The forum brought together climate, environment, and disaster management experts to produce and disseminate the consensus regional climate outlook for the 2025/26 rainfall season, enhance early warning capacity, and foster inter-agency collaboration across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Seychelles was represented by Ms. Jade Landry (DRDM) and three representatives from the Seychelles Meteorological Authority (SMA)—Mr. Adam Sindo, Ms. Rose Nkatha, and Ms. Constance Ajiambo—who contributed to the forum’s achievements, including:

• Reviewing and verifying the October to December 2025 seasonal forecast.
• Generating seasonal outlooks for overlapping sub-seasons from February to June 2026.
• Fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among regional experts to adopt best practices in early warning, climate-smart planning, and develop impact-based advisories.

Participation in SARCOF-32 strengthened Seychelles’ understanding of regional climate trends and reinforced collaboration with regional partners, enhancing national preparedness for climate variability and extreme events.

The forum was organised by the SADC Climate Services Centre (SADC-CSC), with technical and financial support from the United Kingdom Meteorological Office’s WISER Programme, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and in collaboration with the Eswatini Meteorological Service.

The Project was officially launched with a two-day fact-finding mission led by the Department of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM), in collaboration with the European Union (EU) Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Centre of Excellence, alongside the National CBRN Team from Tuesday 26^th January 2026 to Wednesday 27^th January 2026.

During the mission, the Project Leader Mr. Pablo Taboada and Technical Advisor Mr. Pierre Hennebert, presented the project’s scope and key objectives while also collecting essential information from the National CBRN Team on the current status of chemical and hazardous waste management in Seychelles. Discussions focused on the handling and disposal of waste generated by the agriculture, health, industrial and other sectors.

To further enhance understanding of existing landfill management practices, a site visit was conducted to the landfill facilities on Mahe and guided by the Landscape and Waste Management Agency (LWMA). The visit included discussion on current procedures, as well main challenges LWMA faces in waste processing and overall landfill management. 

As similar fact-finding missions continue across other ECA countries, the next step will involve the experts submitting a comprehensive fact-finding report and a proposed action plan to the Department, outlining key recommendations and priority interventions for Seychelles.

☎️ What is 160 for? It is a national emergency coordination hotline for reporting: 🌧️ Flooding ⛰️ Landslides 🪨 Rockfalls 🏗️ Infrastructure disruptions All reports will be assessed and coordinated with the relevant response agencies to ensure timely action.

⚠️ Important Reminder: Use the 160 hotline responsibly. It does not replace existing emergency numbers. For life-threatening emergencies, continue to call: 999, 151, 111

The works aimed to reduce ongoing risks to road users and nearby residents and included rock cracking of an overhanging boulder and the construction of a gabion wall. During the implementation of the project, DRDM received a Stop Notice from the Seychelles Planning Authority, and all works have since been suspended.

For more information, please watch the video message below from the Principal Secretary of DRDM, Mr. Daniel Cetoupe given to SBC.

We are delighted to announce that our winner Ms. Kayleah Gabriel has been officially presented with her prize today!

During a small photo opportunity, she received her Semi-Submarine Seychelles vouchers from our generous sponsor, and also had the chance to take photos onboard the vessel where she will soon enjoy her prize trip!

DRMD extends heartfelt congratulations to our winner and appreciation to Semi-Submarine Seychelles for their valuable partnership and continued support in promoting disaster preparedness and awareness.

Let’s all remember — in the event of a tsunami, move to higher ground and stay informed throughofficialchannels.

The IOWAVE exercise is a biennial regional simulation designed to test the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of disaster management agencies, first responders and other critical stakeholders across the Indian Ocean region in the event of a tsunami.

Internationally, IOWAVE is coordinated and organised by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System (ICG/IOTWMS) under the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.

In Seychelles, the exercise is biennially overseen by the Preparedness and Planning (PP) unit of the DRMD. Building on recommendations from previous exercises, for IOWAVE2025 a paperless approach was introduced where participants utilised laptops and an isolated network sharing system for inter-agency communication and coordination during the exercise, enhancing information flow throughout the simulation.

Participating local stakeholders included the IOWAVE2025 were Seychelles, Fire and Rescue Service Agency (SFRSA), Island Development Company (IDC), Health Care Agency (HCA), the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA), Seychelles Broadcasting Cooperation (SBC), Department of Tourism, Ministry of Education (MOE), the Seychelles Police Force (SPF), Seychelles Meteorological Authority (SMA).

