Majority of citizens say pollution is a serious problem in their community.
Key findings
- A majority (57%) of Seychellois say pollution is a "somewhat serious" or "very serious" problem in their community. o Trash disposal ranks as the most important environmental issue that citizens identify in their community. o Two-thirds (66%) say plastic bags are a major source of pollution in Seychelles. ▪ Four in 10 Seychellois (41%) believe ordinary citizens have the primary responsibility for reducing pollution and keeping their communities clean. Others assign this task primarily to business and industry (21%), the national government (12%), or local government (11%).
- While seven in 10 respondents (70%) say the government is doing a good job of protecting the environment, an even larger majority (77%) sa
- Nearly half (48%) of Seychellois think the government should prioritise environmental protection over creating jobs and increasing incomes, while only 19% would assign greater importance to economic considerations.
In 2018, Seychelles launched a sovereign blue bond, the first of its kind globally, to support marine conservation (World Bank, 2018). Demonstrating its commitment to safeguarding the foundation of its economy, the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles government has designated about 30% of its waters as marine protected areas, regulating human activity while promoting sustainable fishing and tourism (Laurence, 2020; United Nations Environment Programme, 2018). In 2023, the Tourism Environmental Sustainability Levy was introduced to support environmental rehabilitation initiatives (Government of Seychelles, 2023).
Plastic debris is a pressing threat to the island nation's marine ecosystem. A 2023 study found that Seychelles is not responsible for most of the trash - most debris is carried on ocean currents from Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka (Vogt-Vincent et al., 2023). To intercept the debris, various organisations collaborate with government departments to involve the public in regular cleanup missions (Global Cleanup Network, 2020; Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, 2021; Seychelles National Assembly, 2023).
The government has also identified solid waste management as a significant environmental challenge. Due to limited land area and growing volumes of waste, the country's primary landfill is projected to reach its full capacity in 2025. To reduce landfill deposits, the government is promoting a circular-economy approach to production, encouraging businesses to shift from generating waste to using more of it as an input (Uzice, 2024; Connery, 2023).
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This dispatch reports on a special survey module included in the Afrobarometer Round 9 (2021/2023) questionnaire to explore Africans' experiences and perceptions of pollution, environmental governance, and natural resource extraction.
Findings show that more than half of Seychellois consider pollution a serious problem in their community. Trash disposal tops the list of respondents' most urgent local environmental problems, and a majority say plastic bags are a major source of pollution in the country.
Ordinary citizens are most likely to look to one another to reduce pollution and keep their communities clean. Although respondents broadly approve of the government's performance in protecting the environment, most say greater efforts are needed, including tighter regulation of natural resource extraction. Few Seychellois think the government should prioritise economic considerations over environmental protection.
Anne Okello Anne is the assistant project manager for East Africa
