Seychelles has achieved one of Africa’s strongest economic performances, and a new World Bank–Government of Seychelles report highlights how smart, resilient investments and reforms can sustain growth, create quality jobs, and safeguard livelihoods. The Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) warns that without action, rising environmental and climate-related risks could reduce GDP by more than 6% by 2050, disproportionately affecting jobs, incomes, and poverty. The report emphasizes sectors such as tourism, fisheries, energy, infrastructure, and skills development as critical levers for growth and resilience.
Tourism and fisheries, which employ a large share of the workforce and generate most foreign exchange, face increasing risks from sea-level rise, coastal erosion, marine heatwaves, and extreme rainfall. The CCDR recommends reorienting these sectors toward higher-value, resilient models to protect existing jobs and create new opportunities. Expanding local renewable energy could also reduce electricity costs by up to 20% and lower dependence on imported fuel, strengthening both economic stability and climate resilience.
Targeted investments in infrastructure, including coastal protection, transport, and water systems, are crucial to halving future economic losses. Aligning education, training, and labor policies with sectoral skill demands in tourism, energy, construction, water management, and agriculture will help Seychellois access new jobs and benefit from rising productivity. Boubacar-Sid Barry, World Bank Resident Representative for Comoros and Seychelles, emphasized that smart investments can simultaneously drive stronger growth, better jobs, and lower economic risks, positioning Seychelles as a leader among small island states.
The CCDR proposes a three-pronged framework: reorient key sectors toward higher value and resilience, reduce economic and physical risks through targeted investments, and reinforce fiscal and institutional foundations to support sustainable growth. Achieving these goals will require $810 million over 25 years, roughly 2.8% of GDP annually over five years, alongside reforms to mobilize private capital and strengthen public finances. Recommendations cover tourism, fisheries, energy, coastal protection, water security, skills development, and financing, and will inform future engagement under the Seychelles Country Partnership Framework (2025–2030).
The CCDRs are diagnostic reports integrating climate change and development priorities, helping countries identify cost-effective pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost adaptation, and advance sustainable development. They provide actionable guidance for governments, citizens, the private sector, and development partners, supporting high-impact climate action and directing financing toward resilience and low-carbon transitions.