The initiative aimed to bridge classroom learning with real-world application, giving Mechanical Engineering students the opportunity to see how their studies directly contribute to disaster risk reduction and slope stabilisation efforts in Seychelles. The initiative aimed to inspire and engage young Seychellois engineers by exposing them to real-life applications of disaster risk reduction and infrastructure resilience in Seychelles.

During the visit, students met with two members of the local technical team involved in the project — Mr. Jean-Luc Mondon, Geologist on the project and Mr. Simon Dugasse, Risk Management Officer from DRMD. They provided an in-depth explanation of the innovative mitigation measures implemented in Le Niol, St. Louis Hill (Upper and Retention Area), Bel Ombre, and Waterloo.

Following the presentation, the students visited the St. Louis Hill Retention Area, where they observed first-hand how mechanical engineering concepts are applied in slope stabilisation, drainage control, and landslide mitigation.

The youth engagement activity was facilitated by Ms. Jade Landry, Head of the Education, Research and Information (ERI) Unit at DRMD, as part of the Division’s broader effort to strengthen collaboration with educational institutions and promote a culture of disaster awareness among young people.

Ms. Landry highlighted the importance of this engagement, noting that it helps students link their academic knowledge with practical national priorities:

“This visit helped students connect what they learn in mechanical engineering with the practical aspects of disaster risk reduction,” she explained. “It encourages shared knowledge and experience from Swiss experts to local professionals, and from local experts to our future generation. It’s a move towards sustainability and ensuring resilience for generations to come, as it also opens the door for new innovation among our youths — the engineers and problem-solvers of tomorrow, which is also aligned with this year’s theme for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, ‘Fund Resilience, Not Disasters.’”

The St. Louis Hill Stabilisation Project, implemented in collaboration with Swiss partners Gasser Felstechnik AG, stands as a model of how international expertise and local capacity can work hand in hand to enhance slope stability and safeguard communities in high-risk areas.

Through initiatives like this, the DRMD continues to inspire and empower young Seychellois to take an active role in shaping a safer, more resilient, and sustainable Seychelles — ensuring that disaster risk reduction becomes not just a government priority, but a shared responsibility across generations.

To mark this occasion, the Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD), in collaboration with local stakeholders, announced the winners of the KREOLITE Disaster Resilience Poem Competition. Additionally, the DRMD signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with both the University of Seychelles and the Red Cross Society of Seychelles (RCSS).

Winner for the youth category was Ms. Alana Commettant poem titled “The Day the Sea Rose: A Poem of the History of Survival”. Where as in the open category the winner was Ms. Angela Valmont, poem titled “Katastrof Natirel”, a special prize was dedicated to the most enthusiastic poet Ms. Annette Nicette, poem titled “En Moman Inoubliyab”

Member of the public are invited to view the winning poem at the Seychelles National Museum, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm today, Friday 17th October 2025.

The DRMD would like extend special thanks to SACOS Insurance, Red Cross Society of Seychelles, HSavy Insurance, Hilton Northolme and Crown Beach Hotel for sponsoring the KREOLITE Disaster Resilience Poem Competition. The Seychelles National Institute for Culture, Hertitage and Arts for assisting with Kreol translation and Seychelles National Youth Council for organising the “Emergency Bag: Maler Pa Averdi” performance.

Today, as we commemorate the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, we are
reminded that true progress lies not in how we respond to disasters, but in how we prepare for
and prevent them.

This year’s theme, “Fund Resilience, Not Disasters,” challenges us to look beyond shortterm recovery and to invest in lasting resilience, in our people, our systems, and our nation’s
future. Every investment in preparedness and risk reduction is a step toward protecting lives,
livelihoods, and the development gains we have worked so hard to achieve.

In Seychelles, we continue to witness the growing impacts of climate-related hazards such as
heavy rainfall, flooding, and landslides. Yet, we also see how strategic investments in
resilience, such as the St. Louis stabilisation project and other ongoing risk mitigation
initiatives across the islands can protect lives and livelihoods.

Our journey toward resilience has been strengthened through meaningful collaboration across
government institutions, communities, and international partners. Together, we have
demonstrated that when expertise, resources, and commitment unite, we can reduce risks,
safeguard our environment, and build a safer, more sustainable Seychelles.

On this important day, I call upon all partners and citizens to continue walking this path
together. Let us invest wisely, act collectively to ensure that Seychelles remains safe,
adaptive, and sustainable in the face of future challenges.

Together, we can, and we will, build a resilient Seychelles, one that stands ready, united, and
prepared for whatever challenges the future may bring.
Mr. Robert Ernesta
Director General
Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD