Dr. Ameer Ebrahim represented the James Michel Foundation at the UNFCCC COP28 to deliver a presentation about the Seychelles Blue Carbon Roadmap during the ‘Nature, Land use and Oceans’ side event at the Seychelles pavilion (Blue Zone). 

"The Roadmap, which was handed over to the Government Of Seychelles in September 2022, explored Seychelles’ Blue Carbon Future and presented a long-term plan to establish a nationwide evidence-based program, geared towards the protection and restoration of Blue Carbon ecosystems for Climate Change mitigation and adaptation. It is one of the main guiding documents for the development of the Blue Carbon Policy for the Government of Seychelles", says Dr. Ebrahim.

In his presentation, he highlighted the four main projects presently being carried out in Seychelles:

1. 'Exploring Blue Carbon Opportunities in Seychelles' - JMF and Deakin University's BCL (funded by SeyCCAT).
   
   
2. Seychelles Seagrass and Carbon Mapping Project' - SeyCCAT, University of Seychelles' JMBERI, Island Conservation Society, University of Oxford, Deakin University's BCL (funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts).
   
   
3. 'Seychelles Mapping Ocean Wealth' -  The Nature Conservancy (funded by the Seychelles MACCE, World Bank and SWIOFISH3).
   
   
4. 'Blue Carbon Assessment for Mahé Plateau: Mangrove Ecosystems' - Deakin University's BCL (funded by the Seychelles MACCE, World bank, SWIOFISH3).

Dr. Ebrahim explained that these projects contribute to identifying key areas to help establish a Blue Carbon Agenda for Seychelles, guided by the Blue Carbon Roadmap, and outlined the three main objectives that were fulfilled to achieve the roadmap:

1. Literature Review: Blue Carbon Research in the Tropical Western Indian Ocean 
   
   
2. Stakeholder Questionnaire Results: Seychelles' Blue Carbon Context 
   
   
3. Blue Carbon Workshop: An Introduction to Blue Carbon Ecosystems and Monitoring Techniques, with a special focus on Mangrove Forests

The Seychelles Blue Carbon Roadmap was developed by the James Michel Foundation, in collaboration with Deakin University’s Blue Carbon Lab in Australia, and funded by the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust. 

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JMF - James Michel Foundation 

Deakin University's BCL - Blue Carbon Lab 

SeyCCAT - Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust

MACCE - Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment

JMBERI - James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute 

SWIOFISH3 - Third South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and Shared Growth Project

Links: 

Seychelles' Blue Carbon Roadmap & Summary Poster

Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust 

Blue Carbon Lab