coralline islands are rather flat and hardly one meter above mean sea level. Although human settlement is insignificant in most of these islands, certain economic activities such as agriculture, tourism, fisheries and biodiversity conservation dominate. The economy is characterized by the dominance of tourism and by a high degree of import dependence. The primary and secondary sectors (agriculture, tfishing, mining, manufacturing and construction) account for 22 % of GDP in 1993. The islands are very vulnerable to changes in external environment. In an attempt to reduce this vulnerability, appromimately 30 parastatal companies were creaed covering all sectors of the economy in the mid 1980s. As a result, state-owned and parastatal enterprises have come to account for more than half of Seychelles' GDP and two-thirds of formal employment.

Sea level changes, storm surges, and soil erosion are some of the major threats to the island's coastal zones, the reclaimed land areas, and the low lying coral islands. Observations indicate the existence of advanced coastal erosion along several beaches especially in areas of extensive human activity. Flash floods are a common phenomenon in low lying areas which generally receive higher rainfall which sometimes could range from 250mm to 300mm within six hours.

Economically, the country relies mainly on tourism and other related activities, as well as the fishery industry, vegetable farming and other small scale farming activities. In Seychelles the marine ecosytem and the low lying coastal belts are the backbone of the islands socio-economic development. As a result the country's evironmental policies ensure the proper coastal zone management plans and regulations are observed and enforced. Seychellesis fairly dependent on fossisl fuels, as its primary source of energy. Over one half of this imported oil is used to generate electric power and a substancial amount of oil products are re-exported. Land transport is an importan sector which consumes much of the imported fossil fuel energy.